#296838 - 12/04/2007 19:48
Metallurgist/jeweller?
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 13/02/2002
Posts: 3212
Loc: Portland, OR
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Oh, great EmpegBBS oracle, holder of all knowledge and wisdom...
Anyone out there a metallurgist/jeweller? I'm in the process of shopping for a wedding band (for myself -- my fiancee's has already been purchased), and haven't exactly been stunned by the offerings I've seen in the stores. I currently wear a white-gold ring, and it's too soft of a metal -- I've had to get it re-rounded more than once.
On a side note, for those of you who are woodworkers (hi Mark!), do you know of any hardwoods out there that might be suitable for a wedding band that would (pardon the pun) be subject to substantial abuse, including frequent and prolonged immersion in water? I've seen some rings that, I think, are wood inlays on a metal band, but they've come with warnings about repeatedly getting them wet.
Cheers,
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#296839 - 12/04/2007 20:02
Re: Metallurgist/jeweller?
[Re: canuckInOR]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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Well, the traditional harder-than-gold precious metal would be platinum. I seem to recall seeing some titanium rings, but titanium isn't really all that hard, though far harder than gold, silver, or platinum. But you could be Mr. Cool and get someone to construct you an iridium ring or something. Huh. Actually, it looks like many platinum rings are alloyed with iridium or ruthenium. Check those out. Here's some relevant information.
Edited by wfaulk (12/04/2007 20:08)
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Bitt Faulk
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#296840 - 12/04/2007 20:03
Re: Metallurgist/jeweller?
[Re: canuckInOR]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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Also, congratulations.
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Bitt Faulk
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#296841 - 12/04/2007 20:05
Re: Metallurgist/jeweller?
[Re: canuckInOR]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31602
Loc: Seattle, WA
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I spent five years in a retail jewelry store. Not exactly sure what your question is about the gold wedding band... you're saying you've got an existing white gold ring that isn't very durable and your'e looking for something better?
I was personally satisfied with an ordinary 14k gold wedding band. If it's beefy enough, it'll stand up to some punishment. If it occasionally gets bonked out of round, them's the facts of life, live with it, and take it back to the jeweler where you bought the ring and they'll be happy to pound it back into shape and polish it up real nice for you. Anything to get you back in the store so they can show you more pretty shiny things to buy.
I certainly wouldn't go with wood. That's going to be a lot less durable than even very soft gold.
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#296842 - 12/04/2007 20:12
Re: Metallurgist/jeweller?
[Re: canuckInOR]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 19/01/2002
Posts: 3584
Loc: Columbus, OH
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I wear a titanium wedding band and I love it. They're comfortable, not real expensive, weigh about the same as aluminum, and are really tough. On the other hand, you'll never win a "bling" competition with one.
Make sure to get the right size! I was told when I bought it that you can't get it resized at a normal jeweler because the metal has be heated much hotter more than gold or silver and they don't have the equipment to do it.
According to wikipedia "It is a light, strong, lustrous, corrosion-resistant (including resistance to sea water and chlorine) metal....The two most useful properties of the metal form are corrosion resistance, and the highest strength-to-weight ratio of any metal. In its unalloyed condition, titanium is as strong as steel, but 45% lighter."
Edited by JBjorgen (12/04/2007 20:20)
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#296843 - 12/04/2007 20:29
Re: Metallurgist/jeweller?
[Re: canuckInOR]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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Another suggestion: My wedding band is a somewhat rustic celtic knot band. I'm sure it's dinged all to hell, but you can't tell, because that's the way it's supposed to look. Also, on the few occasions it's gotten out of round, I've just reshaped it a little by putting it in the hinge side of a door jamb and pulled the door to. Worked like a charm.
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Bitt Faulk
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#296844 - 12/04/2007 20:53
Re: Metallurgist/jeweller?
[Re: tfabris]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 13/02/2002
Posts: 3212
Loc: Portland, OR
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Quote:
Not exactly sure what your question is about the gold wedding band... you're saying you've got an existing white gold ring that isn't very durable and you're looking for something better?
Yup. That's the gist of it.
Quote:
I was personally satisfied with an ordinary 14k gold wedding band. If it's beefy enough, it'll stand up to some punishment.
It's the "some" I'm concerned about. I've subjected my ring to far more than "some" punishment. The last time it was re-rounded, it only stayed round for about a month, before I squished it again. The alloy is too soft for the size of the ring, and the abuse that I give it. I don't want to go with a huge ring, just so that it'll be beefy enough to not get squished. For one, I don't like the look of large rings, and for two, I'd just rather have a metal that's not so soft in the first place, so I don't have to worry about whether it's beefy enough to withstand a bit of punishment.
Cheers,
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#296845 - 12/04/2007 21:05
Re: Metallurgist/jeweller?
[Re: canuckInOR]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 17/12/2000
Posts: 2665
Loc: Manteca, California
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Glenn
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#296846 - 12/04/2007 21:09
Re: Metallurgist/jeweller?
[Re: wfaulk]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 17/12/2000
Posts: 2665
Loc: Manteca, California
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I seem to remember being told that Platinum isn't all that shiny, and that jewelry made from it is plated with something else that can be polished to a shine.
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Glenn
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#296847 - 12/04/2007 21:11
Re: Metallurgist/jeweller?
[Re: wfaulk]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 13/02/2002
Posts: 3212
Loc: Portland, OR
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Quote:
Another suggestion: My wedding band is a somewhat rustic celtic knot band. I'm sure it's dinged all to hell, but you can't tell, because that's the way it's supposed to look.
I do like the look of some of the celtic knot bands. I'll take another look at them.
Quote:
Also, on the few occasions it's gotten out of round, I've just reshaped it a little by putting it in the hinge side of a door jamb and pulled the door to. Worked like a charm.
I'll have to give that a try...
Thanks for your congratulations, and the link, above... I wasn't aware that making a metal harder doesn't necessarily mean that it's abrasion resistant, as well.
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#296848 - 12/04/2007 21:25
Re: Metallurgist/jeweller?
[Re: canuckInOR]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 24/12/2001
Posts: 5528
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Quote:
I've subjected my ring to far more than "some" punishment. The last time it was re-rounded, it only stayed round for about a month, before I squished it again.
Okay. What are you doing to your hands and ring?!! Do you even have any fingers left?
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#296849 - 12/04/2007 21:35
Re: Metallurgist/jeweller?
[Re: JBjorgen]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 13/02/2002
Posts: 3212
Loc: Portland, OR
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Quote:
I wear a titanium wedding band and I love it. They're comfortable, not real expensive, weigh about the same as aluminum, and are really tough. On the other hand, you'll never win a "bling" competition with one.
I've looked at titanium before, and it's still a good option. I'm not particularly looking to win a bling competition, so that's not really something I'm worried about.
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#296850 - 12/04/2007 21:48
Re: Metallurgist/jeweller?
[Re: tman]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 13/02/2002
Posts: 3212
Loc: Portland, OR
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Quote:
Quote:
I've subjected my ring to far more than "some" punishment. The last time it was re-rounded, it only stayed round for about a month, before I squished it again.
Okay. What are you doing to your hands and ring?!! Do you even have any fingers left?
I'm honestly not sure. Once I hooked it on something, in which case it's malleability was actually a good thing, because the bending ring saved my finger from worse injury. I somehow squished it while mountain biking, a few times, though I'm not sure how -- crashing into a tree, maybe, or perhaps just the deathgrip on the handlebars. I've accidentally stuck it between a rock and a kayak (or, more frequently, the paddle) multiple times. Bloody knuckles are not uncommon for me. 
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#296851 - 13/04/2007 02:05
Re: Metallurgist/jeweller?
[Re: canuckInOR]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 23/09/2000
Posts: 3608
Loc: Minnetonka, MN
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How about wearing it on a neck chain
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Matt
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#296852 - 13/04/2007 02:34
Re: Metallurgist/jeweller?
[Re: canuckInOR]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 06/10/1999
Posts: 2591
Loc: Seattle, WA, U.S.A.
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Quote:
..... Once I hooked it on something, in which case it's malleability was actually a good thing, because the bending ring saved my finger from worse injury. ....
It has been a long, long time, but I remember a groundskeeper at a hotel cum golf course in New Hampshire who lost his ring finger to a tool that got jammed (in a lathe? a grinder?). Anyhow, having the ring be the weaker link has something to recommend it.
Semi-romantic non sequitur. I know this guy who bought wedding rings at a stall in Suez. Many years later it became obvious -- a paradox -- that they had too much gold (24K?). They were too soft, so started to break up and wound up in a jewelry box. So the crafty fox snuck them out of the house and had them rebuilt on a sturdier (14K?) ring just in time for his 40th anniversary. A big hit, that was..
_________________________
Jim
'Tis the exceptional fellow who lies awake at night thinking of his successes.
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#296853 - 13/04/2007 06:17
Re: Metallurgist/jeweller?
[Re: wfaulk]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 18/01/2000
Posts: 5683
Loc: London, UK
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Quote:
Well, the traditional harder-than-gold precious metal would be platinum. I seem to recall seeing some titanium rings
I don't like gold (the yellow colour, I mean) and I was told that white gold was too soft for wedding rings, so the wife and I opted for platinum wedding rings, because I wanted something shinier (and heavier) than titanium.
Apparently, you can get Tungsten Carbide or Palladium rings these days, too.
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-- roger
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#296854 - 13/04/2007 06:39
Re: Metallurgist/jeweller?
[Re: canuckInOR]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 09/08/2000
Posts: 2091
Loc: Edinburgh, Scotland
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Mine is a reasonably strong gold celtic band (I went for 9 carat as it is a bit tougher than 14) - but I remove it when climbing, lifting weights or karting just from a safety aspect. I really don't want any metal to embed itself in my fingers. I'll have to post a pic later on - celtic bands are always nice (I've worn one for 17 years now, a silver one for 9 years, then I replaced it with a gold one once I got married) as they don't show up scratches, scuffs or dings as much as a plain band.
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MkIIa, blue lit buttons, memory upgrade, 1Tb in Subaru Forester STi
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MkII, 80Gb SSD in dock
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#296855 - 13/04/2007 06:40
Re: Metallurgist/jeweller?
[Re: Roger]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 09/08/2000
Posts: 2091
Loc: Edinburgh, Scotland
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Oooooo - nice tungsten carbide! And pretty keen pricing as well.
_________________________
Rory
MkIIa, blue lit buttons, memory upgrade, 1Tb in Subaru Forester STi
MkII, 240Gb in Mark Lord dock
MkII, 80Gb SSD in dock
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#296856 - 13/04/2007 07:36
Re: Metallurgist/jeweller?
[Re: Roger]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 13/07/2000
Posts: 4180
Loc: Cambridge, England
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Quote:
I don't like gold (the yellow colour, I mean) and I was told that white gold was too soft for wedding rings, so the wife and I opted for platinum wedding rings, because I wanted something shinier (and heavier) than titanium.
I hear you on the weight thing: the boy Fiennes's wedding-ring is titanium, and, while it certainly looks the part, when he handed it to me so I could feel the weight, I suddenly stopped thinking "wedding-ring" and started thinking "ring-pull". So if people do go for titanium ones, I recommend adopting the whole "No, nasssty hobbitses can't hold it, mine! my own!" sort of attitude.
Peter
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#296857 - 13/04/2007 07:56
Re: Metallurgist/jeweller?
[Re: peter]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 18/01/2000
Posts: 5683
Loc: London, UK
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Quote:
I recommend adopting the whole "No, nasssty hobbitses can't hold it, mine! my own!" sort of attitude.
On that note, I wanted the "one ring to rule them..." runes engraved inside my ring, but the wife vetoed that, and we opted for initials and the wedding date instead
_________________________
-- roger
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#296858 - 13/04/2007 13:16
Re: Metallurgist/jeweller?
[Re: Roger]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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_________________________
Bitt Faulk
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#296859 - 13/04/2007 13:40
Re: Metallurgist/jeweller?
[Re: wfaulk]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/06/1999
Posts: 7868
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I'm a fan of the 1 Ring. Not quite as good as the 2 ring though.
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#296860 - 13/04/2007 14:09
Re: Metallurgist/jeweller?
[Re: drakino]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 06/04/2005
Posts: 2026
Loc: Seattle transplant
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#296861 - 13/04/2007 14:36
Re: Metallurgist/jeweller?
[Re: wfaulk]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 12/11/2001
Posts: 7738
Loc: Toronto, CANADA
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Shouldn't there be only, umm, ONE, The One Ring?
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#296862 - 13/04/2007 21:33
Re: Metallurgist/jeweller?
[Re: Roger]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 13/02/2002
Posts: 3212
Loc: Portland, OR
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Quote:
Quote:
Well, the traditional harder-than-gold precious metal would be platinum. I seem to recall seeing some titanium rings
I don't like gold (the yellow colour, I mean) and I was told that white gold was too soft for wedding rings, so the wife and I opted for platinum wedding rings, because I wanted something shinier (and heavier) than titanium.
Apparently, you can get Tungsten Carbide or Palladium rings these days, too.
I don't like the look of yellow gold on my hands, either. I do like the look of some of those tungsten rings, but it looks like it might be difficult metal to set stones in -- SWMBO's engagement ring has channel set sapphires beside the diamond, and it would be nice to have some sort of matching theme on my band.
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#296863 - 16/04/2007 12:36
Re: Metallurgist/jeweller?
[Re: canuckInOR]
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old hand
Registered: 14/08/2001
Posts: 886
Loc: London, UK
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Mk2a RioCar 120Gb - now sold to the owner of my old car
Rio Karma - now on ebay...
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#296864 - 16/04/2007 19:29
Re: Metallurgist/jeweller?
[Re: furtive]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 13/02/2002
Posts: 3212
Loc: Portland, OR
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Quote:
Carbon Fibre
Stainless steel & enamel
Stainless steel & concrete
Titanium & Tungsten
Silver and concrete
Some cool concepts, there. I couldn't do the carbon fibre... it screams "ricer" or "weight weenie cyclist". If I were a civil engineer, I'd go with the steel-and-concrete for sure, but I'm most drawn to the enamel ones, right now. Thanks for pointing out that site!
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#296865 - 16/04/2007 20:27
Re: Metallurgist/jeweller?
[Re: canuckInOR]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 12/11/2001
Posts: 7738
Loc: Toronto, CANADA
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Since my girlfriend doesn't read these forums and I doubt any of her friends will catch my posts in Google, can we expand this thread to engagement rings? I've already got one long-time favorite jewelry store to consult with first for the setting, but just in case they no longer offer the typees of rings I have in mind, I'm curious what tips you guys have. I'll be purchasing the rock elsewhere and having the (or "a") shop set it. Whatever it ends up being made of - I hate the idea of a diamond, but I suppose I will end up with one anyway. The place I'm already planning to check makes all their own stuff by hand. They used to make a really cool ring that looked like it held the stone by horizontal clamping force only - and it didn't protrude from the top very much at all. I hate rings where the stone sticks out like a weapon. My soon-to-be fiance gets no voice in deciding what the ring will be like. That would just be against everything I stand for. I suggest any guys who go shopping for this stuff with their future wives should instead go looking for a pair of balls.  Or if style isn't your bag (no pun intended) then consult someone else. Judging by the excellent ring recommendations in this thread already I don't think anyone here has these issues. Does the diamond industry still advocate spending 2 months salary on an engagement ring? Ummmm. I don't think that's going to happen. You can't put a price on our love, but I'd probably have a heart attack spending that much on a tiny piece of jewelry. I know she'd rather have money spent on other things like travel anyway.
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