Choosing A Metal For Your Custom Handmade Engagement Ring
If you've decided to take the plunge and have a custom engagement ring made for that special someone, you know that there are an almost endless number of decisions that go into the process. Handmade engagement rings are a beautiful statement of commitment to your relationship, but that doesn't make the act of designing one any less overwhelming. A good jeweler will help to ease you through this process, but ultimately it is you and your fiancée to make the final decisions.
However, viewing stones and deciding on mountings can obscure one of the most basic (yet important) choices that you have to make: the metal. There are a wide variety of metal options available from traditional to modern.
Gold and Silver
Both gold and silver are traditional and timeless options for engagement rings. Because both of these metals are fairly soft, the gold and silver used in jewelry are always alloyed with another metal. In the case of gold, there are a nearly endless number of alloying options that can determine the final color of the metal. This means that your gold ring can be anything from the traditional yellow to rose gold. Even green gold is an option!
Likewise, silver used in jewelry is always alloyed with other metals to increase its durability. In the case of silver jewelry, sterling silver is 92.5 percent pure silver and generally the benchmark that is used. Sterling silver is a beautiful metal that is also more budget-friendly than gold, but color options are generally limited to whites and greys.
Platinum
Platinum is an extremely rare, extremely durable metal that makes an excellent choice for a high-end engagement ring. Although platinum rings are likely to be much more expensive than gold rings, they are often uniquely beautiful. In addition to their appearance, platinum rings are durable enough that they will not wear down over time. One downside to this durability, however, is that platinum can be a difficult metal to work with.
Cobalt
Cobalt is a somewhat non-traditional metal for engagement rings, but it has been commonly used in the creation of jewelry throughout history. Cobalt rings are usually cobalt chrome, which is an alloy of chrome and cobalt that creates a bright, white hue. Cobalt chrome can be somewhat similar to silver in appearance, but its color is usually lighter and brighter. Like gold and silver, cobalt chrome is malleable and so makes an excellent choice for custom designs.
Titanium
Titanium is an excellent choice if it is important that the band be ultra-durable. Titanium rings do a great job of resisting scratches and other blemishes, so they are a solid option for someone who spends a lot of time outdoors or in demanding environments.
Share
