You?ll wear your wedding band for the rest of your life. Long after the wedding ceremony is over, the wedding band (and sometimes the engagement ring as well) sits on your finger as a reminder of your spouse and the commitment that you both made to each other. The process of selecting a wedding band is similar for women as it is for men. However, there is the additional consideration of finding a band that matches the engagement. That?s why the wedding band and engagement ring are often purchased together ? but they don?t have to be, especially since it isn?t a requirement that the two be an exact match. The main consideration, however, is the type of metal chosen for the ring because that?s where the design of both rings begins. Here is a guide that will help you select the best metal for your rings:

Gold

Gold is one of the most popular metals for both engagement rings and wedding bands and it comes in several colors, such as yellow, white, and rose. Since gold is fairly soft, it needs to be mixed with other metals, which is why it is possible to find gold in different colors. This is an appealing aspect of the metal, especially from a design perspective.

Platinum

This metal is a lot stronger than gold, but it is also still fairly soft. However, when platinum gets scratched, it maintains its color, unlike white gold, which tends to turn yellow. The main attraction with platinum is the silvery sheen that it gives off. Also, platinum is 90% – 95% pure, unlike gold, which needs to be mixed with other metals. This is one of the more expensive metals, but since prices have decreased over the past few years it is far more affordable. A platinum ring is appealing to women because it tends to highlight the brilliant colors in most diamonds.

Palladium

Palladium has an interesting history. During World War II, the price of platinum increased considerably. Young couples gravitated towards palladium as a worthwhile replacement because of the color, which is a gorgeous shade of gray, and the fact that the purity level is on par with platinum?s. However, it is at least 1/3 the cost of platinum. Although this metal fell out of favor for a while, it?s back in style. This is the perfect metal for the bride who wants a less expensive alternative to platinum and who also wants to do something different.

Titanium

This is the perfect metal for brides who are looking for rings that are both unique and affordable. Titanium is special because it is both lightweight and strong. In fact, it is about twice as strong as steel with half the weight. It?s also not considered a precious metal, which helps keep the prices down. It is more scratch resistant than other metals, but it?s still important to be careful with your rings because they can still get damaged. Titanium rings need to be fitted before they?re made because it?s impossible to resize them. If you think that you want rings made from this metal, you need to get it right the first time!

Tungsten Carbide

Tungsten carbide is very popular as a metal for a man?s wedding band, but they haven?t geared many designs for women. The same can be said for titanium, but we can customize titanium. Tungsten is made overseas, and we can?t change a design like we can with the precious metals. Any design that is made in tungsten can be had in any finger size. In the current market, prices of wedding ring metals have gone down considerably. Since they are more affordable than they have been, you are far more likely to find a ring that will fit both your budget and your personal style. Also, it isn?t completely necessary to buy the wedding band at the same time as the engagement ring. However, it can be helpful to do some preliminary shopping while getting the engagement ring so that you will know what you like and about how much it will cost.