Jul 16 2008
Wedding Bands - Titanium Wedding Bands
Titanium. The name alone brings to mind images of strength and durability. What better symbol for the devotion and commitment of a wedding band could there be?
Jewelry designers are always looking for something new, something different. After thousands of years and billions of rings made, this might seem an impossible task. Yet, the endless ingenuity of craftsmen has always been up to it. One of their more recent efforts is titanium wedding bands.
This metal, while seemingly so common, has extraordinary properties that make it a perfect base for engagement and wedding rings.
Titanium is among the strongest metals. It takes considerable force to cause a titanium ring to get out of round. Unlike gold rings, for example, smacking your hand in the car door is unlikely to bend one. It can be scratched, but not easily. A little polishing and it will look like new again.
Yet, despite this hardness, wearers need have no concerns about being unable to remove a titanium ring in an emergency. In rare instances, a gold ring can be bent into a finger, causing painful pressure. That’s less likely with titanium. But if it should happen, the ring can be cut off just as any other. A swollen finger that makes a titanium ring impossible to remove can be relieved in the same way as any other type.
Strength is one reason the material makes its way into jets and other high-tech applications. But there’s another: it is ultra-light, about 1/3 the weight of gold. Many enjoy the feathery feel of a titanium ring. It sits lightly on the hand and presents no resistance to moving the finger. For those who spend so much time at the keyboard these days, that can be a big plus.
And, because it is hypoallergenic and medically safe, titanium wedding bands can be worn full time with no concerns. There’s no effect on the skin. Titanium is used in hip implants and other medical applications and is perfectly benign.
Titanium engagement or wedding rings aren’t just a practical wonder, though. They’re also stunning in appearance.
Natural titanium is a grayish metal, similar to stainless steel only brighter. It polishes to a high sheen and, because it’s so hard, can be worked into brilliant designs. Those qualities make for a subtle, yet ultra-elegant and different style of jewelry. It can also be treated during manufacture to produce a lustrous black. Be sure, though, to get a genuine black titanium ring, not one that has merely been coated and will have to be retreated.
Men, particularly, enjoy the option of having the stylish alternative presented by this unusual wedding ring metal. Combining the two types - gray and black - gives even more design choices. The result is a stellar wedding band that is ultra-lightweight, stylish and unusual.
Consider this different look and feel for your wedding band. After all, you are unique. Why not let your ring reflect that?
Good news for brides inspired by Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly, classic is back. Fabrics, silhouettes and accessories borrowed from the 1940s through 1960s offer brides the opportunity to start with the basics and enhance them with luxurious finishing touches.
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