Post # 1
Member
51 posts
Worker bee
I’m looking into getting my wedding band. For personal reasons I don’t want white gold like my fiancée will have, if I get gold I want yellow, but I kind if want us to match. I also am considering the sterling silver for a different but equally personal reason.
Up until now my image of my ideal wedding band was a simple yellow good band like my dad and many other men wear…my brother went for something fancier for his second marriage but that didn’t appeal to me. So regardless of the metal the band itself will be rather simple.
However, I’ve read a lot on this and they always say ‘silver is cheaper but softer so it scratches and dull, but is easy to clean’ etc. but how hard/expensive is it to get scratches or dents removed?
I’m not the most careful person and I do a lot of home projects so it will likely take abuse over my lifetime.
As I said I really don’t want white gold and I don’t want the harder metals that can’t be resized because of genetics. So basically it’s yellow gold or the sterling silver.
I’ve also briefly considered a dual metal yellow the yellow goof and the silver, I’d even consider using the white good with the silver but I’m not sure how those would look.
As stated above I’m not doing this for cost it’s a ring I intend to wear everyday for the rest of my life so I’m willing to pay the price for something that will last. However as I say I have reasons to choose the sterling silver, but I don’t want to have something I have to spend fortune to repair constantly so the symbol of my love doesn’t look cheap and worn.
Thoughts?
Post # 3
Member
58 posts
Worker bee
I’m likely harder on my rings than the average person, but I would NOT suggest sterling silver for an item you intend on wearing daily for many years to come. I’ve had several sterling silver rings in the past that had to be junked after a couple years of wear because I wore right through the band on the bottom and they split. I ride horses and wear gloves, so that area of my hand does see more wear than most people, but I still don’t think it would be hardy enough to last you many years.
If you want a white metal but not white gold, what about palladium? Palladium is extremely durable/scratch resistant, is naturally white (so doesn’t require redipping like WG) and comparable in price to WG. It’s also a lighter weight metal so it’s not as heavy as something like platinum. Brian Gavin has a nice selection of classic palladium Women’s WBs: http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/wedding-bands/womens-classic-bands (select metal type=palladium).
Post # 4
Member
51 posts
Worker bee
@ap_event: first off thanks for the info and the link but I’m a guy so I need a mens ring. 🙂 Second my fiancée has be married before and her first husband used palladium so I’m hesitant to use it for that reason. I’d only do that if it was the only option left… Stupid I know but palladium is not exactly a common metal choice and I feel it’d be weird for me to pick it too.
That said I e given up on a ring that’s just silver. I think the smarter route for me to go is a two tone with yellow gold and sterling silver
Post # 5
Member
520 posts
Busy bee
@Clfcxd: I would reccommend looking up some tungsten rings as they are very durable and come in a variety of styles.
Post # 6
Member
51 posts
Worker bee
I’m really considering the two metal thing now. Do they make white gold and silver or would that be too redundant?
Also, how durable are the two tone rings? Considering I’d want the silver as one of the metals should I look for a gold ring with silver accents or a silver ring with gold accents? Honestly it doesn’t matter just curious which would be stronger and more durable of those two choices, I’m guessing gold accent with silver will be more expensive and more durable since gold is generally said to be stronger but I’d appreciate input.
Post # 7
Member
51 posts
Worker bee
@ JessicaJupiter: Trouble is you can’t resize tungsten and I’m a little worried about the genes on my mom’s side as I get older. I intend to buy one ring and the last thing I want is to be unable to wear my ring because my finger got too big for it. My fiancée and I had the same debate when it came to picking the metal for her engagement ring and we agreed that it was smarter to pick something capable of resizing just in case. I want this ring to last and to me that means not locking myself into one size for the rest of my life.
Post # 9
Member
1175 posts
Bumble bee
I’d go with yellow gold. My husband’s band is yellow and my ring is white, it doesn’t bother me at all.
Post # 10
Member
58 posts
Worker bee
If you want a white metal that will be durable and can be resized easily but are opposed to WG or palladium, you should go with platinum.
Post # 11
Member
1427 posts
Bumble bee
- Wedding: June 2010 - parent's backyard
I’ve had sterling silver rings that I’ve worn everyday for many years and they held up just fine. just be sure to get one that is not too delicate (like no less than 2mm in height and 3mm in width of band). also, if it has little details like filigree, they will probably wear away over time. so basically, the more simple the design, the better.
wearing it every day will keep it from tarnishing.
as for scratching, honestly I think silver looks only slightly less shiny as white gold once it develops its patina (only whiter). no metal is going to keep its polish forever. in fact, from what I’ve heard, platinum looks kind of dull if you let it patina. so if you want a band to stay shiny it’s going to take maintenance no matter what.
also, don’t cheap out. go to a store that is known to sell handmade rings, they will be a million times better than ones at big box stores. a handmade silver band is not going to be very expensive anyway.
if your band design is relatively simple, you can have it repaired very easily if it ever wears down or breaks, but if it’s thick enough it will be a very long time before that would even be necessary.
Post # 12
Member
2610 posts
Sugar bee
- Wedding: May 2014 - Madison, WI
@Clfcxd: Since it sounds like you like the look of yellow gold but want some actual silver as part of your ring for personal reasons what about something like one of these which use sterling silver and 10K yellow gold together?
I think something like this one is a very classic look.
Post # 13
Member
1427 posts
Bumble bee
- Wedding: June 2010 - parent's backyard
@Ms_Purple: sorry, I hate to be a naysayer but I wouldn’t recommend that. if it’s plated, it will wear down in only a few weeks / months. if it’s gold overlay, it’s still probably not thick enough to last more than a few years of everyday wear.
Post # 14
Member
1427 posts
Bumble bee
- Wedding: June 2010 - parent's backyard
@Clfcxd: oh, one other thing: on etsy I saw rings that were made with something called “sterling silver palladium” and I was very curious about it. I’m assuming it’s some kind of silver and palladium hybrid, which might be better for your needs.
Post # 15
Member
9142 posts
Buzzing Beekeeper
- Wedding: November 2013 - St. Augustine Beach, FL
Spend the money and go platinum since you don’t like the way white gold wears. I bought a silver band to wear until we could afford to upgrade and it looks pretty worn after wearing it for just over a month. I tried to polish it but it just doesn’t have the same sheen it had when he slipped it on my finger during our vows.
Otherwise, Etsy is a great place to find bands that mix silver and gold.
Post # 16
Member
2892 posts
Sugar bee
@Clfcxd: If your Fiance hasn’t chosen a band yet, maybe you could find one that you both like the look of that comes in both mostly-yellow-gold-with-white-gold-accents and vice versa? That way your rings would match but hers could be white gold (with a little yellow) and yours could be yellow gold (with a little white.)
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