Buying Celtic Wedding Bands: Choosing Ring Material

Once a couple decides on purchasing Celtic wedding bands, there are some important decisions to make. The material of the ring is the first thing to consider. There are many options for materials, here we will consider four popular choices. We will consider yellow gold. Next we will learn about white gold. Titanium as a material for wedding rings will be looked at. To finish, we will look at Tungsten Carbide. Since there is no right answer about which is best, buyers will want to acquaint themselves with many materials.

As far as a traditional material, there is no alloy like yellow gold. Due to the value of gold in all societies, the ring itself will have significance. As the purity of gold goes up, so does the softness and malleability of it, this makes it easy to reshape and re-size. In spite of its popularity, yellow gold has some weaknesses. The same malleability that gives it the ability to be re-worked also lends itself to easily becoming dinged and dulled. In time, many yellow gold rings lose some of their shape. Yellow gold is not always the ideal choice for couples with active lifestyles that want to wear their rings continually.

Another popular choice in wedding rings today is white gold. Couples who like the tradition of yellow gold, but don’t like its color are often very happy with white gold. White gold is a combination of yellow gold with a zinc, copper, or palladium that gives it a whiter look. A finished white gold ring is coated with rhodium which increases the whiteness of the material. The benefits of white gold are the same as yellow gold. Drawbacks are also similar. White gold can be scratched and bent easily. White gold bands also need to be re-plated with rhodium regularly. Usually every 6-18 months. For some, the benefits outweigh the upkeep, for others it’s just another thing to do.

In recent years titanium has gained a wider audience in wedding ring material. Unlike other alloys, titanium is extremely light. Although it is not a heavy material, it is a very strong material. Unfinished titanium is dark gray in color, but can be altered by different finishes. Titanium can be a great wedding ring material for couples who don’t want the hassle of consistent upkeep. There are some misconceptions that titanium rings cannot be cut off in case of accidents. Since it is harder than gold, the cutting process is also more difficult but it can still be done. One drawback that titanium has is that re-sizing it is not possible.

Of all the materials we are looking at, tungsten carbide is the newest and most unknown. Tungsten particles are combined with carbon and a bonding element to create tungsten carbide. Tungsten rings are actually a type of ceramic, and once they are completed they have a very hard and shiny finish. Although it is much heavier than gold or silver, it’s finish will withstand many more scratches. Even when the surface is scratched, the scratches are much harder to see. Like titanium, tungsten cannot be re-sized. Like other ceramic material, tungsten can actually break if dropped onto ceramic tile or if crushed in some way.

For couples selecting a wedding band there are many choices. They can choose one of the materials we have covered or they may elect for materials that we have neglected for the time being. What is critical is that a couple select a ring material that they will be happy with for years to come. Couples who do their research will find they are much happier than a couple that just picked the first things that appealed to them.

Liam Grant has always been interested in Celtic Wedding Bands. He currently helps run a site that sells all varieties of Celtic Wedding Bands and Celtic Wedding Rings