Schedule a web meeting time with THE MVEye CEO Marty Hurwitz after the show. Marty Hurwitz is a subject matter expert on lab-grown diamonds and the technologies and processes currently operating and in development in the prime growing sectors. He also publishes the highly regarded Lab-Grown Diamond Market Intel Report.
Check the calendar now›As gold surges again and Millennials seek alternatives, contemporary metals for jewelry are heating up. Today, Millennials, who are aggressively avoiding traditional retail, are now seeking sustainable alternatives- to everything. So as the contemporary metal mayhem begins I thought it wise to put together a primer that helps define the different options.
Cobalt is a chemical element with symbol Co and atomic number 27. Like nickel, cobalt is found in the Earth's crust only in chemically combined form, save for small deposits found in alloys of natural meteoric iron.
Brand Names Marketed
Cobalt Chrome, Cobablu
Comparisons to Other Metals
Cobalt Chrome wedding bands are less scratch-resistant than tungsten wedding bands, but more scratch-resistant than titanium wedding bands and precious metal wedding bands.
It is heavier than titanium but slightly lighter than tungsten carbide. Cobalt Chrome is 4 times harder than Platinum, 5 times harder than Gold and 7 times harder than Silver.
Safety
Because Cobalt is tough and flexible, it can be crushed on a finger if, for example, a heavy object is dropped onto the wearer’s hand or the hand is caught in equipment. It is very difficult to cut off a Cobalt ring. It cannot be cut with basic metal cutting implements, but rather requires diamond cutting tools and a trained professional. These tools are not likely available in an emergency room setting. Extremely high heat is generated during the cutting process, which can cause 3rd degree burns to the wearer’s hand.
Available Categories
Wedding bands
Retail Price Points
$34 and up
Palladium is a chemical element with symbol Pd and atomic number 46. It is a rare and lustrous silvery-white metal discovered in 1803 by William Hyde Wollaston.
Palladium, platinum, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium and osmium form a group of elements referred to as the platinum group metals (PGMs). These have similar chemical properties, but palladium has the lowest melting point and is the least dense of them.
Brand Names Marketed
Palladium
Comparisons to Other Metals
Palladium is lighter in weight than its sister metal, Platinum. A naturally white metal, Palladium is hypoallergenic, will not tarnish and remains white forever. Palladium is 95% pure when used in jewelry, is extremely durable and does not require alloy metals and/or plating for protection, which ensures that it will remain white as long as you own your jewelry.
More affordable than Platinum
Safety
Palladium is nickel free and contains no skin irritants. May require sawing to remove in an emergency.
Available Categories
Wedding bands, Bridal sets, earrings, bracelets and necklaces.
Retail Price Points
$695 and up
Called the Precious Contemporary Metal™, Serinium® was recently issued a patent by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for its unique properties when used to make jewelry.
Ultra-hard and bright silver-white in color, Serinium® is hypoallergenic, will never oxidize or tarnish, and unlike other contemporary jewelry metals, Serinium® jewelry can be safely and easily removed in an emergency with commonly available tools.
Brand Names Marketed
Serinium®
Comparisons to Other Metals
The most scratch resistant, pure white metal on the market. Twice as hard as Cobalt Chrome and 5 times harder than Titanium. 6 times harder than Platinum, 7 times harder than Gold and 9 times harder than Silver. Will never oxidize, tarnish or lose color. Easily removed in emergency. Protected by a patent and by Minimum Advertised Pricing (MAP).
Safety
Safest to wear of all contemporary metals, easily removed with vice grips or ring cracker.
Available Categories
Wedding bands, Bridal sets
Retail Price Points
$315 and up
An alloy of steel with chromium and sometimes-another element (such as nickel or molybdenum) that is somewhat resistant to rusting and ordinary corrosion (depending on other elements added for jewelry fabrication).
Brand Names Marketed
Oliveti, Steel by Design®, Alor, West Coast Jewelry
Comparisons to Other Metals
Stainless Steel is the lowest cost among contemporary metals. High polish is achievable and it can be welded, fabricated and cast with most alloys. It is harder than Silver and will not tarnish.
Stainless Steel is difficult to size and scratches very easily.
Safety
Nickel can cause allergic reaction. Stainless Steel rings must be cut off in an emergency.
Available Categories
Wedding rings, bracelets, watches
Retail Price Points
$14.95 and up
Titanium is a chemical element with symbol Ti and atomic number 22. It is a lustrous metal with a silver color, low density and high strength. The two most useful properties of the metal are corrosion resistance and the highest strength-to-density ratio of any metallic element.
Brand Names Marketed
Edward Mirell, Triton®, Boccia®, Rugged™
Comparisons to Other Metals
Titanium is a low cost, lightweight and very hard contemporary jewelry metal. It has little to no malleability; it cannot be resized and scratches easily.
Safety
Nickel free and hypoallergenic Titanium is difficult to remove in an emergency and requires special tools.
Available Categories
Wedding rings, watches
Retail Price Points
$19.99 and up
Tungsten carbide (chemical formula: WC) is a chemical compound (specifically, a carbide) containing equal parts of tungsten and carbon atoms. In its most basic form, tungsten carbide is a fine gray powder, but it can be pressed and formed into shapes for use in industrial machinery, cutting tools, abrasives, armor-piercing rounds, other tools and instruments, and jewelry.
Brand Names Marketed
Triton®, Tungsten Carbide
Comparisons to Other Metals
Tungsten Carbide is ten times harder than 18kt gold and has a substantial weight- heavier than platinum. Tungsten Carbide is a patented formula consisting of nearly 85% Tungsten Carbide, is strong, hypoallergenic, - and will remain polished forever.
It cannot be re-sized, is very brittle and shatters easily, and has unprotected margins with very low online pricing/heavy discounting.
Tungsten Carbide is quite porous and can oxidize, causing it to turn gray.
Safety
Not easy to remove in an emergency; cannot be cut off due to its extreme hardness. Tungsten Carbide rings can be broken off, but tend to shatter into sharp pieces that can cause further injury.
Available Categories
Wedding rings, watches
Retail Price Points
$19.99 and up
Zirconia-based ceramic. This compound is one of the hardest, strongest ceramics on the market. A band made from this ceramic material is completely scratch and abrasion proof. Zirconia Ceramic measures a 9 on the Mohs hardness scale and can only be scratched by diamond. These ceramic rings will also resist any bending or breaking. In spite of the toughness of zirconia, it is also incredibly lightweight.
Brand Names Marketed
Ceramique, BlackDiamond Ceramic
Comparisons to Other Metals
Lightweight, engravable, scratch resistant, can be made in multiple colors, does not conduct electricity and cannot be resized.
Safety
In an emergency, the best option is to use a pair of standard vice grips to simply crack the ring off. This can be accomplished right at home without significant difficulty.
Available Categories
Wedding rings, necklaces, earrings, watches
Retail Price Points
$49 and up
