Custom made wedding rings and wedding bands have always been in high demand. More often than not, custom creations have consisted of intricate designs, complex stone settings or have been comprised of other intricate workmanship. With the rising popularity of alternative metals such as titanium and tungsten, both of which are notoriously difficult to craft, there is an emerging trend in custom wedding ring and wedding band design. Ironically enough, this new design trend comes from the very same “heavy industries” that many popular alternative metals themselves have sprung from.
A process known as drop forging, wherein small and intricate parts of various apparatuses are manufactured by means of a pressure mold as opposed to being traditionally machined, is beginning to catch on as a way to create wedding rings and wedding bands. Drop forging consists of first making a detailed mold (usually from heat resistant ceramics) wherein the molten metal can be placed under pressure. The pressure created within the mold allows for the molten metal to push against the side walls of the mold in such a way as to ensure that even the finest of detail work becomes clearly visible. Tungsten and tungsten carbide, metals notoriously difficult to craft or engrave due to their extreme hardness, are now being crafted with molded designs that can literally be no more than a few microns in width! This process, though still quite pricey and offered by only a few select online retail jewelers and jewelry designers, is quickly beginning to show just how artful alternative metal wedding rings and wedding bands can become.
If commissioning a drop forged wedding ring or wedding band is something you would like to consider, there are a few things that a consumer needs to keep in mind. Firstly, the incorporation of precious gemstones such as diamonds is still a bit beyond the reach of the average jeweler. It would seem that finding a way to keep the stones in place within the mold itself is still proving to be a bit of a technical challenge. Also, and again as stated above, like so many other things that are new and trendy, drop forged wedding bands and wedding rings are far more expensive than their traditionally crafted counterparts. Still, for those individuals who have their hearts set on a tungsten or tungsten carbide wedding band and wish to see the ring with various patterns and designs laid onto its surface, drop forging has now become the preferred mode of creation.
For as new as this emerging trend is with regards to alternative metals, using molds to create wedding rings and wedding bands is really nothing new. Molds are often used to create wedding bands comprised of more traditional precious metals such as silver, gold and of course, platinum. Finding a jeweler in your local area who could create a drop forged wedding ring or wedding band would in all probability prove to be quite a challenge. However, a careful search of the Internet will reveal a few online designers who are capable of creating the wedding band or wedding ring set that you desire.
For a number of reasons, platinum wedding rings and wedding bands are quickly becoming the king of the hill with regards to the wedding jewelry industry. Platinum’s rise to the top of the jewelry dog pile stems from any number of reasons. With its ever increasing monetary value on an ounce per ounce basis, not only does platinum make for a sound monetary investment (not that many couples are willing to sell their wedding bands), but it does also serve to add to the ring’s overall “preciousness”. Yet, price analysis alone cannot be the only determining factor in platinum’s popularity.
Wedding rings, as well as the preceding engagement rings, are perhaps the most significant and sentimental pieces of jewelry an individual or couple could ever possess. While more often than not a man takes it upon himself to pick out what he feels is the perfect engagement ring for his beloved, engaged in soon-to-be married couples often shop for their wedding ring sets together. Recent sales data shows that wedding rings are trending toward more conventional designs and styles whilst incorporating the latest technologies that ring designers have to offer. One recent design which is becoming more and more popular is the stackable wedding ring.
But the “stackability” of stackable rings does not stop with just their abilities to be interconnected side-by-side. Other types of stackable rings are precision made composite style rings, where in a ring’s band can be divided into two or more separate parts. These individual parts can then be assembled in various sequences, or new segments can be introduced into the ring’s design to ultimately create an entirely new ring! One custom designer created a stackable ring consisting of eight different segments. Since each segment of the ring consisted of a different engraved symbol, by combining and recombining the different segments, one could truly have a different wedding ring for each day of the week. Also, some stackable rings take a unique approach to their stacking in that they do not put the rings side-by-side, or allow you to incorporate multiple pieces, but rather will take a smaller ring and put it within the circumference of the larger ring. An example is to take a ring that would fit around someone’s ring finger and enclose that within a ring, which is more properly fit to say the diameter of a thumb.
For many couples, the idea of simple gold bands being exchanged at their wedding is becoming old fashion. Some people want to follow the latest trends, make a unique statement about their love or just be plain ol’ different. For such couples we dedicate this article wherein we will examine some of the more popular wedding band alternatives.
