Iridium Rings

by Grace
(Melbourne, Australia)

Hi,

As I understand, close to 100% iridium rings are only produced by American Elements since 2009. Are they still the only company producing close to 100% iridium rings? If not, could I please get the names of the other companies?

Thank you,
Grace

Hi Grace,

As of now, the only manufacturer I know of that produces 100% iridium rings is still American Elements. I have seen a few advertisements for iridium rings online from other retailers, but when I follow the links it turns out that they do not really make iridium rings.

Part of the reason that more jewelers are not expanding into the iridium market is because it is so difficult to work with - it is an extremely hard metal that has a phenomenally high melting point. Most jewelers and retailers do not have the equipment that is necessary to work with this metal - and will probably not invest in the equipment until the iridium ring market begins to grow and expand (if it ever does). Hope this info is helpful!

Suzanne Gardner
Everything Wedding Rings

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outrageous prices
by: kyle

I don't know where you got your pricing from but i contacted American elements and received a pricing list. For a 6mm pure iridium wedding band they want $25,000 yes that's right, twenty five thousand dollars! Ridiculous!

Hi Kyle,

The price for iridium has risen quite a bit since I answered the initial question, and because iridium rings are so unusual they are definitely in the market of rare and unique luxury wedding rings! Additionally, as this is the only company that, so far, crafts iridium rings, American Elements has no competition for pricing.

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thievery
by: Anonymous

This is thievery, at about $550 for a troy oz, which is approximately how much of the metal is needed, How can they justify charging $25000. You could buy att the equipment needed yourself and make your own for that price!

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Updated pricing?
by: Greg

Kyle,
On American Elements' website I'm seeing a 6mm ring of average size going for about $2,000.

See link:
https://www.americanelements.com/irmwb.html

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iridium is tougher than any material ive worked with
by: Anonymous

I'm not certain commentors can appreciate how difficult iridium is to work with. I have a small chunk of iridium from a meteorite, I've tried various means to melt it, cut it and shape it. So far I've only managed to scratch the surface slightly using a tungsten carbide bit and a 5lb sledgehammer. I have a standing invitation to anyone who thinks they can damage or melt it using conventional means. Typically iridium is arc cast from a powder under conditions you cant replicate outside of a lab or industrial facility.

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Iridium is rare
by: Anonymous

Okay, everyone here is commenting how difficult Iridium is to work with, which is very true, but the fact Iridium is the second rarest element in the earth’s crust—five times rarer than Platinum, four times rarer than Gold. It is an amazing metal with so many properties that are attractive to semiconductor and medical industries. This "noble" metal is inert and does not tarnish, and it is strong and does not get scratch. I work in medical industry, and I have learned to love this material. I am considering getting Iridium rings in the future.

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How do I prove my ring is made of pure iridium?
by: Anonymous

If I purchased an iridium ring, what method or equipment would I need to verify that the ring is in fact pure iridium? Such as how they test diamonds with a $14 diamond tester. You don't know what you have if you can't even prove it to yourself. I've seen Chinese jewelry shops stamp 14k gold on fake jewelry that looks real until 24 hours after you wear it .

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My experiences
by: Anonymous

1. You can verify that it is very pure iridium by accurately measuring (within 0.01 grams) and also accurately measuring the weight of the water displaced by it (very challenging, but probably feasible with a low-surface tension cup that doesn't hold onto water.)
Such a scale is available on Amazon (0.01g accuracy.)

2. I have an iridium band, it's awesome. You can tell that it is very dense because it is lower profile than you might expect (looks 'smaller than it should be' as opposed to 'feels heavier than it looks.')

3. I cannot conceive of a way to damage this thing in a normal household outside of scratching it, or perhaps in an extreme situation, getting it caught in electrical arc.

Hope this helps.

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Iridium Wedding Bands

What do you know about iridium wedding bands? - Sabrina

Hi Sabrina,

100% iridium rings have only recently become available, and to my knowledge the only company which currently offers these rings is American Elements. So what is iridium and how will iridium perform as a wedding ring?

Iridium is a precious transition metal that is a member of the platinum family. It is a rare silvery white metal and it is also extremely dense. Because of its rarity, iridium has only been used in jewelry making as a small part of platinum/iridium alloys until now.

The pros of iridium wedding rings? These unique rings are made from an extremely rare metal and they will probably only increase in value with time; while iridium is extremely rare, iridium wedding rings are somewhat affordable with a price range of between approximate $1200 - $4000.

The cons of iridium wedding rings? Iridium is a brittle metal and theoretically if the ring is exposed to a hard knock or blow the ring could crack – although American Elements does offer a warranty if the rings crack or break - styles of iridium rings are also only available in limited men’s and women's ring designs and iridium rings are very heavy due to the density of the metal. One other con: iridium rings cannot be resized.

How iridium wedding rings will perform over a lifetime remains to be seen. As these rings have just recently come onto the market, it may be years before we receive any consumer reviews on how well the rings hold up to long term wear.

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1940 Iridium wedding band
by: Max Kellermann

I have a 1940 patented Iridium wedding band, with a dimension 7 to 14 mm wide. What would such a ring look like? It has what I believe are filigree markings pointing towards the Edwardian era (1900 to 1920). Thank-you!

Hi Max,

I am a little confused by your question - but I will try to answer it as best I can.

I am sorry to say but your ring is definitely not iridium because the invention of iridium rings is fairly recent (2009).

Additionally, iridium is extremely difficult to work with in order to produce jewelry and to this date even the manufacturers who have recently begun producing iridium wedding bands can only offer the bands in clean or simplistic styles filigree, at this time, on an iridium ring has so far never been performed. Iridium rings that have been created look somewhat similar to platinum, if just a tad bit darker.

The Edwardian era, which technically dates from 1901 to 1910 is famous for filigree jewelry styles and filigree rings, and these rings were most often created in platinum alloys.

It is possible that your ring is an Edwardian era platinum iridium alloy (10% or less iridium by weight in the ring), but it could also be a recent reproduction. If the ring was made around 1940 it would probably not be made of platinum because platinum was, then, considered a valuable metal that was directed for use in World War II.

Instead the most common types of metals used during 1940 were white gold made with silver and palladium alloys and rose gold.

I would like to know why you feel that the ring may be iridium. Are there any markings on the ring? (You can upload photos of the ring here).

Thanks and I hope this information is helpful!

Suzanne

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10% Iridium Platinum Shank
by: Anonymous

I just recently purchased a ring that says 10% irid plat in the shank! Can you tell me a little bit about it?

Hello. Platinum by itself is too soft for jewelery, and so it is alloyed with other types of metals such as iridium, ruthenium or even cobalt.

Platinum which has been alloyed with iridium is generally a 5% iridium and 95% platinum alloy (by weight) or a 10% iridium and 90% platinum alloy. The 10% iridium and platinum alloy is abbreviated as PT900/IR.

In use as a shank metal, the PT900/IR wears very well - better than the PT950/IR which has a tendency to pit with time. It has a rich white color and is resistant to scratches and dings.

The only downside to this type of platinum metal alloy is that in some countries, including the United States, anything which is labeled "platinum" must be at least 95% platinum by weight. So technically the ring is a platinum/iridium ring as opposed to a "platinum" ring.

I hope this answers your question, and do write back if you have any additional questions!

Suzanne Gardner

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Platinum Iridium Ring
by: Anonymous

Dear Suzanne,

I was mistaken with the filigree work, what it actually shows is that the outer edges of the ring
has engravings. It appears that these are tree leaves that are very tiny, could also be flower leaves.

I still believe that the ring is platinum. Perhaps some iridium was used as well. Then there is the weight...it is by far heavier as
for example gold would be. Furthermore, it does not tarnish !

There was also only "one" owner. The Lady who sold me the ring was wealthy in 1940.

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Platinum Iridium Ring
by: Anonymous

The answer that you were given is incorrect!!! There is a web site called ***** that will tell you all you need to know about jewelry stamped 10% IRID PLAT, and yes it is from the era of the 1890's to the 1930's!!!! Scroll down about half way through the page, and it will tell you all about it!!!

Hello Max,

The answer that I gave to you based on the information that you gave to me was not incorrect. If you would re-read your question and my answer - you will see that you asked me about a "patented iridium ring."

I explained to you that a pure iridium ring from the date you provided was impossible because they were not made at that time, but that it was possible the ring was a 10% iridium platinum alloy - and that yes, it could be an antique but it could also be a reproduction (because 10% iridium platinum alloys are still widely used today).

When you sent in your question you did not mention anything about platinum in the ring or a platinum stamp inside of the ring. I also mentioned that it was unlikely that the ring was not from the specific date you provided (1940) because at that time most of the platinum was re-directed to the War effort - instead white gold became popular.

My Platinum Wedding Band page also has a full description of the types of platinum alloys which are used to create rings and my Edwardian Rings page also provides extra details about rings from this time.

All of my answers are thoroughly researched and backed up by a consultation with a jeweler.

Thanks!

Suzanne Gardner

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Weight of Iridum Ring
by: Anonymous

What does a size 8, 4mm iridium wedding band weigh?

Hi, it is unfortunately impossible to determine how much a band would weigh based on its size and mm width because there are vast variations in how thick ring bands are. The thickness - along with the mm width - together has a huge impact on how much a band weighs. Just keep in mind that iridium is a very heavy metal - with any ring made from iridium, you will definitely know it's there!

Suzanne
Everything Wedding Rings

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tungsten carbide
by: Anonymous

Tungsten is harder (7.5 mohs) and has a higher melting point at (6,192°F) than Iridium (6.5),(4,435°F).

Tungsten carbide is even harder at 9 mohs and still has a higher melting point at (5,126°F) than iridium, yet there are plenty of rings made out of tungsten carbide.

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Hello,

It is true that Tungsten has a higher melting melt than iridium, but it is important to realize that many rings are created out of a tungsten alloy with a mixture of other metals which can affect it's melting point. Melting point too is not the only factor that affects how easily a metal is too work with - there are a variety of other factors involved - which is why we see many affordable tungsten rings and only a few very expensive iridium rings available.

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Tungsten Carbide ring composition
by: Larry

It is my understanding that Tungsten carbide rings are sintered, that is they are a powder of tungsten carbides and a binder such as Cobalt and melted at high temps to form a semi solid. To my knowledge there is no way to make a "Pure" Tungsten carbide ring, could be wrong. Pure Tungsten yes, but that would not have the scratch resistance of a carbide.

I wonder if one could make a sintered Iridium metal band? There again it would no longer be pure.

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