Choosing Your Base Metal for Your Wedding Ring
While we often use softer metals for inlays in our rings at Minter & Richter Designs, like Copper, Bronze, or Brass, your ring has to have a base metal to hold it all together. There are two superior metals to choose from for your Base Metal - Inox Steel and Titanium. Factory Jewelry stores will tell you differently, but they are incorrect. Precious metals like gold, silver, platinum, etc are not strong enough to hold the type of inlays used for these rings. They are also far more expensive, so Titanium or Inox Steel is the way to go.
TITANIUM
With its striking smokey gray color, titanium is well known for its use in the aerospace industry, where performance counts. Its lightweight but strong nature makes it perfect for aircraft, bicycles, and artificial limbs but also tremendous for wedding rings. The durability of titanium wedding bands is nearly unparalleled. This alternative metal is three times stronger than steel and has the highest strength-to-weight ratio, meaning you get the strongest ring for the least amount of weight and bulk. Precious metals like gold are soft and tend to scratch easily. On the other hand, Titanium uses its strength and resists scratching much better than traditional metals. Although it’s not entirely scratch-proof, titanium will certainly stand up better to the test of time when it comes to everyday wear and tear. Anywhere you see a scratch on a titanium ring would have been a gouge on a gold ring. Minter + Richter Designs uses CP4v Commercially pure titanium, which is the best in the world and is 100% hypoallergenic. The high grade of titanium’s strength and low weight make it an excellent choice for wedding rings that need to last a lifetime. In general, the hardest thing on earth is a diamond, but a diamond will shatter. Titanium will not shatter. Some people point to Tungsten Carbide as being harder than titanium; while that is true, Tungsten Carbide will shatter on impact. Not good for a wedding ring. Tungsten Carbide is also uncomfortably heavy. Titanium is super lightweight.
Redwood Sunset - Titanium Wood Wedding Ring
INOX STEEL
Stainless steel, also known as inox or Inoxidated or Corrosion Resistant (Stainless) Steel, is an alloy of iron that is resistant to rusting and corrosion. It is super beautiful and provides great contrast as it is a much brighter, whiter metal than titanium. Inox Steel is the same color as platinum or white gold, so it is often the choice for a wedding band for women who are already wearing a platinum or white gold engagement ring. The difference in color between the warmer tones of titanium and the steely white tones of Inox is subtle but noticeable when worn on the same finger. Inox Steel is just as durable as titanium after we put it through a hardening process. It is also just slightly heavier. Some people prefer the added weight over the uber-lightweight titanium.
Beluga - Inox Steel Wedding Ring
Once you have chosen your base metal, your options open up in front of you. The entire planet earth and even outer space are available to you.
WOODS
The world is so beautifully and graciously filled with sustainably harvested and renewable woods. There is no need to harm our forests, not that we would anyway. The variety and color are completely off the hook as it is. For those that like bright colorful and burly woods, we suggest Box Elder. Box Elder is a North American Tree that takes beautifully to dye. Dark Blue Box Elder and Turquoise Box Elder are two of our most popular woods.
Since we are located in Boston, MA., a lot of New Englanders and Canadians request Maple. Well, we aim to please and have a huge library of different maples to choose from.
And then of course there are multitudes of dark woods like African Ebony and Moluccas Macassar to name just two.
African Ebony and Moluccas Maccassar - See rings like Moluccas Macassar, and African Copper King
Whiskey Barrel has become popular in recent years and we can see why! Not only is it beautiful to look at, but if you love whiskey, it is significant to you!
See Rings like Ye Olde Bully Boy
See Rings like Gunny
Some other favorite woods are Koa, California Buckeye, Bloodwood, Cypress, Redwood, Olive Wood, Cocobolo, Tulip Wood, Snake Wood, and Desert Ironwood . . . but there are so many more! As you look through the Minter + Richter Designs website, be sure to read the name of the wood in the description of the ring that catches your heart. That wood can be used in any other ring in the entire store. At Minter + Richter Designs, you can mix and match to your heart's content. This is how we are able to almost never make the same ring twice.
STONE
If you think there are a lot of woods in the world, just wait until you check out our stones. Any of the below stone samples can be used in any ring you see on the entire site.
Rings like Lapis Archipelago, Bold King, and Passionate Vortex are made of these beautiful stones.
See Rings like All I Want is You and Turquoise, Love is the Whole, and Galaxy of Her Heart
See Rings like In the Midst of Malachite, Blue River Valley.
Ring Rings like Already Destined
See Rings like Reunited
See Rings like Charoite Stone Vortex
See Rings like Domed Chrysocolla
See Rings like Only Light Can Drive Out Darkness
See Rings Like Azurite Moose Off Maine
See Rings Like Woolly Mammoth Ocean
If you would like to customize your wedding ring or set of wedding rings with any wood, stone, or metal you see on our site, simply email sales@minterandrichterdesigns.com with as much of the form below filled in. You can just copy and paste it to your email.
Ring A - ____________________________ (name or description of ring – or name of ring on website you are basing your design upon)
apx. size - __________ (we would base your sizers around this size. Custom Sizers are highly recommended, see below in signature for info.)
width - __________ mm
Finish on metal - _______________________ (satin? Sandblasted? Mirror?)
Shape of edges - __________________________ (rounded? Flat? Pinstriped?)
Any interior anodizing? If so, what color? - ___________________ (blue, green, bronze, sunset, pink, purple)
engraving phrase - _____________________________________________ (if desired)
Ring B - _________________________________ (description of the ring – or NAME OF RING on our website you are basing your design upon)
apx. size – _____________ (we would base your sizers around this size. Custom Sizers are highly recommended, see below in signature for info.)
width – _____________mm
Finish on metal - _______________________ (satin? Sandblasted? Mirror?)
Shape of edges - __________________________ (rounded? Flat? Pinstriped?)
Any interior anodizing? If so, what color? - ___________________ (blue, green, bronze, sunset, pink, purple)
engraving phrase - __________________________________________ (if desired)
Instagram Handle - ______________________ (Do you want to get tagged with a pic of the ring while we are making it?)
Wedding hashtag - ___________________________
wedding date - _________________________
latest must-have by date - __________________
Do you want a Lifetime Care Option? If so, which level? _________________ (STANDARD Level, PREMIUM Level – see below in signature for info.)
Full STREET shipping address - ______________________________________________
Choose either STANDARD or PREMIUM LEVEL of Lifetime Care Options: PURCHASE ONCE AND YOUR RING IS COVERED FOR LIFE!
PREMIUM LIFETIME CARE ($275) - WE WILL MAKE YOU A NEW ONE FOR FREE IF YOU LOSE IT!!!
Covers all damage for life
Covers a one-time free re-make should you ever lose your ring.
Not available for Meteorite Rings
Unless waived for special circumstances, must be purchased as part of the original transaction.
Includes return shipping
STANDARD LEVEL OF LIFETIME CARE ($200)
Covers all damage for life
Does not cover the loss of the ring
Includes return shipping
FAQs
Q: How do I get sized?
A: WE STRONGLY SUGGEST PURCHASING MINTER & RICHTER CUSTOM SIZERS to guarantee you get the absolute perfect fit for your ring. The industry-wide standard for ring size carries many variables (different measuring tools, ring widths, ring materials, and design). Factory-made bands are sized LESS accurately than our handmade bands. Therefore, getting sized at a factory jewelry store does not guarantee that the size will be correct. We offer Sizing Exchanges for life for half price. But getting Custom Sizers ensures that you will not need a sizing exchange. A sizing exchange is 50% of the cost of the original if you were not sized on our custom sizers.
- Minter & Richter Custom Aluminum Sizers ($45 for a set of 3 sizers): If you have a general idea of what your ring size might be, we can make you a set of custom aluminum sizers (plain aluminum bands) in three different sizes at your preferred width. This allows you to spend time wearing each sizer for a day or two and finding out which one offers the most comfortable fit. Finger size can fluctuate slightly throughout the day due to water intake, temperature, etc. so this is an excellent way to get an accurate representation of exactly how your final ring will fit. We request that customers purchase their final ring(s) at the same time as the sizers. We will ship you the sizers along with a SASE for convenient return (domestic only – international must pay for return shipping). Once you confirm your ring size we begin making your rings!
(**Please note that sizers can add approximately 2 weeks to order processing.)
