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Opinions about rings...

doeeyedbeckydoeeyedbecky member
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in Wedding Customs & Traditions Forum
(If a mod needs to move this, please do so! Thanks!)

Has anyone ever used stainless steel wedding bands/sets instead of more 'traditional' metals?

I'm HARD on my hands, being disabled. It's nothing for me to have chipped/cracked/rough nails, cuts, scratches, etc. (Right now, I have 5 marks on my right hand, 1 mark and 2 sore nails on the left hand) I would HATE for my ering to get broken or bent because of my hands.

FH says he's totally willing to trade in my current ering (a marquise solitaire in 10K white gold) for a setting in stainless steel, but he doesn't want to go and have us do this if the stainless steel doesn't hold up like the 10k gold is.

Thoughts?
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Re: Opinions about rings...

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    artbyallieartbyallie mod
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    Stainless steel scratches. Gold scratches. The difference is that gold can be easily polished.

    Platinum is the most durable metal for rings. Though it can show scratches, it doesn't actually lose small parts of the metal the way gold does, and it can also be polished back up again.

    Tungsten is very hard and practically unscratchable, but brittle. If you hit it too hard, it will break rather than bend. It and the other non-precious metal rings cannot be sized ever.

    Cobalt is a white metal and very strong. It still can't be sized, but it would be my second recommendation after platinum for you. It's scratch-resistant properties are second only to tungsten and it's not brittle.
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    southernbelle0915southernbelle0915 mod
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    I would go with cobalt. 

    H is an engineer and loves to work with his hands in his free time. We originally didn't do cobalt because we were worried about the sizing and getting it off in case of an emergency. He ended up with white gold and we are polishing that sucker every month!
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    JCbride2015JCbride2015 member
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    My e-ring is platinum, and my understanding is that it's extremely durable and easier to maintain than white gold, which needs to be rhodium plated every so often.  I've been engaged for about 1.5 years and knocked my ring against NYC subway poles every day.  Nary a scratch so far.

    Stainless steel will definitely scratch.
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    KatieinBklnKatieinBkln member
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    I second platinum. It's hard as can be and you won't have to really think about it.
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    NdelibleNdelible member
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    When we went shopping, we originally thought platinum.  All of the jewelers we went to said that white gold is much hardier than platinum.  They said that it is a myth that platinum is heartier.  We were pretty surprised by that.  They all said they'd be happy to sell us platinum, because it costs more, but really white gold is the way to go.  We went with white gold.
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    CMGragainCMGragain member
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    I like the idea of rings being made of a precious metal - gold, silver, or platinum.  Scratches are normal.  You don't want to look like a newlywed when you are my age!
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    artbyallieartbyallie mod
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    Ndelible said:
    When we went shopping, we originally thought platinum.  All of the jewelers we went to said that white gold is much hardier than platinum.  They said that it is a myth that platinum is heartier.  We were pretty surprised by that.  They all said they'd be happy to sell us platinum, because it costs more, but really white gold is the way to go.  We went with white gold.
    That is... demonstrably untrue. Why on earth would they say that?

    Platinum is softer on the Vickers scale but higher on the Mohs scale. Platinum prongs are better at holding on to stones for several reasons, including that they will not be worn away and that, if struck, they may bend but will still hold unlike gold which may break and will almost certainly be actually pulled away from the setting. Platinum can also be cast into far more delicate and thin shapes than gold specifically because it's stronger.
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] member
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    My plantium rings have taken a beating over and held up well. Yes they get scratched but I take to the jewelers where we bought them ever few months & clean them & they look fabulous. They also inspect them as part of my warranty on the rings. I will way that my band has developed a slight bend in the middle from my e-ring. But not so big for a bend that I regret the choice we made for my ring.

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    princessleia22princessleia22 member
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    My rings are yellow gold. My husband's band is ceramic with carbon fiber inlay. We decided it wasn't important for our rings to match, and preferred to have something that suited each of us, since we plan to wear it forever and want to both be happy with the choice.  And his needs are different than mine. He is an electrician and welder so he wanted something non-metal and something that would be durable. It can't be resized and can break if hit too hard, but the ring ceramic is pretty durable. You can even get purely carbon fiber also.  It is a different look to have non-metal ring though and they are harder to find in women's sizes/styles.  

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    April192002April192002 member
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    I say get what you think is pretty and like...and a plan so they'll fix it when it gets messed up. FI went with white gold, even though titanium would have probably been a better choice given his line of work, based on the shattering factor.
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    NdelibleNdelible member
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    artbyallie said:
    Ndelible said:
    When we went shopping, we originally thought platinum.  All of the jewelers we went to said that white gold is much hardier than platinum.  They said that it is a myth that platinum is heartier.  We were pretty surprised by that.  They all said they'd be happy to sell us platinum, because it costs more, but really white gold is the way to go.  We went with white gold.
    That is... demonstrably untrue. Why on earth would they say that?

    Platinum is softer on the Vickers scale but higher on the Mohs scale. Platinum prongs are better at holding on to stones for several reasons, including that they will not be worn away and that, if struck, they may bend but will still hold unlike gold which may break and will almost certainly be actually pulled away from the setting. Platinum can also be cast into far more delicate and thin shapes than gold specifically because it's stronger.

    Good to know.  They did say that gold was easier to re-size (I forgot that part, till you reminded me).  They (the three jewelers and one lay person familiar) that you get almost the same with white gold as platinum for less cost, hence the recommendation.  If that's the case, going for the ring(s) you love is a way to go!
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    chibiyuichibiyui member
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    Ndelible said:
    artbyallie said:
    Ndelible said:
    When we went shopping, we originally thought platinum.  All of the jewelers we went to said that white gold is much hardier than platinum.  They said that it is a myth that platinum is heartier.  We were pretty surprised by that.  They all said they'd be happy to sell us platinum, because it costs more, but really white gold is the way to go.  We went with white gold.
    That is... demonstrably untrue. Why on earth would they say that?

    Platinum is softer on the Vickers scale but higher on the Mohs scale. Platinum prongs are better at holding on to stones for several reasons, including that they will not be worn away and that, if struck, they may bend but will still hold unlike gold which may break and will almost certainly be actually pulled away from the setting. Platinum can also be cast into far more delicate and thin shapes than gold specifically because it's stronger.

    Good to know.  They did say that gold was easier to re-size (I forgot that part, till you reminded me).  They (the three jewelers and one lay person familiar) that you get almost the same with white gold as platinum for less cost, hence the recommendation.  If that's the case, going for the ring(s) you love is a way to go!
    White gold also has to be re dipped to maintain it's sheen. So, yes, I'm also confused by your jewelers. 
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    mrsmagicgeekmrsmagicgeek member
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    We got matching bands made of titanium and meteorite. They can't be resized, but we'll both have space rocks :)
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