Cobalt Wedding Bands Pros and Cons List
Not everyone is sure whether or not a cobalt wedding band would work for them. They do carry some really good benefits and may begin to outrank tungsten and titanium in the popularity department. In order to make an informed decision about whether or not to purchase a cobalt wedding band, you first need to know what it is.
It’s a pure element that falls into the classification of being a ‘transition metal’, much like silver, titanium, palladium, and platinum. It is naturally magnetic (a rare characteristic), however, when wedding bands are created the cobalt chrome alloys don’t retain that magnetic quality.
Cobalt alloys are created to increase the durability factor. Most of the wedding bands created are a mixture of cobalt, tungsten, and chromium, with small amounts of carbon, manganese, silicone, iron, and molybdenum. While this is the most common mixture for cobalt wedding bands, you can also find some that contain nickel. Some people have allergic reactions to nickel.
List of Pros
1. Out of all contemporary metals used to make wedding rings, cobalt chrome is the one that most looks like white gold. It is often compared to platinum in appearance, but it is a little bit lighter than platinum and carries a reflective look more in line with white gold.
2. The cobalt wedding rings have a nice weight to them and come in a some very nice styles.
3. In terms of durability a cobalt wedding ring is highly scratch-resistant and maintains its original condition even when treated brutally.
4. Cobalt wedding rings are most all nickel-free which makes them hypoallergenic.
List of Cons
1. While cobalt wedding rings come in some very nice styles, the number of styles are somewhat limited. There are more styles available to men than there are for women.
2. These kinds of rings are re-sizable but are not as easy to re-size as palladium, platinum, or gold.
3. Cobalt wedding rings are definitely scratch-resistant, but there is a difference between ‘scratch-resistant’ and ‘scratch-proof’.
Shopping Tips
Always look for a reputable dealer. Cobalt is a very strong and durable metal, however, the cobalt alloys can vary dramatically. The cheaper alloy combinations may contain nickel and carry a lesser degree of scratch-resistance as well as durability.
When shopping for a black cobalt wedding ring, be sure the cobalt is totally black, and not due to any kind of plating (including ion plating) that is going to chip away and wear on you in a few months of daily wear.
When you’re looking for any kind of a ‘two-tone’ effect, be sure that specific design was achieved by using an inlay. Avoid cobalt rings that have been crafted with any kind of plate.
Always make sure the retailer you deal with clearly lays out the clarity grades and approximate color of the diamonds regardless of how small they might be.