5 Alternative Durable Ring Styles To Consider
Written by Annabelle
April 28, 2020
If you love rings but you’re constantly rough with your hands, you may have experienced some issues with your jewelry before, especially with certain ring designs like eternity bands. Fortunately, there are a few durable ring styles we recommend as substitutes for people who need stronger jewelry. Read on to learn more about them.
5 Durable Ring Style Substitutes
1. Channel Rings vs. Eternity Rings
A stainless steel eternity band set with diamonds.
An eternity ring is a ring with stones set all around the band. This gives the ring a seamless look. While this ring style is certainly beautiful, it’s terrible for people who bang their hands around and clutch onto refrigerator doors and subway poles, as the stones will eventually get damaged or fall out of the setting if the metal is bent in.
As an alternative to this, we recommend channel-set eternity bands. A channel setting consists of two “lips” of metal that cover the edges of the stones, which sit in a groove in between the two lips. The metal protects the stones and the setting is significantly more difficult to smash in. In addition, this setting has no prongs that can easily snap off or snag on items, making this design a smooth and popular choice for people who hate catching their jewelry on wool sweaters and other clothing. For extra durability, try a channel-set half eternity band. This type of ring has gems in the front, leaving the back metal blank. When you touch something or grab something, there’s less of a chance to damage the ring.
2. Stainless Steel vs. Tungsten Rings
A matte tungsten ring
While tungsten is popular for men’s rings nowadays, we cannot stress how much we dislike it for several reasons. It can't be polished, it can’t be sized, and worst of all it’s not even as tough and durable as it’s often advertised. Tungsten actually cracks on high impact and pressure, and if you outgrow the ring or lose some weight, you can’t modify the ring because the metal isn’t workable at all.
Stainless steel, on the other hand, is a great metal. It’s durable, it doesn’t fracture irreparably like tungsten, and it can be sized and polished with no issues whatsoever. If you’re looking for a really hard-wearing material, go for stainless steel instead of tungsten, ceramic carbide, or titanium, as it is the only metal out of these alternatives that jewelers can still work with.
3. Bezel Rings vs. High Setting Rings
A bezel set diamond ring
Some people love the look of a ring with a prominent setting, but unfortunately the design means that you need to wear the ring with extra care! The higher the setting, the easier it is for the item to catch on clothing, countertops, and other surfaces that will damage the prongs and stone over time.
As a compromise, we recommend a bezel set ring. A bezel setting is a wall of metal that surrounds the gem. It’s more durable than a prong setting and offers better protection for the stone, making it a stronger choice than a high prong setting if you’re adamant about keeping the tall design of the ring.
4. Solid Gold Rings vs. Gold Plated Rings
A copper ring before and after gold plating
We know a lot of people purchase gold plated items because they’re affordable, but how exactly affordable are they in the long run? A lot of our customers are often heartbroken when the plating begins to wear off and they realize that the cost of replating the item is often far more than what they originally purchased the item for.
This is why we always advocate for solid gold jewelry as one of our top durable ring styles- it’s higher quality, and you’ll never have to worry about replating. In addition, gold plated rings often pose a huge problem; out of all gold plated jewelry they wear out the fastest due to being worn on the hand, and the plating comes off when we resize the item. On top of that, the metal underneath the plating is often non-conducive to the sizing process. With solid gold, this metal is durable and does not lose its yellow color. You’ll only need to bring it in for polishing every so often.
5. Flush Set Rings vs. Pave Set Rings
A flush set ring
Pave set rings look beautiful, but the little settings that make the stones so visible are a nightmare to work with after a long period of time. If you’re rough with your jewelry, pave set items won’t last very long as the prongs are especially delicate and cannot be easily repaired. Even after repair, the ring has to be worn very carefully as any sudden impact or contact could knock the stone right out.
Flush set rings on the other hand are much more durable! In comparison to pave, flush set stones are set right into the metal of a ring. There’s no visible area to bang against, and no prongs to break off.
Now you’re all set on 5 alternative durable ring styles to consider! Got something you’d like to repair or modify? Comment below and we’ll help you out.
