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Men's band: Cartier, Benchmark... other?

RichardS_VA

Rough_Rock
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Oct 29, 2018
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At the point where she is getting ready to buy my ring. Spent quite a bit on a really great one for her, so she is willing to up her budget a bit for a good one that I'll be very happy with. Definitely going with platinum, not white gold. Okay with paying the brand name tax.

My preference is for something with an edge to it, no diamonds or markings (logos). Not a fan of the delicate milgrain edges like ones offered by Tiffany. Did like the strong and durable look of the stepped one from Cartier and not having seen it in person yet am afraid it might be too "chunky" in height. Always seem drawn back to the Benchmark one with a knurled edge, again not having seen that one in person either, but it does seem rather unique and "manly" as it reminds me of ratcheting sockets in my toolbox.

Cartier d'Amour wedding band, width 5 mm [link]
View media item 122724
Benchmark CF665321PT, width 6.5mm [link]
View media item 122725
My ring size is 9.5 and I'm 6' 265#, so not a string bean. Thought anything larger in width might look too big, anything smaller than 5mm might be too skinny. Certainly want something comfortable.

Thoughts and opinions?
 
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OoohShiny

Ideal_Rock
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IMHO you will definitely need a band wider than 6.5mm - I'm a size 7-7.5ish and I wear a 7mm and it's just about right to my eyes.

Have you considered Mokume Gane? Chris Ploof has lots of nice stuff :love:
 

RichardS_VA

Rough_Rock
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IMHO you will definitely need a band wider than 6.5mm - I'm a size 7-7.5ish and I wear a 7mm and it's just about right to my eyes.

Have you considered Mokume Gane? Chris Ploof has lots of nice stuff :love:
Maybe I should reconsider the width, then. Might need to stop into a local jeweler again this weekend.

Haven't considered Mokume Game. Just looked it up and it's a bit "swirly" for my, prefer strong lines rather than fancy designs.
 

OoohShiny

Ideal_Rock
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Maybe I should reconsider the width, then. Might need to stop into a local jeweler again this weekend.

Haven't considered Mokume Game. Just looked it up and it's a bit "swirly" for my, prefer strong lines rather than fancy designs.
There are lots of different versions of mokume gane - some are much simpler than others! :)

Check out this chap on Etsy - he has a nice variety of styles, although I think he majors more on Damascus Steel (which I personally think is cool :) ).

https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/MokumeDamascusRings

He also sells stainless steel sizer rings in different widths and sizes - different widths wear differently, so I really recommend getting measured locally at a couple of places to confirm your size, then ordering a quarter/half size up and down from that as well (as part of the set of three he sells) in the width(s) you are considering. It's a really good way to get cheap bands that you can wear across a range of heat environments in order to work out how your fingers change in size - I found it very useful and my actual wedding ring is spot-on perfect in terms of fit, never feeling too tight or too loose, regardless of the temperature :)
 
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m51galaxy

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A comfort fit is nice to have in wide bands.
 

RichardS_VA

Rough_Rock
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Oct 29, 2018
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Just an update. 14k white gold (plated) seems to be a durable choice that will still have the white color as the platinum seems that it would scratch too easily.

Also thinking that 1.6mm thickness might be better than the "chunkier" 2.0mm for daily typing.

Looking for a nice carved pattern design that will have a unique look to it that will catch the light with some movement. Hammered finish seems a bit too random for me, understanding that it is the purpose of the finish. Really like a carved pattern.

Here is one from 25carats web site.
14k white gold.jpg

... and another one from 25carats web site.

14k.jpg

Saw the Stuller TAR499 in white tungsten in person, really liked how it caught the light and it is very similar to the one above with a pattern in the hammered finish, but with 5 rows and no milgrain. It was just too chunky on my hand and the weight was cumbersome to type.

Any insight or recommendations of something similar? So far the one with the fancy patterned carving is winning me over.
 
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AV_

Ideal_Rock
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I tend to think that engraving / shallow carving on rings does wear. You may not find wear objectionable for over one year - or never.


WWW
 

RichardS_VA

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Saw some with "laser engraving" on the surface and it was far too shallow. Looked delicate. I'm concerned about the wear of the pattern as well, thought one that was "carved" might be good?
 
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sledge

Ideal_Rock
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Highly suggest you go to a local jeweler and try a variety of bands in person. It will allow you to get a feel for how some of these bands feel, even if you don't love the overall design or available metal choices.

That said, I tried on Benchmark band very similar to the one you linked in your initial post and I really liked it alot. The one they had in the store was too thin and too small to fit properly on my ring finger but it had such a great feel to it. Also it was in rose gold which didn't work for me. When I got a price for platinum in the right size, etc I didn't like it so continued the search.

I had a tough time deciding too. Did some research and many ideas, etc were shared in the following thread:

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/its-my-turn-deciding-on-mens-wedding-band.243008/

I might add I think given your size, a 7.5-9mm width may look better. And I'd stick with the 2mm thickness personally. Just keep in mind all that means more weight and material, so getting platinum may be expensive. While we had the cash, I had issues apending too much for my own ring. Her ring was different though.
 

distracts

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My husband chose a meteorite ring by Cross Jewelers. He chose the "Hubble," with the wiggly/melty edges, in platinum. He loves it. Meteorite rings seem to be pretty common among men in tech - we've seen quite a few other people with them. His ring size is 14 so we had to go up a bit in width to get one that didn't look too dainty on his hand, so between the huge size and wider width, it was above the price on their price charts, but well worth it. The meteorite section darkens over time - I'll try to remember to get some new pics, because it is significantly more of a two-toned look now than in these pictures, and we both prefer the current look.

http://www.crossjewelers.com/products/product.aspx?ID=265

img_4444.jpg img_4434.jpg img_4448.jpg

My brother did a plain rose gold comfort-fit band from e-weddingbands, and the rose gold looks surprisingly edgy, maybe because it's not a color we see men wearing much.
 

AV_

Ideal_Rock
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I'm concerned about the wear of the pattern as well, thought one that was "carved" might be good?

If you wear it all the time it will get a water worn look in a decade or so. Inlay is another possibility.

Else, if you want to have a ring not subject to a great deal of wear, it can always be a second ring, so an every day band can remain simple & wear down in peace.
 
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RichardS_VA

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What about titanium? Supposed to be extremely durable, resistant to scratching and lightweight. Tungsten is very dense and heavy.
 
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sledge

Ideal_Rock
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What about titanium? Supposed to be extremely durable, resistant to scratching and lightweight. Tungsten is very dense and heavy.

Weight is the thing people love or hate about titanium. If you like extremely light weight and tough, then it's a good option.

I found it too light for my own tastes. I actually prefer the weight of tungsten or platinum. The band I ended up with is a cobalt chrome, which weight wise is a good compromise between the two. I'd still prefer the heft of the tungsten or platinum personally.

I actually wore a tungsten ring for a little bit and found it extremely tough and scratch resistant. I've heard this about titanium as well, but can't comment directly as I haven't actually owned a ring in that metal type. The cobalt chrome I have is not resistant to scratches so I am glad the majority of it has a brushed finish.

Also, there is no denying the fact that alternative metals such as titanium, tungsten, cobalt chrome, etc is very friendly on the pocket book.

One thing to keep in mind when shopping is that not every jeweler or manufacturer (Benchmark, etc) will offer an alternative metal option. The band I opted for in the end was made by Benchmark and was offered in several metal options including both tungsten and cobalt chrome. However, the jeweler I used to custom design my wife's wedding band (David Klass) did not have the tools to custom produce me a band using the alternative metals I was considering. That said, there are plenty of other vendors (Boone Rings, etc) that offer a plethora of alternate metal options. I actually spoke with Boone and was super impressed and would have went that route had I not got a killer deal on the Benchmark.

One of the negatives you will likely hear people warn you about is that titanium rings can't be cut off in an emergency room situation. I haven't owned titanium, nor had any experiences (or known anyone directly) that had such an experience. Researching online (definitely not a substitute for real world experience) I understand there are different grades of titanium available, and also that many/most emergency room facilities carry a special cutting tool for this metal, at least in larger metropolitans.

You could always check with local medical facilities in your location to confirm. Of course, if you were traveling it's possible you could encounter a facility without the proper tools. So I suspect there is some validity to the risk, although I think it's considerably less than commonly advertised.
 

RichardS_VA

Rough_Rock
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I really like the carved look, something unique. Since I do a lot of typing on the computer, weight is a concern. For the carved design, durability has to be a primary consideration.

I think my little brother has a titanium ring, after nearly 10 years, it seems to have held up exceptionally well. His wasn't very fancy, but does have a slight design to it.

You do bring up an excellent point about jewelers not being able to work in alternative metals. Tungsten is nearly impossible to work with, titanium and cobalt chrome are also difficult. Most can work with platinum/palladium and everyone works in 14k gold.

Problem is that I really like the design choices in 14k white gold which are not possible due to detail in other, more durable metals. As an example, milgrain elements are nearly impossible in tungsten, titanium, or cobalt chrome. Not that I particularly want milgrain elements, but most people are familiar with it.

Carved designs (instead of laser etched) seems to always be done after casting/manufacturing of the ring itself. Making such modifications in the very durable materials is not something that many jewelers are able to do.
 
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AV_

Ideal_Rock
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Alfano does work in Ti - or so I think. You may want to ask him anyway - he has taught a caggle of engravers over the years, a few likely as good as he is, & someone might do Ti.
 

sledge

Ideal_Rock
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If you can find a design you really like in 14k gold I would send the pictures to Boone. I wanted a euro shank and although he had nothing on his site that was exactly what I wanted, he was more than willing to do me a custom ring. It was a little more expensive, but still very fair. He got me a quote super quick to boot and answered all sorts of questions I had.

While I agree the vast majority of alternative metal rings you see aren't carved, etc there are some that exist.

Here a just a couple more examples. I really, really like the design on the black one. You could change the colors up as you see fit. Titanium is naturally white. Perhaps white titanium where the black is used and then use a tungsten (or platinum) inlay in a darker grey where the gold is currently.

If you elect to go with something like this, just keep in mind that "texture" that is created may be irritating on the part where it sits between your fingers (hope that makes sense). I tried one on in the store, and loved the look but the feel drove me nuts as it felt "gritty" between my fingers.

https://www.tungstenworld.com/Double-Milgrain-Titanium-Wedding-Band

amsterdam.jpg



https://www.tcrings.com/collections...-men-s-wedding-ring-gold-milgrain-grooves-8mm

KARL_Baroque_TH_1024x.jpg
 

RichardS_VA

Rough_Rock
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Oct 29, 2018
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Titanium may be the way to go for daily typing without having to take the ring off. I tried a tungsten one and it was too cumbersome. Maybe I'll just have to compromise on the color being more gray than desired.

TitaniumRings.com has a "Druce: Ultra Thin Stealth" ring that has a Celtic pattern meaning "Wisdom". As a teacher with a part Irish fiancee, that is quite extraordinary! :love:

stealth ring.png
 

MMtwo

Ideal_Rock
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Not sure how you're coming along on the search, but we bought hubby's ring at Bluenile. They even made his ring in rose gold (with a diamond) as a special order. He's a redhead and it looks amazing on his skin tone.
20190908_071531.jpg


They have a great selection and it's competitively priced.
Sometimes I wear a thick band (comfort fit 6mm ) and it doesn't interfere with typing.

Good luck with the hunt! Hope you find your perfect ring.
 
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