By Art Gib

Wedding rings are an important part of marriage tradition in many countries. They are more than just a piece of jewelry. They symbolize the importance of the marriage relationship. The circle shape of the band symbolizes the perpetual or eternal nature of the relationship. Today, most wedding bands are worn on the left hand on the fourth finger, now called the ring finger because of this use.

Because people want their wedding ring to symbolize the lasting nature of their relationship, the material it is made out of is an important part of the wedding band. There are several common materials used, each has a different purpose of value to the wearer. Some of the most common are gold, platinum, titanium, and tungsten.

Gold is earth’s most precious metal. For thousands of years humans have valued gold as a highly sought-after precious metal. Gold is valued in jewelry for several reasons. It is dense, soft, and shiny. In its pure form it is the most malleable or workable metal known and therefore easy to shape into jewelry. Also, the bright yellow-orange color of pure gold is considered attractive. Gold is also very resistant to corrosion, making it long lasting.

Platinum is another metal used heavily in wedding bands and is considered more precious than even gold or silver because of its extreme rarity. For this reason, a “platinum” status, like the ones used with credit card companies or associated with the sale of music albums, has come to mean a top status. In its pure form, platinum is a silver-white metal. Its resistance to oxidization or tarnish and the resulting shine makes it ideal for quality jewelry.

A metal used heavily with men’s wedding bands is titanium. Titanium is prized for its low density, which makes it extremely lightweight. Yet despite this, it has one of the highest strength to weight ratios. It is also extremely resistant to corrosion. This makes it an ideal metal for men who want a wedding band that is lightweight yet strong and won’t require much polishing or maintenance.

Tungsten is a metal that has come into popularity recently as another alternative material for men’s wedding bands. Tungsten is a super metal. It is a dense silver-gray metal with the highest melting point of any metal, making it extremely strong. It is also corrosion resistant. For these reasons, tungsten wedding bands are popular among men.

Though there are a few other options, these four metals are the most popular because of their strength and longevity. After all, if a ring symbolizes the nature of a relationship, these qualities should be the most important.

About The Author

Wedding Rings Forever (http://www.weddingringsforever.com/)is a tungsten wedding band. Art Gib is a freelance writer.

Tags: For Weddings