For hundreds of years, couples have used diamonds to symbolize their everlasting love and commitment to one another. Strangely however, people have always insisted on mounting their diamonds in soft metal bands like gold or silver--bands that are prone to scratching and breakage.
A diamond may last forever, so why would you want to put it onto a gold band when the stronger, lightweight titanium is available? Clearly, both gold and titanium make beautiful pieces of jewelry, but when compared to the inherent weakness of gold, titanium's strength seems a much better match for the diamond.
Strong Traditions
Historically, couples have always valued long-lasting jewelry as a sign of their enduring love and devotion to one another. Tradition has led brides and grooms to utter the words, "Till death do us part."
In modern times however, half of all marriages will end up in divorce court. As a reflection of the trend towards, "Till argument do us part," truly committed couples have been seeking jewelry that reflects a more sincere promise.
As the strongest substance on earth, diamonds have always been the perfect representations of ideal love, because they are beautiful and can withstand any conditions.
Almost universally, people will take their perfect diamonds and set them in gold--one of the softest metals available. Sure, gold rings look great when they are first molded, but gold is a notoriously weak metal. Gold is so soft that in the Old West, old men would bite into the gold to see if their bites would leave teeth marks. If their bite would leave an impression, then they knew that the metal was truly gold.
Although giving gold is still considered a lovely sentiment, old gold loses its shine quickly and gets scratched without much difficulty. Next to the durable diamonds, gold begins to look worn and tired in a very short amount of time.
A Strong Alternative to Gold
Titanium is a more recent discovery in the world of metals. Many jewelers believe that titanium would have been the predominant metal for jewelry, had it been discovered at a time earlier in history. But, titanium was not discovered until the late 18th century by a German chemist.
Titanium is a metal equivalent of a diamond. It is beautiful; and it is stronger than steel, but as light as aluminum.
The more people learn about them, the more popular titanium wedding bands are becoming with consumers. Their strength is just one of the many factors that appeal to many perspective buyers.
While titanium rings will still be somewhat susceptible to the elements, the wearing away is so minuscule that it will barely be noticeable over a lifetime.
Like gold and silver, titanium is actually very comfortable to wear. Unlike gold and silver however, titanium is hypoallergenic, which means that it is much less likely to cause a skin rash on the wearer.
Strong Designs
Titanium comes in three different grades: 6/6/2, 6/4, and CP 2:
Grade 6/6/2
Grade 6/6/2 is made up of 86% titanium, 6% aluminum, 6% vanadium, and 2% tin. This is the strongest variation available.
Grade 6/4
Grade 6/4 is most commonly used in the construction of aircrafts. This is derived from 90% titanium, 6% aluminum, and 4% vanadium.
Grade CP 2
CP 2 is the purest grade of titanium available. This grade is best for people who actually do have known allergies to certain metals, especially those who have experienced rashes due to aluminum or tin.
The strength of titanium makes the creation of elaborate designs very difficult. Elegant designs are meant to capture the beauty of the metal and of any stones in the piece. But, a simplistic approach is often taken when molding this metal into jewelry.
The classic designs are very popular with men who may be concerned about wearing excessively feminine-appearing titanium wedding rings. As you may well imagine, unadorned men's wedding bands have always been more popular among the male species.
For couples interested in matching wedding bands, most jewelers are more than happy to create custom pieces to match the desires of the customer. There are countless ways to mount jewels into titanium, as well as options available for coloring a piece of titanium jewelry.
Titanium is a refractory metal. One of the characteristics of refractory metals lies in the ability to anodize its surface. Anodizing is a process that forms a coating on the surface of the metal, by the process of electrolysis. Anodizing allows the titanium manufacturer to produce a large palette of colors in their metals, of which black is among the most popular.
For additional design options, various kinds of metal inlays can be fused to the ring to create a new depth and dimension in the jewelry. Rose-colored gold inlayed in black titanium is a popular choice in women's wedding rings.
Conclusion
Wedding bands and rings as signs of commitment have been used for so long it is nearly impossible to find an accurate account of their origin. Had the first wedding rings been made of titanium, we might still have an accurate record of their history because specimens would have undoubtedly survived.
The permanence of marriage is not as enduring as it was only a century ago, but the permanence of titanium is as eternal as diamonds. If you would like a wedding band set that will convey your everlasting promise of commitment, then a diamond set in a titanium wedding band will be your perfect selection.
