One Ring To Rule Them All

by Dani

No matter how nontraditional you may be going, you’re probably thinking about wedding rings. And if you’re like me, you’re also probably wondering what you’re supposed to care about and why. Here’s a quick rundown of your choices.

Gold
This is a simple, classic choice, and it allows you to just know you’ve done well and forget about it. It also allows you some fun in choosing the color of your wedding bands. White gold, yellow gold, and rose gold are all beautiful.

Your gold band most likely won’t be made of pure gold, and you really don’t want it to be. Gold is a soft metal, which is why they don’t make swords out of it. Depending on his degree of nerdiness, your fiancé will be happy to explain that to you for way longer than you want. At any rate, a 24-karat (100% pure) gold ring will scratch and dent easily, so only go that route if you really don’t do much with your hands. Your bare-knuckle Ultimate Fighting career is definitely out.

You can get nice, durable rings made out of 18-karat gold (75% pure) or 14-karat gold (58.5 % pure), and they won’t tarnish, which is a nice bonus. You can also find gold rings to suit just about any budget and taste for fanciness – anywhere from about $60 to $5,000. If you’re really going for budget and efficiency, you can find simple gold bands at most pawnshops for around $20. Just don’t get superstitious about why they might have been pawned.

Gold can cause an allergic reaction in some people, so make sure you can wear it before you choose to do so for the rest of your life.

Silver
Silver bands are a great choice if you’re on a budget. You can find beautiful ones from anywhere from $50 to $250. Silver will tarnish, and it’s also a very soft metal, so you may have problems with your rings being damaged or losing their shapes easily. If you’re strapped for resources now but planning to hit the big time when you graduate from law school/sell that screenplay/arrange an “accident” for that distant wealthy relative, you may want to get silver bands now and upgrade later.

If you are thinking about silver bands, don’t worry too much about the tarnishing, Drop them into a container with warm water, baking soda, and a piece of aluminum foil. One the rings touch the foil, a chemical reaction will turn the tarnish back into silver. You won’t even have to scrub.

Platinum
Those of you with the nerdy fiancés who wanted to tell you too much about why swords aren’t made out of gold will be able to make your young men beside themselves with joy by suggesting platinum rings. It’s a Dungeons and Dragons thing. Ask with caution. Platinum has a beautiful white color and, assuming you go about 95% pure, is durable enough to last a lifetime. Platinum rings are pricier than gold and silver. They start at around $350 and go up to Really Darn Expensive, but if you have the cash, they’re an excellent choice. Especially if you’re marrying a 14th-level Paladin.

Titanium
Titanium bands are less well known, but can be an interesting and beautiful choice. Titanium can be treated to get striking colors, including blue, purple, and iridescent. You can also have titanium bands inlaid with gold, silver, or platinum to create absolutely stunning bands. Titanium is the strongest metal known to man, which means you won’t have to worry about your rings scratching or losing their shape. It’s also not too shabby in the symbolism department.

Titanium’s strength is, alas, also its weakness. You can’t solder it, which means that getting your rings resized is just about impossible, and the metal is so tough that cutting a titanium ring off in an emergency will be difficult. Titanium rings sell from around $150 to a few thousand dollars.

Wood
You read that right: Wood. Many couples nowadays like the eco-friendly symbolism of wooden rings, and they do require less chemical processing than metal rings do. While a wooden ring may at first sound a little… rustic, you can get them in a surprisingly rich and beautiful array of colors, and even with multiple bands of color. They’re splinter-free, and very easy on the wallet, ranging from $35 to around $200.

Like everything else we talk about here, in the end the main thing is to find something you’re both happy with. And to find rings that don’t need to be thrown into Mount Doom. Yes, my lovely nerdy fiancé asked me to add that.

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