Wedding Ring - Platinum vs Titanium

[Stillbloodyraining]

I'm not sure if this is the best board to post on, but I figure it's a good as any....my husband has a big birthday next month and I am considering getting him a new wedding ring. Over the years he has developed a reaction to his old (white gold) one and gets a sore rash when he wears it now. So I thought it might be nice to get him a new, hypoallergenic ring.

Having spent this afternoon looking at options it seems my primary choices are platinum at £1-2K (probably towards the higher end as he likes quite chunky jewellery) or titanium at under £100.

I have two questions -
First, is a wedding ring as a birthday present a naff idea?
And second, would you spend the ££s for platinum (would be on finance) or is titanium OK?

Ideally I'd like to spend somewhere in between, around the £500 mark, but typically there doesn't really seem to be anything hypoallergenic at that price point. He also has a history of splashing out on me, so I don't want to be a tight arse and get him a "cheap" ring as then I would have to think of other presents for him too and he's really bloody hard to buy for!

Probably not what you want to hear but I never get the point of ‘white gold’ or similar expensive metals… I think any silvery looking material is indistinguishable - it could be a bit of stainless steel pipe from Wicks for all anybody knows. I’m surprised actual gold would cause a reaction though. So my advice would be to just go for the cheap option.

Have you looked at some in the shops? I have some titanium jewellery and don’t like it much. In the online catalogues it looked shiny silver but in real life it’s dark. I saw some platinum wedding rings in a shop window recently and they were quite dark too, I was surprised.
Have you looked at palladium? I don’t know whether that’s brighter or whether it would be as much of a disappointment as the others!
BTW have you had the white gold ring replated? I have a white gold ring and the jewellers said it needed to be treated every few years. Never got it done as I don’t wear it now.

How much platinum are you buying for a men’s wedding band to cost £2000?! Your post sounds like you think you should buy the platinum because he splashes out on your gifts, but you don’t want to. Has he mentioned that he’d like to replace his old ring? If it were me, though, I’d want to be asked. He might not be that bothered about his ring and then you’ve spent a lot of money on something he wasn’t concerned about 🤷🏻‍♀️

My husband has a titanium ring after the first got mentioned in every day life and it's not the slightest bit out of shape. If I had our time again I would have gone titanium from day one for both of us

to me it depends on the fellow.
but I love the look of the titanium, bone wood inlay mens ring.
classic yellow gold is always nice
hate white gold (no such thing needs replating regularly) silver is …never on my radar.
platinum for a man seems a waste, don’t know any fellows into jewelry enough to appreciate its value.

Palladium? My engagement ring is platinum and wedding ring palladium - zero difference - to my untrained eye anyway.

Sadly his preference is for chunky, ie 8mm heavy. I have now found some cheaper options but you're right, I do feel I should get platinum but I don't really want to part with all that cash! BUT mine is platinum (although only about 3mm plus I have tiny fingers) and he also did originally want platinum when we got married (but we couldn't afford what he wanted in platinum at the time). I think you're right and I might have to try an engineer a wedding ring convo...

@Toottooot I may take another look at palladium although I had read that depending on what it's mixed with, there may still be a reaction.

Thanks for all the other comments - he doesn't like yellow gold and although I suppose I could look at getting the original one re-plated, I am quite keen on the idea of a new ring to symbolise a new chapter of our relationship.

@greenspaces4peace this fellow is very much into the cost quality of his jewellery, clothes, shoes etc and so would appreciate the value. Whereas I am the opposite which is why I think I am struggling with my decision.

DH has platinum ring (bought for £300 abroad). It's soft metal so will scratch a lot but it's a look.

Ah I see - I looked for 5mm as chunky 😂 8mm is incredibly chunky! Definitely try to get it out of him and then maybe look around a bit. He sounds like he might appreciate though if that’s what he wanted originally. We both have platinum (though we’re lucky to be in a family of jewellers 🫣) and all of the rings are still shiny, bright and beautiful.

I think it's a great idea OP.

And I know 2k is a lot but in terms of cost per wear I think a wedding ring is about as good as it gets really isn't it. And if your DH is into quality he will really appreciate it.

My engagement and wedding rings are platinum and I love them.

If he'd just want a plain chunky style and nothing bespoke there's some online jewellers who will make them a bit cheaper than high street ones. They will engrave them too.

I have platinum for both but DH has palladium. At the time it was around half the price but then palladium rose in value in comparison - I’m not sure how they compare now but it might not be as much of a cheaper option these days.

Isn't titanium the metal that if you have an injury to your hand/finger your could end up losing your finger rather than the ring? Something to do with not many places having the machinery to be able to cut it off?

based on your update, platinum he’ll appreciate it!

OP This article might perhaps be of interest - it's possible that your husband is allergic to the nickel content in his current white gold ring. Once the silvery rhodium plating wears away from that, the nickel makes contact with the skin and the itching starts: www.callagold.com/education/nickel-allergy-white-metal-choices/

The article says that you can get nickel-free white gold. I honestly don't know, but that might just perhaps be a cheaper option than platinum. As other posters have suggested, go to an independent jeweller or two, and see whether they can supply it or have allergy-free alternatives to offer.

Titanium is dark, but if your husband likes big, bold, chunky jewellery, that might look quite good. More subtle and subdued, rather than quite a lot of bling. But only you know how he might feel about being given a (relatively) cheap piece of jewellery.

If it's scratched easily then it isn't platinum. Platinum is harder than gold and whilst it will scratch, it is more resistant to scrrathes than gold is. That is one of the reasons it is used. And £300? When? I don't think your DHs ring is platinum

OP, you probably just need to have your DHs ring replated with rhodium. It will have worn off if you have not done so before. This will explain why he has developed a reaction to it. Replate it and it will likely be fine

Palladium prices have gone through the roof and then some. Platinum is now the cheaper option by a wide margin.

Weirdly the increase in price of palladium doesn’t seem to be reflected in the price of wedding rings… still seems to be the cheaper option.

I think he'd really like it as a present OP. I developed an allergy to my 18ct yellow gold wedding ring years ago and DH had a copy made in platinum so I could wear one again. The jeweller said platinum or silver for allergies.

My husband’s wedding ring is titanium. He wasn’t arsed enough about it being platinum to spend the extra £££. It’s ever so slightly darker than platinum and still pleasingly weighty. Pic next to my platinum rings for comparison

DH has a titanium ring, sort of brushed so quite matte? It looks as new as the day we bought it 10+ years ago, I think it was about £50 😂😂 it just really suits him as shiny jewellery just isn't his thing.

I'm quite funny about wedding rings though, my mum always used to upgrade hers which I found odd, I'm not religious at all but something about the rings being "blessed" and part of the ceremony....I don't know, just seems special to me. I'd get it re-plated.

Just be aware the term hypoallergenic is meaningless and it’s a pet hate of mine when I see it describing jewellery or makeup! If you think your OH is allergic to nickel (which is fairly common) then platinum is probably best but be aware it will still have a small amount of another metal such as cobalt alloyed with it and some people are allergic to that as well (myself included though I have platinum rings and am ok with them). Gold needs to be at least 18 carat and white gold should be avoided if you have a nickel allergy as you don’t really know what it is composed of and as others have pointed out the rhodium plating wears off.

Dhs wedding is platinum and titanium and looks great.

Dn engagement ring is platinum, mines 18ct gold but hers is definitely shinier.

Would he want it blessed by a vicar?