With the increase in the prices of precious metals in recent years, some alternative materials have begun to gain popularity and have a central place in the world of jewellery, especially in the manufacture of wedding rings. But the fact that they have become popular lies not only in being less expensive, but also in providing the perfect balance between durability and a sleek, modern look.
So if you are looking for more modern and contemporary artisan jewellery or designs, you will find that there are many alternative materials today. Therefore, knowing about them will help you intelligently choose which one best suits what you are looking for. Here is a list of the most popular alternative materials that you will find on the market today.
8 alternative materials on trend
1. Stainless steeel
This is a popular strong metal in jewellery and fashion watches. It is an alternative material to gold and platinum that is affordable and similar in appearance to a white precious metal. Its white silver tone and reasonably low price, together with its easy maintenance, hardness and resistance are its main advantages.
However, its main disadvantage is that it cannot be resized, which could mean that as the years go by and when our hands change in size, we will have to stop using our wedding ring. Another downside is the fact that some kinds of stainless steel can contain nickel, a component some people are allergic to.
2. Titanium
Among the alternative materials, titanium stands out for being a light, white to grey metal that is resistant to corrosion, oxidation and is very durable, with the added advantage of not fogging up and being suitable for people with a nickel allergy since it is a pure metal, which makes it hypoallergenic, although it is more expensive than stainless steel but much cheaper than precious metals such as gold, silver and platinum.
However, it has the disadvantage that it is a difficult material to modify, so making it smaller or larger can be more expensive than a new one, and the other is that not all jewellers work on it, which makes it inadvisable for wedding rings.
3. Cobalt
Cobalt is characterized by being a very resistant metal. This alternative material is four times harder than platinum, making it highly resistant to scratches and corrosion. By being also a hypoallergenic metal, it is ideal for people with sensitive skin. Cobalt jewellery exhibits a natural bluish-white to greyish-white colour, so if your ring has a stone, the more electric shades of blue, green or purple will match very well.
However, it has the disadvantage that it is heavier than other alternative metals such as titanium, which gives it a heavier feel when used in wedding rings.
4. Tungsten
More commonly known as tungsten carbide, this beautiful black metal boasts the highest melting point of all metals on earth, so it is about 2-3 times harder than titanium and almost as hard as diamond, with a rating of 9 on the Mohs scale where diamond is rated 10. These characteristics undoubtedly make it one of the best metallic options to make wedding rings.
Tungsten jewellery is actually tungsten carbide parts, an alloy of 80% tungsten and 20% of a mixture of carbon and other metals. It can be found in grey or glossy white. It is a very durable and scratch resistant material, as well as hypoallergenic and very inexpensive. In addition, it requires little maintenance and does not lose its shine so easily, so it can stay shiny for a long time.
It is important to note that despite its hardness, it can be brittle, so if a tungsten ring is dropped or severely hit on a hard surface, it can fracture.
5. Black zirconia
Zircon is obtained from the gemstone zircon. It is a ductile, malleable and refractive metal that has a high resistance to corrosion and breakage. In its natural state, its colour is shiny, silver-grey, very similar to steel and titanium. However, when exposed to special heat treatment, a surface oxidation chemical reaction occurs that forms a hard zirconium oxide layer on the outside.
This oxide layer does not corrode, is resistant to scratches, and unlike blackened titanium, it will not wear away. But if it is hit against a hard material, such as concrete, rocks, diamonds, among others, it may cut through the ceramic layer, exposing the silver zirconia underneath.
This alternative material has several advantages, among them that it does not present a danger to the environment, is biocompatible, non-toxic and does not produce allergies, since it is a pure element that does not contain any irritants in its composition.
6. Carbon fibre
Carbon fibre is a synthetic material made up of fibres made up of carbon atoms, which are joined together in crystals and are aligned parallel to the longitudinal axis of the fibre, a characteristic that gives it high resistance and adds to its great flexibility and low weight as its main advantages.
Therefore, in addition to jewellery, it is possible to find it in almost any means of transport, from bicycles to combat aircraft made of carbon fibre. However, when it comes to jewellery, there is a wide variety of jewellery and accessories such as rings and pendants inlaid with carbon fibre, although recently it has become popular as one of the alternative materials to make wedding rings, since it provides a different, modern and very beautiful style.
7. Niobium
It is a metallic element which in its natural state is silver-coloured and has several properties that make it ideal for jewellery making, among them we have that it is soft, malleable, resistant to corrosion although less than titanium, but it is cheaper and easier to find and accepts anodization. The latter means that the metal can be coloured and obtain a wide variety of colors, such as blue, red, pink and many more.
This is accomplished by immersing it in an electrically charged bath to create brilliant colors without plating or painting the surface, with the advantage that the colors do not flake or chip as veneered or painted surfaces can. In addition, we are talking about an inert metal, which makes it ideal for hypoallergenic jewellery, so it is common to use this alternative material in smaller pieces of jewellery such as rings and earrings.
8. Palladium
Among the most common alternative materials currently, we could not miss talking about palladium, a white precious metal that is becoming a popular choice for jewellery for a number of reasons such as, for example, the fact that it is a durable material, which makes it a good choice for rings and other frequently used jewellery. In addition, it’s more affordable than gold or platinum and lighter than platinum, which means it can be used for substantial pieces.
Additionally, palladium is hypoallergenic; however, most palladium jewellery is an alloy of 95% palladium and 5% other metals. For example, palladium 950 is 95 percent pure palladium, generally mixed with five percent ruthenium, and palladium 900, which is a mixture with 10 percent iridium. So depending on what other metals are used, allergies could be a problem for sensitive people; but in general, it is hypoallergenic.
However, we cannot forget that this metal, which belongs to the platinum group, offers many of the benefits of platinum, among them, its bright white colour, purity and resistance, but at a more affordable price. However, palladium is not as rare or as dense as platinum. Additionally, palladium does not require plating to keep its brilliant white colour and will not tarnish.
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