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Once a couple decides on purchasing Celtic wedding bands, there are some important decisions to make. The material of the ring is the first thing to consider. There are many options for materials, here we will consider four popular choices. We will consider yellow gold. Next we will learn about white gold. Titanium as a material for wedding rings will be looked at. To finish, we will look at Tungsten Carbide. Since there is no right answer about which is best, buyers will want to acquaint themselves with many materials.

As far as a traditional material, there is no alloy like yellow gold. Due to the value of gold in all societies, the ring itself will have significance. As the purity of gold goes up, so does the softness and malleability of it, this makes it easy to reshape and re-size. In spite of its popularity, yellow gold has some weaknesses. The same malleability that gives it the ability to be re-worked also lends itself to easily becoming dinged and dulled. In time, many yellow gold rings lose some of their shape. Yellow gold is not always the ideal choice for couples with active lifestyles that want to wear their rings continually.

White gold is another choice that has been very popular in the last decade. White gold holds true to some of the tradition without the yellow gold look. White gold is made by combining a yellow gold alloy with iron, zinc, or palladium. White gold rings are then finished with a rhodium plating that gives the ring a whiter look. White gold and yellow gold share many of the sames benefits. Their drawbacks are also the same. White gold can get scratched easily and lose its shape. Wedding rings made of white gold also need to be re-rhodium plated regularly to maintain their look. Most manufacturers recommend every 6 to 18 months. Some couples find the benefits outweigh the maintenance, for others it becomes another item on the “to-do” list.

Titanium is a metal that has become more popular in the last few years. Titanium is very light, much lighter than gold and tungsten. Despite the light weight, it remains durable and strong. Finishes can alter the color of titanium slightly, but it is generally gray in color. For active couples that don’t want the pressure of maintenance, titanium can be a great material. Some people think that titanium rings cannot be cut off of a persons finger in the case of an accident. Although cutting it is harder than cutting off a gold ring, it can be done. One downside to titanium rings is they cannot be re-sized.

Tungsten carbide is a relatively new ring to the marketplace. To create tungsten carbide, tungsten and carbon materials are combined with a bonding agent. The ceramic mixture that is produced is then cast and the finish it retains is very durable. The finish is very hard to scratch, and the material itself is heavier than gold or silver. The surface will still be able to scratch, but they don’t show up as well as they do in gold or even titanium. As with titanium, these rings cannot be re-sized. Also, tungsten rings can actually break if dropped from a height or if involved in rough situations.

Choosing a wedding band means making many choices. A couple can choose a traditional material or a new one. The most important thing is that a couple choose something they will be pleased with. There is a much better chance of a couple appreciating their rings if they have taken the time to educate themselves.

Liam Grant has always been interested in Celtic Wedding Bands. He currently helps run a site that sells all varieties of Celtic Wedding Bands and Celtic Wedding Rings

This entry was posted on Friday, December 25th, 2009 at 7:09 pm and is filed under Relationships. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.