Weddingbee

I’m getting a tungsten ring for my FH. He likes it because it will NEVER scratch. And the ring he wants is only $200 (from Kay.com). We were going to get a titanium ring at first, but the man at Kay’s Jewelers told us that titanium scratches pretty easily. Since my FH is very outdoorsy as well, we opted for the tungsten.

I checked the Kay’s website, and it looks like they have nothing like the wood grain look that yo want. I would look around and see if there is any possibility of getting that look in tungsten, though.

my fh wanted the exact same ring. but i just couldnt swing it. we ended up with a ring from Rob and Lean on Etsy (robandlean.etsy.com). it doesn’t look like the Mokume Gane, but I’m really happy with it and he loves it.

I totally agree with you. I could totally skimp on everything else for the wedding–but not the ring he’s going to wear for the rest of his life. So, although I’m really, really against buying things you can’t pay cash for–I’d probably grit my teeth, put it on a credit card, and spend the next year and a half to two years paying it off.

There is a post on kenzie kate’s blot - something old something new from last Thursday that discusses wood and metal rings - might be what you are looking for!

I’m all for not being cheap about the wedding ring… but practicality is key.
White gold needs maintainence… white gold requires occational upkeep & refinishing due to the yellow discolorization, white gold is expensive right now & white gold scratches easily- especially on men that work a lot with their hands or are clutzy (in the case of my FH LOL!).
Look for a lesser expensive metal that is stronger— titanium… or even tungsten carbide… both IMHO are actually is better than white gold in the fact that it will not change color over time (white gold does- I’ve had to get my e-ring re whited twice in a year)
Check out here:

http://www.boonerings.com/mokumanium.htm

My FH is stoked about boone b/c they have such great prices and customer service is AMAZING… and titanium doesnt scratch as easily as white gold and the fact it is used in airplanes makes him think its just that much cooler!!!

Oh man, no answers here; just wanted to say that I feel your pain ’cause we’re in the same boat! Mr. T keeps saying I should give him a $15 eBay ring as a placeholder, but it just doesn’t feel right. (Especially after he shelled out on both of mine!)

heh, here’s another vote for Bruce Boone of Boone Titanium. We went with a titanium ring with a mokume gane inlay, and they’re gorgeous. We both got trigolds (in different sizes), and the inlay covers most of the ring, with maybe a half millimeter of border on both sides. I got the polished finish, which is VERY shiny, and my husband has the brushed finish, which really shows off the mokume gane. If you’re looking for white gold, I’d go for the white gold/silver twist:
http://www.boonerings.com/htmpages/whitegoldtwist.htm

I empathize with your sentiment “In my mind, Mr. Cream Puff is going to wear this ring for the rest of his life, and I don’t want to cheap out on him.”
Two things:
1. Although you won’t be able to learn mokume gane in one day, you could ensure Mr. CP’s ring is unique by making it with your own hands. Have a look at: http://www.AWeddingRingExperience.com.
2. This quote is from a medical journal:
Some hardened materials recently introduced for use in jewelry, such as titanium alloys and tungsten carbide, can pose a considerable risk of secondary damage if no appropriate cutting tools are available in the ED.
In the event of any significant hand injury or broken bone in the hand or the finger, you might lose the finger. Even with only a broken finger, by the time you get to the ER, there’s usually swelling.
With gold, platinum or silver, they have the tools to just cut the ring off easily with a pair of side cutters, even around a swollen finger.
With Titanium or tungsten, that’s simply not an option. If you’ve ever machined or ground any, you know the tools needed and heat generated.
Because of the swelling, while they’re trying to figure out how to cut through your ring, your finger has no circulation. Not good.

Just a note my father has lost 4 wedding rings over the 39 years my parents are married. So you may want to go with a less expensive ring since men tend to take them off more often to do like yard work and stuff.

Thanks for the tips, you guys!!!

Lisacase–I would generally agree with you on this, except that Mr. Cream Puff is religiously careful. I’d be more likely to lose mine (god forbid!)

Melissa–that looks SO awesome. I talked to Mr. Cream Puff about it, but I still think it might be a bit out of our price range, but it looks like it might be worth it!!

Here’s a Mokume style ring I just found on etsy.
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=10138338
I know it’s not white gold, but maybe if you convo her you could ask if she could do it or knows of anyone who could for you. Just a thought…