There's many metals to choose from when purchasing your wedding band.  Our first recommendation is to select the metal that your engagement ring is made of, so it will match perfectly.  If you're purchasing a wedding band to wear alone or a men's wedding band, you must choose between gold, platinum, titanium, tungsten, palladium and many more.   The differences between all these metals are discussed separately, while the two most popular and traditional options, gold and platinum, are discussed below.

First, your options between Yellow Gold, White Gold, Platinum and Two Tone

Yellow Gold

Yellow gold is the traditional "marriage metal" that has been used for wedding bands. The yellow gold wedding ring is believed to best reflect the warmth and love of a marriage. The rich color of yellow gold complements darker skin tones and those with a yellow undertone, and provides a complimentary setting for rich colored stones such as amethysts and rubies. Most wedding rings are made of 14 karat or 18 karat gold. The karat is a measure of the gold's purity. 24 karats is pure gold and has the brightest color, but is too soft to be used for jewelry. Anything less than 24 karats means that metal alloys (copper, zinc, silver, nickel, etc.) have been added to strengthen the gold. 18 karat gold is a popular choice because it offers a good balance of strength and gold color. 14 karat, the most popular among wedding rings, is also a respectable choice offering a less expensive option with more durability, although it may not be as bright as 18 or 24K. For more information on the color of gold, please see our education pages.

White Gold

White gold wedding rings are a very popular and elegant option. Originally wedding rings were made of white gold to imitate Platinum during WWII, when Platinum was declared a strategic metal by the US Government thus disallowing its use for jewelry. Its popularity has remained constant since the ban on the use of Platinum was lifted and white gold is now an extremely popular choice for wedding rings. White gold wedding rings offer a great look similar to that of Platinum, yet is a much less expensive option.

Platinum

Between 1900 and 1940 platinum was the most popular white metal used for jewelry. This trend was interrupted at the outset of World War II when the US government declared Platinum a strategic metal thus disallowing its use for jewelry. By the end of the war Platinum had temporarily become a lost art. Due to its durability and versatility, however, over the past fifty years platinum has regained its popularity and is now one of the most widely used metals for wedding rings. Platinum has numerous qualities that make it a very appealing choice as a wedding band. It's most appealing characteristic is its durability - it's more resistant to wear and tear than gold or silver. Other advantages to owning a platinum wedding band is its strength and purity - it will not easily chip or splinter. It is hypoallergenic and holds gems securely in the wedding band. Platinum is the most expensive of the metals discussed in this article, however due to these appealing characteristics many people believe Platinum to be the most desirable choice for a wedding band, and well worth the additional money. For more information on Platinum please see our education pages.

Two Tone

Having trouble deciding which color to use? Two tone wedding bands offer an attractive choice by blending yellow gold and white gold together to form a beautiful two tone wedding band. Two tone wedding rings offer the best of both worlds and a ring that shines with elegance and sophistication.

If you've chosen gold as the ideal metal for your wedding band, it would help to understand the differences between 14K and 18K gold:

To understand the difference between 14K and 18K gold, you should understand the makeup of the metal. 24K is 100% pure gold. While pure gold is a very strong metal, it is also the most malleable. The extreme malleability and softness of pure gold make it practically useless in manufacturing jewelry. In order to be able to use it for jewelry applications, manufacturers mix gold with other metals to harden it. The difference between 14K and 18K is the amount of pure gold vs. the amount of other metals used:

24K = 100% Gold

18K = 75% Gold and 25% other metal

14K = 58.3% Gold and 41.67% other metal

The other metals alloyed (melted, or mixed) with gold will change the color of the final metal, and this is how the color of yellow gold and white gold are achieved. White gold may still contain a yellowish tint at the final stage, as the alloyed metals are not strong enough to overcome the yellow color in gold. Many jewelers therefore plate the wedding band with a thin coating of Rhodium, a metal in the Platinum family of metals. This provides a bright white finish similar to Platinum and covers the yellow color.

Should I choose 14K or 18K gold for my wedding band? Below are the differences to help make your decision:

1- Scratch Resistance: Most importantly, alloys are harder than gold. So because 14K has a larger percentage of alloys than 18K, the 14K ring is thus slightly ‘harder’ and more scratch resistant than the 18K ring. If you plan on leaving your rings on for activities outside your workplace or home, or if you lead an active lifestyle, we recommend purchasing 14K gold.

2- Allergic Reactions: Some people are allergic to the metals alloyed with gold. If this is the case, we recommend using Platinum as your wedding band metal, as it is hypo-allergenic. White gold should be your next option as the ring is likely to be plated with Rhodium, a hypo-allergenic metal. Note that this plating wears off over time and you will need to re-plate your ring every 1-2 years. You may notice a discoloring of your finger or allergic reaction occurring when the plating begins to wear off, as the metals are now interacting with your skin.