The metals

Do you want some nice and durable rings but don't know which material to choose? How to decide?

When looking for a ring or wedding bands that will last a long time, quality is essential. Quality in the structure, design, and the chosen metal. But high quality does not mean expensive.

Engagement and wedding rings can be made of gold (in different qualities and colors), platinum, steel, titanium, tantalum, carbon, palladium, silver, or a combination of these metals.

We explain their main characteristics so that you can decide:

Gold

• Saying that a piece of jewelry is made of gold does not mean it is made of pure gold or 24 karats. Pure gold is too soft and is mixed with other metals to increase its hardness and durability. A pure gold ring would easily deform.
• A solid gold piece means only that it is all gold, that it is not hollow inside, regardless of its composition.
• The proportion of gold and other metals in the alloy is what creates the diversity of colors and purities.
• What proportion of gold is mixed with other metals?
  1. 18 karat gold (18k) - currently called "750 thousandths" - contains 750 parts of pure gold, mixed with 250 parts of other metals. 14 karat gold (14k) - currently called "585 thousandths" - contains 585 parts of pure gold, mixed with 415 parts of other metals. 9 karat gold (9k) - currently called "333 thousandths" - contains 333.3 parts of pure gold, mixed with 666.6 parts of other metals. The more thousandths, the higher the proportion of pure gold. The most common alloys are 750, 585, 375, and 333 thousandths.
  2. The most common gold in Spain is 750 thousandths. In Germany, on the other hand, the most common is 585 thousandths, which is slightly harder and has a lower price.
• The color of gold has nothing to do with its quality. A white gold ring, a rose gold ring, and a yellow gold ring of 750 thousandths contain exactly the same amount of pure gold.
• Yellow gold: Yellow gold is the most common gold color and is mixed with silver and copper. A lower purity of gold produces a more silvery tone, while a higher purity offers a more yellowish tone. 18 karat gold is warmer and more radiant, 14 karat gold is a little harder, and 8 or 9 karat gold is the most affordable.
• White gold: White gold is the "new classic" nowadays. It's mixed with silver, copper, zinc, and sometimes palladium (a white metal from the platinum family). Will it change color with use? The clear answer is that it will depend only on the composition of the inside of the ring:
  1. White gold rings usually have a surface coating of rhodium (another white metal from the palladium and platinum family) that gives it a very nice "white" light gray color. This thin layer of rhodium, with daily use, wears off and the interior of the ring becomes visible. This interior can be a beautiful light gray color, almost the same color as the original surface layer, or a yellowish-gray tone, rather unattractive...
  2. White gold rings in which the interior is not yellowish-gray contain palladium in their composition. Palladium is expensive compared to other alternatives, so a "palladium-plated" white gold ring will be more expensive than a "non-palladium" one. European manufacturers, with whom we work, add palladium to their 750 and 585mls white gold alloys to maintain the color of the rings over time, even though this implies an increase in price.
  3. Most Spanish manufacturers, on the other hand, do not use palladium and only add a surface coating of rhodium to the rings.
  4. When the rhodium coating wears off with use and leaves the interior color of the ring visible, a thin layer of rhodium can be reapplied, a relatively simple and inexpensive procedure.
• Black gold: Black gold is a pure gold alloy to which ruthenium has been added in the composition. To give it a darker color, the piece is also subjected to several surface coatings, so it acquires a quite dark and highly resistant appearance. Like traditional white rhodium, black rhodium wears off over time.
• Rose gold: The beautiful pinkish hue of rose gold rings is achieved with a gold alloy that contains more copper than silver. The higher the proportion of copper, the more reddish the color.
• You can find more information by clicking here. In our collection, we offer a wide range of gold rings, most of them manufactured in Germany and some combined with gold of other colors, with palladium or with platinum.

Platinum

• Platinum is a dense, malleable, hard metal with a very shiny silver color. Compared to gold, it is much more wear-resistant, heavier, highly resistant to corrosion, much rarer, and difficult to work with. It does not need to be plated and always maintains its color. It is one of the few hypoallergenic precious metals available, all of which make it highly valuable.
• Although it is the most wear-resistant metal used in jewelry, platinum can be scratched and develop a patina, a satiny luster on the metal surface, which is the result of daily wear and minor scratches. The patina is considered an exclusive attribute and many prefer this unique and warmer luster that develops over time. However, the previous shine and reflective luster can be easily revived by rubbing with a soft cloth.
• In jewelry, and to improve its properties for daily use, platinum is mixed with another metal. Typically, two types of alloys are used: 95% purity, 950mls platinum, or 60% purity, 600mls platinum.
• In recent years, since the price difference between a gold jewelry and the same made of platinum has been greatly reduced, this metal has become popular and the best option in terms of the relationship between its qualities and price.
• You can find more information by clicking here. In our collection, we offer a wide assortment of platinum rings, most of them made in Germany and some combined with gold, carbon or titanium.

Palladium

• Palladium is a rare, pure, and precious metal. It offers many of the brilliant qualities of platinum, is lighter, and like platinum, is hypoallergenic, does not need to be plated and always maintains its white color. It is less hard than 585mls and 750mls white gold.
• Some manufacturers use palladium to mix it with pure gold and thus create a type of white gold that always maintains its color.
• Although it has been used in jewelry for decades, in recent years, this metal has become popular and has become an attractive alternative to white gold.
• Typically, two types of alloys are used: 95% purity, 950mls palladium, or 50% purity, 500mls palladium.
• In our collection, we offer a wide assortment of palladium rings, most of them made in Germany, some of them combined with gold, carbon or titanium.

Steel

• The steel used in jewelry is a high-quality alloy. It is a light gray color, very similar to platinum, palladium, or rhodium-plated white gold. Its low cost, high hardness, resistance, and non-tarnishing properties have made it a popular and very affordable alternative in recent years to other classic jewelry materials, such as white gold, platinum, palladium, or silver.
• It should not be confused that it is very hard or resistant with not scratching when used. All metals used in jewelry scratch to a greater or lesser extent with daily use when in contact or struck with other materials of equal or greater hardness.
• You can find more information by clicking here. In our collection, we offer a wide range of steel rings, most of them made in Germany, some of them combined with gold, ceramic, titanium, carbon, or silver.

Titanium

• The low cost of titanium compared to precious metals, its extreme lightness, resistance, and non-tarnishing properties have made titanium jewelry, together with steel jewelry, a very affordable alternative to other "plated" materials, such as white gold, platinum, palladium, or silver, in recent years. It is hypoallergenic.
• The titanium used in jewelry is a high-quality alloy with a grayish ash color, which looks darker if the surface is matte than if its surface is shiny. Compared to steel, platinum, or white gold, it is slightly darker and less hard, with more tendency to scratch. Its lower hardness allows it to be polished or matte finished quite easily, as many times as desired.
• You can find more information by clicking here. In our collection, we offer a wide range of titanium rings, most of them made in Germany, some of them combined with gold, platinum, palladium, carbon fiber, steel, ceramic, silver, etc.

Carbon Fiber

• It is one of the materials used in the manufacture of rings that we have recently added to our collection, and many couples consult us for them.
• Carbon is one of the lightest materials on the planet. Carbon fiber rings are composed of fibers of this material joined together by natural resins.
• They are bold rings, different from the usual, very modern. Their main characteristics are their intense black color, high resistance to breakage, and such a negligible weight that it will go unnoticed on your hand. All of them have a rounded interior for greater comfort. If the weight of wearing rings on your fingers bothers you, they are undoubtedly the best choice.
• You can find more information by clicking here. In our collection, we offer a wide assortment of carbon fiber rings, made in Germany, some of them combined with gold, titanium, platinum, tantalum, steel, palladium, etc.

Tantalum

• Tantalum is a relatively new material in jewelry; it was discovered in 1802. It is hypoallergenic, uncommon, dense, corrosion-resistant, and complicated to manufacture due to its hardness and having a very high melting point, 3000º.
• In its natural state, tantalum is a beautiful gray with a bluish tint. When used as jewelry, a special ceramic enamel is applied to give it a matte finish and improve its scratch resistance. Tantalum does not lose its luster and, although it is very resistant, it can develop natural wear over time.
• You can find more information by clicking here. In our collection, we offer a wide assortment of tantalum rings, most of them made in Germany, some of them combined with gold, carbon, palladium, etc.

Zirconium

• It is the latest novelty, the last metal used for making wedding rings that we have incorporated into our collection.
• In its natural color, it has a beautiful silver-gray color similar to steel. If the natural metal is heated at high temperatures, it changes color to an intense and shiny black color that stays over time.
• It is quite resistant to scratches and has a very high resistance to corrosion and breakage.
• It does not produce allergies.
• You can find more information by clicking here. In our collection, we offer a wide assortment of zirconium rings, most of them made in Germany, some of them combined with gold or titanium.

Silver

• Silver is the least commonly used "white" metal for wedding rings. It has lower hardness, is less resistant to daily wear and tear, and is the metal that will wear and erode more easily.
• Silver tends to oxidize - darken - when in contact with air, especially if not used. Some people, due to the acidity of their skin, increase this natural oxidation, leading in extreme cases to the ring leaving a dark ring on their skin.
• Sterling silver jewelry is usually 92.5% pure, or 925 thousandths. Some titanium or steel models have an embedded strip of silver that provides a nice contrast and aesthetically combines well.
• In our collection, we offer a wide range of silver rings, most of them made in Germany, some of them combined with steel or titanium.

Erosion in daily use

• IMPORTANT: In all metals, scratches and erosion will always be more visible on a smoothly matte surface than on a surface with relief or one that is only polished. Therefore, if you want scratches to go unnoticed, you should choose a polished surface where the shine hides them from our eyes, or a surface with a pattern or very rough, which hides them.
• In our assortment, there are many models: Matte, polished, combining polished and matte, with relief, etc. It's just a matter of choosing the best according to your taste and needs.
• You can find more information about caring for jewelry in this article.

Both on our website and in our physical store -dedicated exclusively to engagement rings and wedding bands- we show you a wide assortment of models made with gold, platinum, carbon, titanium, steel, tantalum, zirconium, silver, etc.

Discover our models, featuring prices and key characteristics

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