Titanium wedding rings: Don't get ripped off
Filed under: Rings, Budget Advice, Grooms
Titanium wedding rings are all the rage these days. They've exploded onto the jewelry market in the last few years, and are especially popular among men. They're lighter than classic gold or platinum bands, so they can be more comfortable, and some men prefer the dark metal because it has more manly appeal. Shrug ... whatever.Titanium rings are extremely durable -- even more durable than platinum, and at a fraction of the cost. However, they're SO durable that most jewelers can't work on them with their typical tools. That means that titanium rings can't be sized, so you're stuck with the size you get -- better not gain any weight if you want to keep wearing it for the rest of your life.
Furthermore, titanium rings can't be cut off your finger in the event of an accident or injury -- in extreme cases, this could mean losing a finger. EMTs have devices that can cut a gold or platinum ring off your finger in an emergency -- but nothing that will stand up to titanium. Still, these are rare circumstances, so unless you work with heavy machinery, this probably shouldn't dissuade you from getting a titanium ring if it's really what you want.
Even though these rings are generally cheaper than their precious metal counterparts, you could still get taken for a ride ...
When you price gold rings, you'll find that prices will vary quite a bit with the thickness of the band and the size of the ring. This makes sense. Gold is expensive. More gold, more money.
But titanium rings aren't usually priced this way. That's because the price of the metal is not a factor. Titanium is cheap, and you are really only paying for two things when you buy a titanium ring: labor and the jeweler's markup.
A simple web search bring up dozens of sites specializing in titanium wedding bands, like Titanium Era. Prices start around $125, which is pretty reasonable for a wedding band. If the ring in the picture were gold, you'd probably be looking at a $400 price tag or higher. Make it platinum and you're starting out at $1000, easily. So paying a little over $100 doesn't seem too bad for a wedding band, and it's really not -- but you can still do a lot better.
Like I said, titanium is cheap. Jewelers and web sites only charge as much as they do because they know you'll pay it. The best place I've found to buy titanium jewelry is eBay. There's a huge selection, and most of the items you'll find listed under titanium wedding rings are brand new, equal in quality to what you'll find in a jewelry store, and sell for very reasonable prices -- often under $10. Remember, though, that these rings cannot be sized. Make sure you know what size you need before you buy.
But titanium rings aren't usually priced this way. That's because the price of the metal is not a factor. Titanium is cheap, and you are really only paying for two things when you buy a titanium ring: labor and the jeweler's markup.
A simple web search bring up dozens of sites specializing in titanium wedding bands, like Titanium Era. Prices start around $125, which is pretty reasonable for a wedding band. If the ring in the picture were gold, you'd probably be looking at a $400 price tag or higher. Make it platinum and you're starting out at $1000, easily. So paying a little over $100 doesn't seem too bad for a wedding band, and it's really not -- but you can still do a lot better.
Like I said, titanium is cheap. Jewelers and web sites only charge as much as they do because they know you'll pay it. The best place I've found to buy titanium jewelry is eBay. There's a huge selection, and most of the items you'll find listed under titanium wedding rings are brand new, equal in quality to what you'll find in a jewelry store, and sell for very reasonable prices -- often under $10. Remember, though, that these rings cannot be sized. Make sure you know what size you need before you buy.
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