More Metals commonly used in making rings

While gold and silver are the most common materials used in making top quality rings, there are two other materials that have come into common usage. Titanium and platinum make very durable, lightweight (titanium) and lovely jewelry. Of these two, titanium is by far the most common.

Titanium is a lustrous silver-white metal. It can be called the space age metal because it is the most useful metal for designing vehicles for travel in space. When used for rings it is quite durable and hypoallergenic. For people who are allergic to silver but want the luster of silver, titanium is the ideal choice. The most common use in rings is male wedding bands. It is very malleable and yet very strong. Titanium is very corrosion resistant, safe from most acids, is unaffected by moist chlorine gas or common salt solutions. It is titanium dioxide that creates the star effect in some sapphires and rubies.

Platinum is often called white gold. It is twice as heavy and much more expensive. Platinum has a very high resistance to corrosion and most chemicals. In order to increase the metals strength but retain all of it's properties, small amounts of iridium are often added. Most jewelry uses of platinum are platinum 950, which is 95 % platinum and 5% iridium.

Titanium are two of the more exotic metals used for jewelry. Many other materials are also available, such as aluminum, hematite, and turquoise. Two of the primary factors to consider when purchasing a ring are durability and cost. There are often trade-offs necessary to get just that one ring that is right for you. For rings that will contain settings, most solitaires are made of gold and silver but titanium is often used with embedded gemstones for added beauty.

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