Best metal for men's wedding bands and where to buy?

[skypie]

Looking for something simple, probably platinum or palladium or another white metal.

Looking for suggestions on:

1. What metal is best considering cost, comfort, durability?
2. Where is the best place to buy men's wedding bands (online or brick and mortar)?

Thanks!

 

[HDer]

There's no best. A lot of it comes down to personal preference.

I have two rings: one rose gold and one titanium. I like the titanium better because it's bigger and lighter, and I don't have to worry about losing it.

Both of my rings are from Amazon. For gold rings, Amazon offers Benchmark rings at a cheaper price than most jewelers.

 

[sledge]

Best is so subjective. I'm trying to decide on the metal for my own band but considering Tungsten. Seems very strong, scratch resistant, still has weight (which I want) and its cheap.

Plus in my case I want a brush finish that is a little darker (similar to my watch below). I might do a thin channel that is high polished so it looks more white, offset to one side.

 

[rockysalamander]

Precious: https://www.e-weddingbands.com/

Titanium. https://www.titaniumringsforever.com/titanium-rings/niobium/norfolk

My DH loves his titanium at 8 mm wide. I prefer precious metals, so would choose palladium it light was my goal.

 

[rockysalamander]

Best is so subjective. I'm trying to decide on the metal for my own band but considering Tungsten. Seems very strong, scratch resistant, still has weight (which I want) and its cheap.
Plus in my case I want a brush finish that is a little darker (similar to my watch below). I might do a thin channel that is high polished so it looks more white, offset to one side.

I'd reconsider Tungsten. Tungsten is very brittle and can and will shatter. That is potentially good news in that they are easy to remove in an emergency, but more than one person I know has had their tungsten band crack in their daily life. The correct grade of titanium will be easily cut off with bolt cutters. Titanium is not harmed by chlorine or salt and is a poor electric conductor. A cheap black titanium has been on the market which is really an iron coating, which is bad. CP 2 may be more scratch prone, but that is a function of the alloy not the metal itself. Titanium scratches less easily than precious metals, but more than tungsten.

Another popular seller is Boone. https://www.boonerings.com/sc.htm {have some incredible alloys like one that mimics mokume gane}

 

[MollyMalone]

e-weddingbands, that rockysalamander linked for you, has a wide-ranging inventory & they are holding a sale through this weekend with 15% off all their merchandise; good return/exchange policy.
https://www.e-weddingbands.com/store/rma.html

 

[skypie]

Titanium...that has the "danger" of being hard to remove in the event you injure your finger and it swells, right?

 

[Nevon]

Just my 2-cents as a simple no frills kind of guy. I am blue collar and wear my ring daily. The symbol means more than price and I do not need flashy. My wife bought my ring on overstock.com for $50. Been wearing it since day one and it is made out of Tungsten.

Nevon

 

[OoohShiny]

Check out Mokume Gane and Damascus Steel for some unique options

 

[HDer]

Titanium...that has the "danger" of being hard to remove in the event you injure your finger and it swells, right?

There is. There were some reports that titanium was hard to cut through for ERs. I think now though most ERs have gotten used to handling them, so it's not as big of an issue. Also, if my ring is going to be cut off, I'd much rather it be a 20 dollar titanium ring than a 1000 dollar platinum one.

As to your original question about materials, I personally think platinum and palladium are both good choices. Palladium has gotten a lot more expensive over the years so has become somewhat less popular than it once was. White gold is also popular, although if I were to get a white gold ring, I'd try to get one that was unplated. "Non-precious" metals that are popular are titanium and tungsten. One precious metal that is overlooked often in my opinion is silver. For example, I think a silver ring like this would be a great simple option: https://www.riogrande.com/product/Argentium-Silver-6mm-Wedding-Band/6138248

 

[lovedogs]

Agree that best is completely subjective, but my DH started with a plain yellow gold domed band, and then decided he liked the weight and look of tungsten. He got that one about 4-5 years ago and loves it. Never takes it off and hasn't had any issues.

 

[lovedogs]

Wanted to add a pic of my DH's ring in case it helps you @skypie

 

[kindred]

My husband has been wearing an inexpensive tungsten ring for 7 years. It still looks as good as the day he got it. He loves it and loves the weight of it. I offered to get him a gold or platinum band but he didn't want one. He says that he would just worry about losing or damaging it.

 

[crbl999]

I wear a tungsten wedding band. Got it from Amazon for about $7. Very comfortable and has some weight to it. I like the safety feature of it as I enjoy working on cars in my spare time.

 

[WillyDiamond]

Eweddingbands.com