The Best Metals for Engagement Rings and How to Choose

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Choosing an engagement ring is no easy task. Making a choice is even more challenging when you don’t know what options are available. Whether you’re choosing a diamond or popular diamond alternative, you also need to decide on the best metal for your engagement ring. An excellent metal choice plays a crucial role in the longevity of your ring.

Are you curious about the best metals for engagement rings? Then keep reading, as we cover eight key options, with information on their composition and why they’re a good choice.


How to Choose the Right Engagement Ring Metal

Engagement ring preferences differ. You may like something bold and flashy or prefer a minimalist ring. Whatever you want, here are some key factors to help you choose the right metal.

Usage and Lifestyle

Not every metal can withstand wear and constant abrasion. Some metals (like higher karat gold and sterling silver) deform and scratch easily. But metals like tungsten carbide and platinum are durable and wear-resistant. 

💡 Think Before You Bling: Consider your lifestyle as you choose a ring. If you engage in strenuous, manual work with your hands, it’s best to select more durable and scratch-resistant rings.

Budget

Gold and platinum are rare metals, and this little detail affects their cost. If you’re shopping with a tighter budget, look out for less expensive metals.  Check out cheaper options like palladium, sterling silver, and titanium to match a more frugal budget.

Gemstone Choice

If you have a preferred gemstone, choose a complementary metal. The blush hue of rose gold makes a stunning pairing with red and pink gemstones, while white metals pop better when mixed with brightly colored gems.

Preference

Different people enjoy different glints and exteriors. Consider a black titanium engagement ring if you’d like a unique engagement ring metal. But if you love the look of white metals, go for platinum, white gold, or titanium. 


8 Best Metals for Engagement Rings

Your options don’t have to stop at gold and silver. You can explore many more types of ring metal types. Here are our top picks for the best engagement ring metals.

Yellow Gold

yellow gold engagement ring metal

Gold exists in its pure form as yellow with a reddish tinge, but this doesn’t mean all yellow gold jewelry is entirely pure. Depending on the karatage, yellow gold can contain anywhere from 99.9% to 58.3% of pure gold. The rest of the metal comprises alloy metals, like copper and silver.

Yellow gold rings are an excellent choice for those who generally wear gold jewelry since your engagement ring will be more likely to match. This metal is also timeless, luxe, and matches those with warm and neutral skin tones. It’s a bit expensive, so this might not be the option if you’re on a smaller budget.

💎 Adorn with: The bright yellow color matches well with clear gemstones like diamonds, brightly colored gems like emeralds and pink sapphires, and deep-colored gems like tanzanite and melanite.

Trying to decide between white and yellow gold? See our comparison of both.


Rose Gold

Rose gold has a pink tint. Jewelers mix pure gold with copper and silver to get that lovely hue. The higher the percentage of copper, the pinker the jewelry.

The best thing about rose gold is its rarity. Often, people purchase white metals for their engagement rings. This makes rose gold your favored option if you’re searching for something unique. 

See our top rose gold engagement rings.

💎 Adorn with: The subtle, romantic color of the metal also matches wonderfully with a range of gemstones, including diamond, moissanite, dark pink, red, and purple gemstones.

However, beware that the inclusion of copper makes your jewelry open to corrosion. If you constantly contact water, moisture, and sulfur, your jewelry may develop some tarnish. The great news is that it’s possible to clean that tarnish off.


White Gold

white gold engagement ring metal

If you’re in love with the shine of white metals and gems, white gold is one of your top choices. There’s sweet elegance in how well that combination goes, so much so that white gold was the most preferred engagement ring metal (with 40% of respondents choosing it) in this 2022 Cosmopolitan survey.

White gold combines pure gold with white metals like nickel, silver, or palladium. Rhodium plating makes the exterior brilliant, mirror-like, as well as scratch-resistant. 

💎 Adorn with: Whether you have green gemstones, pink gemstones, or gems of any other color, white metals will make them irresistible.


Platinum

platinum engagement ring metal

White, resistant, and durable, platinum is one of the best metals for jewelry. This ring metal lasts long and braves all your activities with minimal wear or scratches. In time though, that finish may dull due to a patina. Platinum patina is a satiny or frosty appearance that comes over your jewelry. However, many people regard this patina fondly, saying it adds to platinum’s charm.

💎 Adorn with: The silvery-white finish of platinum rings goes well with precious gems of any color, further adding to its appeal.

Although it’s the best choice, platinum jewelry is often the most expensive. If your budget is smaller, you might want to steer clear of this choice.


Palladium

palladium ring

The demand for palladium rings rose because it offers a similar look to platinum but without the high price tag. Palladium is in the same metal group as platinum and offers similar resistance to wear and polish. It’s hypoallergenic, and you can wear it in the shower too.

A bonus point for palladium is its low density, making it more lightweight than platinum. This quality makes it a preferred choice for people who want lighter jewelry on them.

💎 Adorn with: The whiteness of palladium matches it well with bright-colored gemstones and cool skin tones.


Sterling Silver

sterling silver engagement ring - best metals for engagement rings

The softness of fine silver makes it undesirable for jewelry. So, jewelers alloy pure silver with alloys (like copper) to produce sterling silver. Sterling silver is more durable and less likely to bend. 

💎 Adorn with: The grayish-whiteness of silver goes well with vibrant colored gems and cool skin tones.

A significant advantage of sterling silver jewelry is the low cost. If you’re looking for a more affordable metal and love the charming flash of silver against your skin, it’s an option to consider.

Unfortunately, sterling silver can tarnish faster than gold and platinum. This unfortunate condition happens with extended exposure to moisture, oxygen, and sulfur in the air. It’s not the best jewelry to purchase if you sweat or swim a lot – unless you take off your jewelry during these activities.


Titanium

titanium - best metals for engagement rings

Once upon a time, people only knew titanium for its engineering applications. The metal is corrosion-resistant and lightweight, making it useful in aerospace engineering and medicine. Still, those qualities make it equally appealing in jewelry. The metal is highly scratch-resistant, hypoallergenic, and low cost, giving it an edge over other metals.

Though it naturally occurs as silvery-white, some jewelers anodize the metal to color it black, blue, teal, magenta, or anything else.

The bad news about this metal is that it’s difficult to solder, making resizing impossible. The ring has to fit perfectly, or it’s useless.

💎 Adorn with: Depending on the color of this ring, you can choose any gemstone to match it. Black titanium pairs well with bright colored gems for a lovely contrast and plain white titanium goes well with any gemstone color.


Recycled Metals

recycled metal ring - best metals for engagement rings

People revere precious metals for their rarity. Unfortunately, despite their appeal, the work processes involved in creating your jewelry are damaging for both the environment and the people in the vicinity. 

Mining companies deposit noxious effluents into water bodies, subvert the rights of indigenous people, and adhere to inhumane labor practices. Recycled metals are an eco-friendly alternative. Recycled metal jewelers take the metals from previously disposed of products, like electronics and jewelry, melt them, and remold them.

The options for this category are broad, from white gold to platinum, yellow gold, and palladium. If you’re environmentally conscious and prefer ethically sourced jewelry, you might prefer this option.


Frequently Asked Questions About Engagement Ring Metals

We have answers even if you have more questions about engagement ring metals.

Is sterling silver a good metal for wedding rings?

Yes, it is. People have worn sterling silver rings for centuries and may do so for centuries more. Sterling silver is a good choice for its shiny appearance and low cost.

Is silver OK for an engagement ring?

Pure silver is too soft for making jewelry. In time, the metal will deform and change shape. For this reason, jewelers alloy silver with another metal (usually copper) to make sterling silver

Sterling silver makes beautiful engagement rings. The metal is inexpensive and pairs well with bright colored and white gemstones. However, sterling silver can tarnish upon prolonged exposure to moisture, oxygen, and sulfur. So take care not to wear it in the shower or while swimming.

What metal goes best with diamonds?

The brilliant white appearance of diamonds is highly versatile and can work with nearly any durable jewelry metal.

Bright white metals like white gold, palladium, and platinum create a striking match with diamonds. Yellow gold makes a classic pairing with diamonds. But if you want something unusual, you can opt for rose gold or a black metal, like anodized titanium. It’s up to you!.

Gold is the most common engagement ring metal. People’s choices switch from classic white gold to rose gold and yellow gold. 

We think gold is an excellent choice, but we don’t recommend choosing pure 24k gold. The metal is so soft that it can deform in the long run, with the gems falling off. Instead, opt for 18k or 14k yellow gold, white gold, or rose gold.

Seal Your Engagement With the Best Metal Choice

We’ve outlined 8 of the best metals for engagement rings, and now it’s your turn. Which ring metal calls out to you? 

If you have the budget, platinum and gold rings are the best choice because of their durability and prestige. However, if you’re not so well-off, you can try out less expensive palladium, titanium, and sterling silver options.

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