Platinum Wedding Bands

As mentioned in our article about Holiday Proposals, December is by far the most popular month for couples to get engaged. Despite the economic outlook, couples are still falling in love, pledging to spend their lives together, and planning weddings. The good news for today’s couple on a budget is that jewelry’s most precious metal, platinum, experienced a huge price drop during the year. Platinum started off the year at over $1600 per ounce in January 2008, but has steadily declined due to a slowing demand. On the final day of the year platinum closed at only $928 per ounce.

At a time when the prices of gold and platinum are so close to each other, it makes sense to  purchase a platinum wedding band. Since platinum is much rarer than gold, investing in a platinum ring when the price is depressed means that your investment will likely increase in value faster over time. Platinum wedding bands come in just as many styles and designs as gold bands, and are more durable as well. If you are interested in a platinum wedding band for you or your fiancé, consider checking out some of our popular designs. The wide selection has something for everyone; from hammered platinum bands to rings intricately engraved with Celtic crosses.

Hammered Platinum Band

The hammered platinum wedding band is for the traditional couple who appreciates a unique look. The band features beveled edges with a matte hammered pattern down the center of the ring. It is also a comfort fit ring, which makes a huge difference in its wearability.

Plain Platinum Band

Plain platinum wedding rings are handsome in their simplicity. They also come in a wide variety of widths so you can find the perfect fit and look for your finger. We carry all the way from a thin 2 millimeter platinum ring up to a big, thick 8 millimeter platinum band.  Often women will feel more comfortable with a slim, light band in the 2 millimeter size and men will choose the 5, 6 or 8 millimeter size so it looks proportional on their larger hands. This allows a couple to pick our matching rings without having to sacrifice the perfect look and feel of a ring on their hand.

Intricately Designed Platinum Rings

Platinum bands also come in a wide range of beautiful designs. Some of the most popular platinum wedding ring designs include rings with Celtic patterns, braided patterns, and brushed finished rings.  Within each of these categories, there is a plethora of styles, widths and sizes to choose from.

If you still have not found the perfect platinum wedding band in the above picks, try browsing through our entire platinum collection of platinum rings. There is something for every taste, and the prices are perfect for couples who want beautiful wedding bands within their budget.

Wedding Bands: Modern Simplicity

In an industry that became completely extravagant and over-the-top, more and more couples are calling for a return to simplicity. What started in the 1980s with cupcake dresses, 20-inch bridal bouquets and poofy sleeved fuschia bridesmaid gowns is thankfully becoming subdued. In its place, a more modern wedding industry aesthetic is firmly taking hold. This trend is even evidenced in the most symbolic of wedding icons: wedding bands.

In lieu of flashy engagement rings, many brides are opting to save the money for a down payment and stick with a simple, modern band instead. Other brides are wearing their engagement rings up until the wedding, at which point they are switching the engagement ring with their wedding band instead of stacking the two together. The elimination of the traditional engagement ring has become even more prevalent with the current state of the economy. Money-conscious couples are often cash-strapped or feel guilty splashing out on expensive diamond engagement rings. The option they turn to provides an easy yet impactful way to save thousands of dollars.

Our modern, simple rings are ideal for couples who are looking for high quality, reasonably-priced wedding bands. More than ever, now is the perfect time to buy: with gold and platinum prices at their lowest in years, big savings are guaranteed. If you are just starting your search, make sure to take a peek at the following styles:

Wedding Bands For Him

Flat Designer Brushed Wedding Band (see picture at top)

Design also available as a Platinum Designer Flat Brushed Band

It’s manly with a modern aesthetic, and is even crafted with a comfort fit. The 6mm width will look substantial without feeling cumbersome on his hand for easy everyday wear.

Knife Edge Platinum Wedding Band

This unique looking platinum band expresses individuality while keeping it simple. It is a quality hand-made band that can also be crafted with a brushed look for a matte finish.

Our knife-edge platinum bands are available in 3mm – 8mm widths in guaranteed 950 platinum grade purity.

Wedding Band For Him or Her

Brushed White Gold Wedding Band with Rose Gold Interior

The clean look and subtle beauty of this wedding band is simply stunning. It marries both the warmth of rose gold with the coolness of white gold for a rich depth that is truly unique.

The design is careful finished with a satin/brushed texture (also available in all high polished by request).

Wedding Bands For Her

Benchmark Brand Satin-Finish Diamond Wedding Band

For savvy women looking for a wedding band to serve as an engagement ring, this band is a wonderful option. It’s made with high quality 14k white gold and is set with one small sparkling diamond right in the middle. Also available as a Platinum Satin-Finish Diamond Wedding Band or as a palladium diamond band.

Zig Zag 14K Gold Diamond Wedding Band

Budget-conscious ladies who love diamonds but want a modern wedding band will love this gorgeous ring. It can replace a bulky engagement ring for easy everyday wear without sacrificing an ounce of style.

We hope highlighting these finds has helped you in your search for the perfect wedding band. If not, check out the rest of our extensive selection of wedding bands. As always, our quality is guaranteed and the prices are hard to beat!

Platinum Rings: the King’s Heavy Metal

Italian humanist Julius Caesar Scaliger described platinum in 1557 as an unknown noble metal found between Darién and Mexico, “which no fire nor any Spanish artifice has yet been able to liquefy”. King Louis XV of France declared platinum the only metal fit for a king in the 18th century. Today, platinum is still considered the most exclusive of all precious metals.

December 2008: platinum traded at nearly the same price as gold, as the rare metal plummeted to $823 per ounce, with gold closing at $822 per ounce on the same day.

While it is the perfect time to pick up that platinum diamond wedding ring for your bride-to-be, there are several reasons why it is unimaginable that platinum jewelry prices will ever breach gold’s vastly affordable price:

• Platinum is a pure metal, with platinum jewelry usually being crafted in 950 grade platinum (95% pure platinum, 5% precious alloys, such as iridium, ruthenium, or palladium). Gold is usually made of 14k or 18k gold (58.3% or 75% pure). When considering precious metals’ prices, metal prices are determined at 100% purity (pure platinum and 24k gold).
• Platinum jewelry is approx. 60% denser than 14k gold. Since weight plays a determinant role in pricing fine jewelry, platinum remains more expensive than gold.
• Since platinum is 30 times rarer than gold and is found in only a few parts of the world, mostly South Africa, with a smaller portion in Russia and Canada, transporting platinum is more costly than gold.
• Platinum mining is a difficult and time-consuming process. Ten tons of ore (rock containing gemstones and precious minerals) must be mined to produce 1 ounce of platinum.

With platinum prices down 65% since March, Apples of Gold Jewelry has lowered prices on all of its platinum wedding bands and added new designer platinum jewelry to its extensive line-up, such a new version of its best selling men’s solid gold cross in platinum.  Apples of Gold expects to add more platinum jewelry to its collection in 2009 and 2010; especially since platinum is–for now–exhibiting signs that it will adhere to Apples of Gold’s value-based jewelry pricing methodology.

Related Posts:

Platinum and Gold: When Metals Collide