Weight of Wedding Ring Metals

(Washington)

Could you list the wedding ring metals from the lightest to the heaviest?

Of course!

Wedding ring metal weights will depend on the alloy or mixture of metals and materials which is used to create the rings - so the amounts of this list can vary a bit because the densities of ring metal alloys will change (although usually not to a noticeable degree) based on the alloy combination or purity of the metal.

Listed in order from (again, usually depending on the alloy) lightest to heaviest metals for wedding rings are:

Titanium with a density of ~4.5

Stainless Steel with a density of ~7.5

Cobalt Chrome with a density of ~8.5

Sterling Silver with a density of ~10.2

Palladium with a density of ~12.0

Tungsten carbide with a density of ~15.6

Gold
*18k gold has a density of about 17
*14k gold has a density of about 13

950 Platinum with a density of ~19.1

Iridium with a density of ~22.5

Titanium is by far the lightest of all wedding ring metals, followed closely by stainless steel. And stainless steel and cobalt chrome rings are very close in weight too. All 3 of these metals - titanium, stainless steel and cobalt chrome - are used to craft rings which literally feel almost light as a feather on your finger.

Silver and palladium have similar weights too which are practically indistinguishable in a ring. However, the weight of a silver or palladium ring will be noticeably heavier than a titanium, stainless steel or cobalt chrome ring.

Palladium's extra light density (a little more than one third lighter than gold) is why palladium wedding bands are often more affordable than gold or platinum bands, even though palladium is rarer than gold or platinum - it's just that less of the metal (in weight) is needed to make the ring.

Gold and tungsten almost have identical weights, and in most cases the weight of gold wedding rings decreases with the karat (so, a 10k ring will be lighter than an 18k ring). If you were to hold an 18k gold ring in one hand and a tungsten ring in the other - it would be pretty difficult to distinguish any difference between their weights. But a 10k ring would probably feel lighter than a tungsten ring.

Both gold and tungsten are noticeably heavier than stainless steel and palladium - and many people who first begin wearing gold or tungsten rings will definitely feel the weight of the rings....but people usually get used to these rings in a short amount of time.

Platinum is a touch heavier than gold, and in most cases you can tell that a platinum ring is slightly heavier than a gold ring - especially if the platinum ring is compared to a 10k or 14k wedding band. Many wearers of platinum rings though enjoy the extra heavy weight - and the quality and luxurious feel - of platinum wedding bands.

Iridium weighs in as the heaviest wedding ring metal - and it may take awhile to get used to the extra weight of this ring.

The weights of wedding or engagement rings will depend too on the types of diamonds or gemstones incorporated into the designs of the rings. Keep in mind as well that extra weight is not necessarily an indication of durability. For example, even though sterling silver is heavier than cobalt, titanium or stainless steel it is not as durable as these lighter metals.

Hope this helps!

Suzanne Gardner
Everything Wedding Rings

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