$5000 vs $95??

[baggins]

Here''s an interesting dilemma:

I have recently purchased an e-ring for my gf (she doesn''t know yet) for about $5000. Now that i have done lots of research on rings and have actually purchased one, i have started to investigate men''s wedding bands. After reading about them and comparing, i really like the look, weight, and durability of titanium bands (especially Boone''s rings). When we were visiting a B&M a few weeks ago, i showed her a few titanium rings and commented on how i like them. I also really like the fact that i can get a titanium ring for $95, not worry about it scratching as easily as other metal types,it''s lighter, and i don''t have the price of a small Kia on my hand.

I don''t want her to think that i''m cheap, or that i resent paying such a price for her diamond (i don''t!). How do i gracefully let her know that this "cheaper" ring will be better for me?

 

[openhelix]

I'd just leave price out of it and focus more on style. Say it's really what you want, which it sounds like it is, without ever mentioning the price. Also, if you're in the market for Ti, Bruce Boone does some awesome work, both custom and off the shelf. You can check him out at Boone Rings

 

[Nicrez]

Telling her. My fiance spent a pretty penny on my ring. He wants a plain simple band. I argued to at least get platinum!

He's simple. No diamond on his band, no fancy designers, nothing. But it's so much less than he spent, so I am going to get him something really special as a wedding gift.

Tell her that you REALLY want a titanium ring, but just before you do, make sure you are not the type with a fluxating finger size, and perhaps do a search on PS for tiantium rings, as a poster Mara (currently away being married) got one for her honey (with an ACA diamond in it!)

 

[baggins]

thanks for your replies. i think it is next to impossible to leave price out of it since she will be buying the wedding band. when i "bragged" about the price of titanium, she wanted to assure me that the price should not be a deciding factor for the ring.

I think i will go with a Boone ring. Maybe i'll even get 3 or 4 of them and then just rotate every few days.

 

[Hest88]

A lot of guys really like the titanium for the cool, industrial factor, regardless of price.

 

[fire&ice]

----------------
On 5/10/2004 2:01:10 PM Hest88 wrote:

A lot of guys really like the titanium for the cool, industrial factor, regardless of price.----------------

Yep. ..regardless of price. Buy what you like.

 

[dimonbob]

Most of the ladies do not seem to have a problem telling us men what they want so why not just let her know what you want, why and where to get it.

 

[tawn]

Just remember to take it off if you're doing anything really active with your hands!

My husband used to be a machinist, and he said that although titanium is lightweight and super durable, it might not be a plus if something happens to your finger and that ring needs to come off in a hurry!!

Apparently, they can't just cut the ring off if they needed to as easily as they could with gold or platinum! I don't know if they address that problem when making actual "rings" from titanium or not?!

 

[pobrecito]

I would just tell her. My fiancee wanted me to have a platinum band to match her rings but after discussing with her why titanium would be better for me, she agreed. She originally objected to it since my ring would cost less than the tax on hers. But after seeing it, she now loves the look of it. We opted for a Heart of Gold ring from Titanium Era. Now I have a ring with the heft and feel of gold but the look and durability of titanium. She loves the fact that I won't be taking it off at work from the fear of damaging it. Appparently it protects the wearer from the evils of the opposite sex! Who knew! As for price, checkout Titanium Commitment nice finish, nice price.

 

[Bikergirl]

I really like the look of titanium, and actually never even priced them out. I mentioned it to my fiance and even pointed a couple out to him while we were shopping. He immediately discarded the idea - not because of price or design (he really likes the look, too) but because of the actual metal.

I saw a previous post saying the rings are hard to cut through if you need to get them off - this is absolutely correct!

An ambulance carries equipment that can cut through gold, silver, or platinum rings. Not so for titanium.

My fiance has a desk job and doesn't work with his hands a lot, but we both race bicycles competitively. We've both been in some pretty serious accidents before. If they have to cut your clothes off, you can believe they're going to cut your jewelry off as well!

Not to frighten anyone, but the durability of titanium certainly has it's down side, as well.

Even though we both like the look of Ti, we decided to go with platinum instead. We had a custom band designed (still in the works, in fact), so it will be expensive to replace if we do have to cut it one day. But I'd rather buy a new ring than prosthetics and reconstrictive surgery!

 

[SFDavey]

They can cut it off like any other thing. Of course, the cutter may "nick" yer finger a bit, but it'll be OK in the long run. It's just a little pain!

 

[moremoremore]

You guys are gonna get married, right? well then....
"How do i gracefully let her know".... you don't you tell her what makes you happy. Welcome to the wonderful world of marriage! Speak your mind!

 

[Bikergirl]

Yes, titanium can be cut - all metals can. But if time is important (30 seconds to cut a ring off a swelling finger vs. 5-8 minutes can be a huge difference in an emergency room), then this is something to consider.

Not trying to talk anyone out of Ti jewelry. Just saying that if you work with your hands a lot or do something that is "accident prone" you might want to research other options, as well.

This is taken directly from a Q&A portion of a titanium manufacturer. It outlines how Ti can be both a good thing and a bad thing at the same time. Notice the part at the end about trying to cut different grades of Ti. Maybe the key to finding good Ti jewelry is to be aware of the grade? Just a thought...

www.spectore.com/TitaniumFac.asp

Question II: Why titanium jewelry?

Titanium is better than all other conventional materials. It is far stronger and harder. Therefore it wears better and doesn't gouge, mar easily, or deform (particularly important in tension settings). Titanium is lighter. This opens the door to infinite design possibilities for larger and solid products.

Titanium is completely biocompatible (hypoallergenic) and will not irritate even the most sensitive skin. This is a blessing for pierced products.

Question IV: How difficult is it to cut a ring off the finger?

Due to titanium's light weight, most jewelry made in this material, including rings, and continuous, closed jewelry products are thicker than their counterparts in gold and platinum. Being that titanium is thicker, stronger, and harder than conventional materials the cutting process will take a bit longer and often requires a second cut on the opposite side. A few drops of lubricant will speed up the process and prolong cutter life. We have tested a variety of standard ring cutters on rings 6 and 7 mm wide, and 2 ½ mm (.097") thick. The time required was between 5 and 7 minutes per cut, about twice the time it took to cut a 6mm 14k band under 2mm in thickness. We ran tests on aerospace grade 6-4 using the same process. The results were far different. After 5 minutes we barely penetrated the surface and the cutter edge showed significant wear.

 

[tawn]

My husband used to machine for an Aerospace company, so the titanium he worked with was the stuff you had to have special tools to cut through!! (As mentioned above) Glad to see that the rings aren't as hard to get through as that stuff...

However, that blows the idea of us marketing Titanium rings out of the water!! Darn....

 

[boonerings]

I disagree with Spectore's findings. The aerospace grades of titanium used for wedding rings can be cut with common tools such as a hacksaw, Dremel tool, ring cutter, or bolt cutters. I've done them all on rings on my own finger. I can cut through one with a hacksaw in around 10 seconds. I also work with it each and every day. Sure, the titanium can be made harder like a bearing race by heat treating, but we don't do that when making wedding rings. Perhaps this is what they were working with. It is very similar to the stainless steel in a kitchen sink in machining properties. I've actually had a customer that did have to get one cut off and they did so with no problems.

 

[baggins]

I never factored in the possibility of cutting the ring off. Months of researching and reading posts here have shown me to look at cut, clarity, color, carat, cost, metal type, etc....but "ability to remove the ring in an emergency" is not something i thought about.

1) Has anybody really used this as a decision-making factor against titanium?

2) Has anybody heard of somebody who had to have any ring cut off in an emergency??

Isn't that a little like saying i shouldn't by certain clothing fabrics/hairspray/etc because they are more flammable than others? I know the adage "safety first" but does it realistically apply here?

I'll definitely have to think more about this platinum vs titanium debate

 

[baggins]

Thanks Bruce...you answered my questions just before i posted them.

I really like your rings too!