Many jewelers like to stick to basics when suggesting metals for a diamond wedding band. Usually the first suggestion is white gold, and then the second suggestion is platinum. But a lot of jewelry retailers forget about palladium.

Thanks to today’s challenging economy, palladium has become a serious option over platinum and gold. Although similar in many ways to platinum, palladium stands on its own, and currently costs less than both. In fact, palladium is nearly half the cost!

Just a few years ago, awareness for palladium began to pick up steam. Mainstream magazines had started to feature palladium jewelry, and the industry trade publications loved it even more! However, when its market value began to drastically drop, so did palladium’s advertising dollars. Now, as the price for palladium goes higher and higher (but not to the level of platinum or gold), this naturally white metal is well positioned for quite the comeback. Primarily used in the dental and automotive industries, palladium recently enjoyed a boost thanks to The Palladium Alliance’s recent ad campaign - “I Am So Over Heavy Metal.” Recognizable celebrities Pamela Andersen and Kelly Osborne posed for print ads, and their connection to Heavy Metal music ads a touch of understated humor for those that understand the connection. Yet additional positioning to the public is the key to its success; palladium is similar to platinum, but it should be stressed that they are not exactly the same. You can even say the platinum-to-palladium comparison is similar to contrasting the New York Yankees to a very good minor league team. Both may look good on paper, but one (platinum) is the superior.

Tungsten wedding rings and wedding bands are sometimes described as being created from a very durable metal because tungsten is resistant to scratching. In fact, I have heard of a tungsten wedding band as being indestructible. And part of this is true; a tungsten ring won’t easily scratch or look worn. But keep in mind that it can definitely break. It can also even be shattered with a hammer, but that may be a bit extreme. After all, who goes around hitting their ring finger with a mallet? Yet if you strike a tungsten wedding band on a surface of somewhat similar hardness, the design will break. So if you have a tungsten wedding band – be careful.

Also keep in mind that a platinum wedding ring will not easily break apart. Neither will a palladium, gold or silver ring. However, all of these precious metal wedding rings will scratch, although this is nothing to worry about; you can refinish a platinum, palladium or gold ring to look like new. Precious metals can also be resized, so you don’t have to worry about outgrowing your ring if you gain or lose a reasonable amount of weight. Tungsten wedding rings can not be sized. In fact, I dare any jewelry to try and size a tungsten design! It will certainly fall apart.

Alternative metals like tungsten and titanium certainly have their place in the jewelry industry. Today, many men just want a cheap ring. There seems to be a de-emphasis of true value among certain segments of today’s population. And that’s okay; not all men want to keep their wedding ring forever – whether it’s made from tungsten or a precious metal.