Precious Metals and Engagement Rings

Article by Adam Barilla, January 23rd 2009

So you want to settle down and make a commitment. You have finally decided to ask her to marry you. Now comes the fun part for her and the possibly torturous part for you. Figuring out which one of the millions of engagement rings out there is the one she wants. Even though you could also go with a sapphire or a ruby or one of many semi-precious gemstones, you know you can’t go wrong with a diamond. This part is easy. Get the biggest one you can afford that does not compromise on cut, colour or clarity. Size matters. Style-wise, there are no limits to what you can find if you spend just a few minutes looking at websites of well-known jewellers. Everything from traditional and classical to modern and contemporary is available. One, too often neglected aspect, is the choice of metals. In the last few years, the precious metals available for both wedding rings and engagement Rings really opened up for the thoughtful consumer. Certainly there is the classic yellow gold, whether in 9ct, 14ct or 18ct.

Typically, the purer the gold, the warmer the colour of the metal. 9ct options offer the consumer the ability to stretch his budget, perhaps to the benefit of the stones set in the ring. White gold is also available and it offers a clean look which is often complimentary to the symmetry and simplicity of a princess cut diamond. If your fiancé wears mostly whiter metals in her other jewellery, then the chances are high that she would prefer the same in engagement rings. For those whose budget can stretch to it, platinum is the most valuable of the precious metals and is harder than gold. Additionally, it benefits from the fact that it will not begin to yellow over time and need to be rhodium plated again in the same way that white gold does. It maintains its cool exterior. So is this the end of our choices? Take a look at www.thebeautifulcompany.co.uk and you will see that it is not. This company is one of the few online retailers who offer the new metals which technology now allows us to cast in engagement rings, earrings or pendants. These metals include titanium and palladium. Titanium is one of the most durable metals out there. It is also surprisingly lightweight for its strength, which is why it is used so regularly in the shafts of golf clubs. This is a great option for men’s rings, in particular, or for anyone who works with their hands and where the ring might suffer a lot of wear and tear. Don’t forget, eventually you will need to buy yourself a ring too. Take a look at some of the titanium rings and you will notice that this metal does not look the same as the others. Many will appreciate the intense depth of its finish. Finally we look at palladium. This is a relative newcomer onto the jewellery market but one which is gaining in popularity quickly. A member of the platinum family, palladium allows you the look of platinum but at a significantly reduced cost. Any of these choices will still create a beautiful ring that compliments your gemstone flawlessly and takes her breath away.