When shopping for wedding bands, the first decision to make is probably the metal of the ring. Here is a brief introduction of the metals commonly used in wedding rings.

Yellow Gold

Gold, the traditional metal for wedding band. Its bright yellow colour symbolizes warmth and love of a marriage. Pure gold is a soft metal, making it an unsuitable candidate for jewellry. To overcome its natural shortcomings, other metals are added to strengthen it. The purity is then reflected by its karat, commonly available in 14k, 18k and 24k. 18k is the most popular, with gold content as high as 75% while 14k has only 58.5%. Such addition of other metals diminishes gold's brightness and could cause irritation to those who are allergic to metal. However, the ring's durability is greatly improved.

White Gold

As its name implies, white gold is white and thus its appearance is very much like platinum. So, is white gold Gold or is it Platinum as some embarrassingly innocent sales person might have told you? When a larger proportion of silver is mixed with gold, the end product is white gold. The appearance of white gold may be similar to platinum, but it cannot match the overall durability of platinum. The 'true' white gold is not a bright white as in platinum. Often Rhodium plating is applied to give the bright-white appearance but this tends to wear off in time. The attractive part of white gold is its cost! With the 'white' look, it is much more affordable than platinum.

Platinum

You have heard of Platinum record and Platinum credit cards, so what is so great about Platinum? For one, it is strong (to symbolize your strong love for each other?). Its strength and density make it good to hold gems securely and resisting wear and tear. But don't you start abusing your platinum ring! The surface will still have scratches just like any other metal except that it will not dent as deeply. Unlike gold, metal alloys are not needed to strengthen the platinum. It thus comes in a high purity form, commonly 90% and above. Such purity makes it hypoallergenic, safe for people with metal allergy. Platinum is a rare element, so much so that it requires 10 tons of mined ore to produce 1 ounce of platinum. It is a true 'white' metal and it is very durable. Platinum is also one of the heaviest metals, weighing almost 60% more than 14k gold, giving platinum jewellery the substantial feel.

Unfortunately, platinum is not perfect. As in any jewellery, platinum can scratch and mar easily and often it loses its 'new' look slightly faster than gold. While gold can be easily restored to its new look with polishing and cleaning, platinum is difficult to polish and refinish. Thus, to maintain the beauty of platinum, it is a more time-consuming and costly than gold.

Titanium

Titanium is used in aircraft, medical and dental fields, and now, for you to wear on your finger. It is such an inert metal that it does not irritate your skin and is harmless to the body in any way. Of all the metals mentioned above, none could compete with titanium for its strength and durability. It is thus difficult to cut and shape compared to gold, silver and platinum. This unique property thus make re-sizing nearly impossible, therefore great care must be taken when sizing your finger. Titanium is so durable that a titanium ring may long outlive the wearer, probably good if you want to pass the ring as a heirloom.

Have the best of both world

Can't decide? Or you like both the warmth of yellow gold and the 'cool' natural white of platinum? Why not have it all! Some shops carry dual-metal or dual-tone rings for you to choose from. They could be yellow gold with platinum, yellow gold with white gold or different shade of gold! Just take your time to choose your pair of rings.