Every spring, summer and autumn customers come to us at Chapter79 and ask us, “What is the difference between a platinum or gold wedding ring and a titanium one?”

This is a very good question.  We can certainly understand the need to know the difference, as it is a choice you are going to have to live with for a very long time (we hope!).

At Chapter79 we make (and sell) wedding rings made of all these materials (together or as a single metal) but it may be that you want a ring made of something else eg. wood.

This article is going to explain the pros and cons of each type of wedding ring in an honest and transparent manner. This way, by the end, you’ll be able to identify which is the best fit for you.

But first, a little bit of history about wedding rings in the UK

Roman times saw the introduction of a ring which was given during the marriage ceremony, at this time in our history a marriage was seen as more of a contract between families the ring often was embellished with two hands shaking to symbolise the agreement. The hand motif featured on rings for many years and still features on the Irish Claddagh ring today.

The ring we know as a wedding ring was introduced during Christian marriage ceremonies during the Middle Ages. They were often heavily engraved with symbols on the outside and secret messages on the inside which was initially frowned upon by the Church. This tradition has continued as couples often get their wedding date or message inside their wedding rings today.

Moving forward to World War II people didn’t have the money for fancy wedding rings and there were restrictions on the manufacture of jewellery. So, people who married during these years bought a ‘utility’ ring, these were made from 9 carat yellow gold and made to a specific weight of two pennyweights which were no heavier than 3 grams. They were a narrow plain wedding band, commonly known as a curtain ring as it looked like one!

When did men start wearing wedding rings?

Also during World War I and World War II men started to wear a wedding band to keep a representation of their loved one back at home close to their heart but they became more mainstream during the 1960’s and 1970’s.

Since then most European couples wear a wedding ring although not necessarily on their left hand as we traditionally do in the UK. The styles and metals used though have changed dramatically over recent years.

Modern wedding rings

We have now come full circle (please excuse the pun) as many people are opting for more decorative designs now. The range of styles available is enormous in fact you can have almost anything you want these days especially if you find a goldsmith or specialist jeweller who makes bespoke pieces to your own personal wishes.

At Chapter79 we have found that many couples are now looking for something very contemporary especially for the groom and so they choose a wedding band made from tantalum, titanium, Carbon or stainless steel. Brides often choose for themselves a wedding band to match their engagement ring.

Whatever the metal or material that you choose, you can have it plain, engraved, shaped or even set with precious stones, the possibilities are endless.

Which are the most durable - gold, platinum and titanium?

Gold: Both gold jewellery and diamonds are measured in carats. The same word but different units of measurement. In diamonds it is a weight of the stone but in gold it signifies the amount of gold in the alloy (metal). The carat signifies the amount of gold in the mixture of gold with other base metals eg.zinc, these are standard measurements of 9ct, 14ct, 18ct, 22ct and 24ct. Each affects the durability of the piece of jewellery and the colour. So for example a 9ct yellow wedding band is far more pale in colour than an 18ct yellow band, however, the 9ct yellow is more hard wearing as gold is a soft pliable metal.

If you want a comparison between white gold and platinum then platinum is the harder wearing as it is a denser precious metal. What may surprise you is that unlike yellow gold, 9ct white gold is softer than a higher carat white gold ring, this is because 9ct white gold is mixed with silver (which is soft) and 18ct is mixed with palladium (which is hard). Therefore, unlike yellow gold, white gold gets harder the higher the carat.

You may be wondering what gives white gold its characteristic whiteness, well it is plated in rhodium and it’s this which makes it whiter than lower carat white gold and it improves its shine.

The most durable of all is titanium and perhaps surprisingly, it is lighter in weight than either gold or platinum which is one of the reasons some people choose jewellery made from this. Titanium is a good alternative to platinum if either you or your partner have a practical hands-on job and need a more hardwearing metal or you are shopping on a budget.

What colours is gold available in?

Gold comes in various colours, yellow (as described above), white, rose gold and black, although black gold can be used in jewellery it is usually used in technology instead. The colour of gold comes from what the other metal that gold is mixed with. Eg. white gold may be alloyed with palladium, silver or zinc and the proportion of each affects the colour and the malleability of the metal.

You may have heard about other colours in gold but they are not usually found in jewellery as they are too brittle to shape, for example purple and blue gold. There is also green gold which mixes gold and cadmium to produce a yellowy green affect but this has health concerns as cadmium is highly poisonous so certainly not recommended for a piece of jewellery and not something that we at Chapter79 would shape and sell.

Comfort and allergies 

Comfort: It’s hugely important to try different rings to find a shape that is a comfortable size and shape. The size can be altered but it’s not so straightforward to reshape a ring.

Don’t forget to think about the shape of the ring on the inside of the band as well as the outside. Also think about the width of the band on your finger. You need to find a ring that not only suits your hand size but that also feels comfortable. Everyone’s hands vary in shape and size so it’s worth trying on as many different shapes and widths as you can when choosing your wedding ring.

Make sure that you have your finger measured by a jeweller, someone experienced can advise you regarding sizing.

Do bear in mind though that your ring will feel strange to start with particularly if you are not used to wearing one on the third finger of your left hand. It will become comfortable, and before very long you won’t even notice it any more.

Allergies: If you don’t know if you have an allergy to any metals or alloys then be aware that you may be allergic to gold or one of the base metal used in wedding rings. You will know if you have an allergy to your ring as your finger will irritate around and under your ring.
Allergies in jewellery are rare these days as we use a lot less nickel in jewellery. In 2009 the European union introduced.

Sometimes it’s not even an allergy, some people have get dry, flaky skin under their ring because of water or soap under the ring. It may be that something like this never happens to you or maybe not show up for years. The reason some people have this reaction is often due to wearing your ring constantly which can cause a build-up of soap and if you are often getting your hands wet and the area under your ring isn’t dried properly on a regular basis this can also cause discomfort and eventually it can affect the skin under your ring by making the skin dry and a bit sore.

Don’t despair if this happens, it is easily treatable. It is good practise to have your engagement and wedding rings professionally cleaned on a regular basis eg. annually. In between times avoid getting soap into or under your rings which may mean removing them each time. If you don’t want to ever remove your wedding ring then you will need to make sure you rinse and dry thoroughly under your ring. Also, each time smooth in moisturiser although it is not a good idea to get moisturiser into your engagement or wedding ring particularly if it has stones set into it or it is engraved.

If you develop anything like this then you may need to speak to a pharmacist or your GP for advice

Alternatively go for a platinum or titanium ring as these metals are hypoallergenic.

Prices

Now for the nitty-gritty. Below is a very approximate guide to the range of prices for each type of wedding ring as it depends on so many different factors. However, hopefully this will give you a starting point but honestly, speak to a reputable jeweller who can give you unbiased and honest advice. After all, you don’t want to regret your choice of rings at a later date!

You will see that the gold wedding rings all start from 9ct but only go up to 18ct and 22ct (depending on the colour gold). This is because the highest carat that jewellery is made from is 22ct as 24ct is pure gold and far too soft to make into jewellery. So the prices are from 9ct to 22ct. Also white and rose gold is only made in 9ct and 18ct as there is not enough room in the higher carat like 22ct gold to add the metal that makes them the colour eg copper, silver or palladium.