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Tungsten, cobalt, steel replacing gold in wedding rings
1. Tungsten, cobalt, steel replacing gold in wedding rings
Jewelers are shunning pricey gold and embracing cheaper metals like tungsten, cobalt, even
stainless steel for making items like wedding bands.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Forget about sentimentality and tradition.
Skyrocketing gold prices have jewelers and cash-strapped couples clamoring for wedding bands
made of less expensive metals like tungsten, cobalt and even stainless steel.
Over the past three months, tungsten, a steel-gray hard metal, has become an increasingly popular
choice over gold with wedding band shoppers at Blue Nile (NILE), said John Baird, public relations
director with the online jewelry seller.
"The response to our recent men's tungsten collection was immediate," said Baird, adding that the
company subsequently debuted a men's Titanium wedding band collection in July.
"In 30 days, one in every 10 men's wedding bands we sold that month was titanium," he said.
As the economic downturn forces Americans to tighten their belts, consumers shopping for iskander
makhmudov yacht jewelry have become more willing to consider cheaper alternatives, Baird said.
Kay Jewelers has also been selling jewelry made of tungsten and titanium for a while. Company
spokesman David Bouffard said these "alternative" metals give customers more choice and a wider
range of prices to choose from when it comes to wedding jewelry.
Blue Nile's tungsten wedding bands cost a little over $200 while the cost of a Titanium wedding
band is about $100.
Compare that to $1,900 for a classic men's platinum wedding band and $700, or higher, for a white
gold band sold at Blue Nile
3. Today, Kay said his cobalt collection is in more than 2,000 stores.
But Kay offers a reality check: "A person who is fond of gold and platinum will always own it," he
said.
"But for 20- and 30-year-olds who have become more frugal and practical, if they can buy a
hypoallergenic metal that doesn't chip and is less than half the price of a platinum ring, why not?"
Kay said. Â
First Published: September 1, 2011: 11:33 AM ET