Know your Metals

Do you know your contemporary metals? With so many metal options available today here is a breakdown to help you understand what metal is best for you.

Serinium®
Cobalt
Stainless Steel
Titanium
Tungsten Carbide
Zirconia Ceramic

Serinium^®

Durability
Serinium® tough, hard and scratch-resistant. Serinium® is twice as hard as Cobalt Chrome, 5 times harder than Titanium, 6 times harder than Platinum, 7 times harder than Gold and 9 times harder than Silver. Serinium® will never oxidize, tarnish, or lose color.
Emergency Removal
Serinium® is easily and safely removed in emergencies by applying pressure with hand held vise grips. It will not bend in the removal process and breaks off cleanly in 2-3 pieces with no sharp edges.
Color
Serinium® is a silver-white color, nearer in color to Platinum than any other contemporary metal.
Retail Price
$315 and up
Hypoallergenic
Yes
Branded Names
Serinium®

Cobalt

Durability
Cobalt Chrome is less scratch-resistant than Serinium® and Tungsten Carbide, but more scratch-resistant than Titanium, Stainless Steel and precious metals.
Emergency Removal
Cobalt is the most difficult jewelry ring to remove in emergency situations. Cobalt cannot be broken off and cannot be cut with basic metal cutting implements, but rather requires diamond cutting tools and a trained professional. Extremely high heat is generated during the cutting process, which can cause 3rd degree burns to the wearer’s hand.
Color
Cobalt is a silver-white color, similar to Platinum.
Retail Price
$34 and up
Hypoallergenic
Yes
Branded Names
Cobalt Chrome, Cobablu™

Stainless Steel

Durability
Stainless Steel is harder than Silver and lightweight, but will scratch easily.
Emergency Removal
Stainless Steel is quite difficult to remove in emergencies. Stainless Steel will not break off and cannot be cut with basic metal cutting implements, but rather requires diamond cutting tools and a trained professional. Extremely high heat is generated during the cutting process, which can cause 3rd degree burns to the wearer’s hand.
Color
Typically Stainless Steel is significantly darker than White Gold, but still slightly whiter than Tungsten Carbide.
Retail Price
$14.95 and up
Hypoallergenic
No
Branded Names
Oliveti, Steel by Design®, Alor

Titanium

Durability
Titanium is lightweight, harder than Silver but much softer than Serinium®, Cobalt and Tungsten Carbide, so it scratches easily. Will not tarnish or break.
Emergency Removal
Titanium is quite difficult to remove in emergency situations. Titanium cannot be broken off or cut with basic metal cutting implements, but rather requires diamond cutting tools and a trained professional. Extremely high heat is generated during the cutting process, which can cause 3rd degree burns to the wearer’s hand.
Color
Titanium is slightly lighter in color than Tungsten Carbide.
Retail Price
$19.99 and up
Hypoallergenic
Yes
Branded Names
Triton®, Boccia®, Rugged™

Tungsten Carbide

Durability
Tungsten Carbide is extremely scratch-resistant, heavy and hard, but brittle. Susceptible to oxidation and accidental breakage.
Emergency Removal
Tungsten Carbide is too hard to cut and must be broken off, may shatter into sharp pieces that can cause further injury.
Color
Tungsten Carbide is gray in color and can hold a polish until it oxidizes, which happens from exposure to air. When oxidized, it turns a dark, milky, gray-blue color. It is hard to polish to original state.
Retail Price
$19.99 and up
Hypoallergenic
Yes
Branded Names
Rugged Tungsten™, Triton®, Tungsten Carbide

Zirconia Ceramic

Durability
Zirconia Ceramic is extremely scratch-resistant, very light-weight and may crack or break easily.
Emergency Removal
Zirconia Ceramic can be cracked off easily with a pair of vise grips.
Color
Zirconia Ceramic is available in many colors and solid in color, will not change or oxidize.
Retail Price
$49 and up
Hypoallergenic
Yes
Branded Names
Ceramique, Black Diamond Ceramic™