Once upon a time gold was considered the alternative metal to platinum for use in engagement rings and wedding bands. Today the price of gold has experienced a meteoric rise in price, and is no longer a reasonable alternative cost-wise.
With the economic downturn jewelry manufacturers and wholesale (along with retail) suppliers of luxury items are seeing profit lines dropping like rocks. The wealthy are still buying these items, but the middle class is taking a beating and have been forced to make serious cutbacks in spending.
For jewelers this has resulted in experimentation in “alternate metals” to lower the cost of their products. While engagement and wedding rings are still ranked as a necessary part of tradition, customers are tightening their budgets. Gold and platinum settings now sit next to various metals newly adjusted for use in jewelry manufacturing.
What are “alternative metals”? Platinum, gold, and silver have long been considered precious metals and have been used not only in engagement and wedding rings, but also in coins, cutlery, and statuary. “Alternative metals” are those whose application was generally industrial. Their lower price has served to reduce the cost of bridal jewelry, and even to encourage designers to experiment with new, bolder concepts in design.
Titanium and Tungsten were strictly industrial metals before they became popular in jewelry making. Both metals are incredibly strong and durable, but can be molded into most designs. Men’s wedding rings crafted from Titanium and Tungsten have become very popular. Their grayish color lends itself well to a masculine wedding band.
Titanium has been indispensible in aerospace manufacturing. It is about half the weight of stainless steel (another alternate metal used in jewelry making) and can be formed as an alloy with other metals, changing its properties and appearance. It is generally hypo-allergenic, with the exception of an alloy containing nickel. Men’s wedding rings made out of Titanium can be especially modern, very masculine, and are strong enough to withstand the beating that a highly physical job can give to a wedding band.
A Tungsten Carbide compound is very dense, creating a strong and long wearing wedding band.
Cobalt is an element that can be present in soil, rocks and even plant and animal life forms. It can be non-radioactive, or exhibit radioactivity. Non-radioactive cobalt, also called Stable Cobalt, is used in alloys for the aircraft and medical industries. A cobalt engagement or wedding ring appears to be super white, more brilliant and pleasing to the eye than even gold or platinum. It is shatter, chip and wear proof, making a very durable wedding ring. Because of its color it makes an excellent material for either men’s or women’s wedding rings. Black cobalt is not a product in itself, but results from altering the surface color of a cobalt ring either by a chemical process or with a coating. Make sure that the coating is done with the best process possible to prevent peeling.
It’s a brave new world for jewelry manufacturers with all the new metals available for wedding bands and settings. Before you blindly decide on platinum or gold for your engagement or wedding ring, take a look at designer rings made from alternative metals. You will be as surprised with their beauty as with their price difference.
