Did You Know?
Cobalt's strength and durability have made it a popular choice for making jewelry.
Cobalt, with an atomic number twenty seven, is a Group 9 element in the periodic table. Mostly, it is not found as a free element and is generally found in mineral ores. It is extracted as a by-product of nickel and copper mining. Silver-white in color, cobalt is a hard and brittle metal with magnetic properties.
Usually, cobalt chrome alloy is used in making cobalt jewelry, as it is strong and scratch-resistant. Also, the alloy is malleable. Considering these properties, cobalt turns out to be better for jewelry-making, in comparison to gold, silver, or platinum.
The hardness that looks like an advantage of cobalt jewelry, can however prove to be hurting to the wearer (applies to rings). Another disadvantage of cobalt rings or wedding bands is that they cannot be resized. Here's more on the pros and cons of cobalt rings.
Pros
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Durable
The alloy used to prepare cobalt rings is similar to the alloy used while constructing aircraft engines. Therefore, be sure that the ring will not be luxated. Its shape will always be retained.
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Resistant to Damage
Even stainless steel cannot match up to the strength of cobalt chrome. While stainless steel can be scratched easily, cobalt is scratch-resistant. It is stronger than metals like platinum and gold. Even if thrown from a height, the metal will not shatter or crack.
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Hypoallergenic
In the alloy form (not containing nickel), cobalt is hypoallergenic. Cobalt rings are safe to wear. They do not cause irritation or allergies to the wearer.
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Rhodium not Required
Rhodium plating renders a white color to gold jewelry. Since cobalt rings are bright white in color, they do not need to be plated with rhodium. The plating may wear off over time, thus exposing the original color. This is not the question with cobalt rings, since they are naturally white.
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Price
Cobalt rings are inexpensive in comparison to platinum or gold rings. Moreover, they look like white gold or platinum.
Cons
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Lack of Variety
Owing to its hardness, cobalt is difficult to work with. So, there is less variety in the designs of cobalt rings. Traditional metals offer a greater variety in styles and more intricate designs.
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Inconvenience in Resizing
It is not easy to resize cobalt chrome rings. When there is a need to resize them, replacement is suggested. This is not the case with metals like palladium, gold, or platinum.
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Not Scratch-proof
Cobalt chrome rings are highly resistant to scratches. But that doesn't mean they are completely scratch-proof.
Thus, we can conclude that cobalt rings are a smarter choice as far as their strength and price is concerned. However, in terms of variety in the designs offered, traditional metals win.
