Weddingbee

Thanks Rick and Mrs. Bee!

I think it’s really important (and surprising) to know what your metals are and how they can really make you choose between what ring to get.

I keep hearing about white gold changing color, but I’m looking at my 1959 white gold ring that my mom showered with, washed dishes with, gardened with, baked with, and took ceramics classes with, and it’s white.

If you want the color of white gold, but can’t pay for platinum, you will not regret the white gold.

FYI, I purposely didn’t get platinum because I don’t like the color. All white metals are not equally white.

And my mother’s white gold wedding ring (45 years old) just just as white as my new one, having never been replated. We compared to check!

the one thing i find a bit disingenuous about this whole chart is that its from a jeweler that has a distinct motive in promoting platinum, the most expensive option. I definitely agree that researching your metal is important, especially if you have allergies, but i’m not sure that this chart is a good place to do so.

For me, I chose my metal (18K yellow gold) based on the color, which I really like (I’m strange like that). I did so knowing that it was soft and would show wear, but I’m ok with that. My mother has been wearing the same yellow gold wedding band for 30+ years. The design is a little worn, but she likes it that way.

I’m always annoyed by the comments on whether it holds value… to me that is such an irrelevant question. I plan to wear this ring my entire life, I could really care less about the resale.

There’s no such thing as white gold in nature. All gold is gold-colored when it’s mined. It is alloyed with other metals to make it white. Most white gold in commercial use is alloyed with nickel. Apart from causing allergic reaction in some wearers, it tends to yellow over time so it is rhodium plated to make it silvery white.
The rhodium is microns thick and needs to be reapplied at regular intervals (every year or two).
If the yellow gold is alloyed with palladium (a member of the platinum family), it has a deeper, more intense color, doesn’t yellow and doesn’t need plating.
At A Wedding Ring Experience(c), you can choose from 18K yellow gold, 18K white gold/palladium, platinum or pure palladium in which to design and make each other’s rings with your own hands in a single, fun-filled, romantic day under the guidance of an experienced jeweler. More info at http://www.WeddingRingWorkshop.com .
By the way, here is a comment from a medical journal concerning industrial metals used for rings:
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.