Pick the right metal for your man's wedding band

Picking a wedding band that your man will actually wear comes down to picking the right metal. Here are the most common metal choices: Platinum, Gold, Silver Cobalt, Tungsten, Titanium and Stainless Steel. You will want to choose the ring metal and style most appropriate for his lifestyle. There are 3 main factors to consider when picking the rings metal: 1. Cost; 2. Strength/Scratch Resistance; and 3. Number of ring styles available.

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Cost

When determining your ring budget, we suggest you ask yourself the following questions:
  1. How comfortable is your man with jewelry? Does he already wear rings and watches?
  2. Can you trust him to wear an expensive ring?
  3. Will he be constantly fearful of losing or damaging the band?

Perhaps the sky is the limit with price and he wants to sport a metal with high status associated with it. Platinum has become the new status metal of choice. Platinum is however significantly more expensive than gold. All other things being the same, a platinum ring will cost approximately twice that of an 18 karat white gold ring.

Remember, the whole point of having a wedding band is to wear it. Make sure you get a ring that he will not be afraid wear and that he will feel comfortable wearing. You may be surprised to learn that lots of men are choosing to move beyond the traditional gold and silver wedding bands and are going with the new metal options that technology has made available in recent years. These high technology metals such as the Tungsten carbide and Titanium options are becoming more favorable because they are stronger, more scratch resistant, non-allergic and are typically available at a lower price point than Gold and Silver. More and more ring styles are being made available in these new hard metal options too.

Strength/Scratch Proof

When determining ring strength you should consider if he labors with his hands and if the ring will be subject to regular abuse. Is he likely to scratch the ring? Is it important that the ring cracks and shatters or that it bends down on his finger if his hand gets mashed? Do you need a ring that can be cut-off from your finger in the case of an emergency? If your man is using his hands a lot the safest metal to go with is Tungsten since it is the hardest and most scratch resistant metal. Tungsten rings have what's called a permanent polish, which means that they always look new and shiny. They don't need to be re-polished, which is another benefit over other metals. Another desirable feature of Tungsten is that it does not bend under extreme pressure. Rather it will crack and fall apart where as other ring metals will bend down cutting off circulation to the finger or potentially cutting into the finger. A good indicator that you might be safe going with the softer metal options, is if your man regularly wears a watch. If he does, it is likely that his hands and arms are not subject to regular abuse and he could wear gold, silver or platinum without the constant fear of damaging or losing his ring.

Ring Styles

Every man is obviously different and a ring design that appeals to one, may not appeal to another. It would be a wise decision to show him many ring styles to get a feel for what he likes aesthetically, but you should remind him that he should pick a ring that he would feel comfortable wearing in any circumstance. He should pick a ring style that is the most appropriate for

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