What is a Custom Engagement Ring?

A custom engagement ring can be made of a long list of different materials and look like no other ring on Earth. You select the material and also have final say on its design. Learn more about the history of some of the precious metals most commonly used today in creating a custom engagement ring.

Gold Custom Engagement Ring

Gold is a chemical element with the symbol of Au. The root of the word means "shining dawn." For many centuries, gold has been highly sought after to be used as money and jewelry. Gold is dense, soft, and shiny and the most malleable and ductile of all the known metals on Earth.

Pure gold has a bright sparkling yellow color and is frequently chosen by women who love to be the center of attention for their custom engagement ring. Gold dissolves in mercury but is insoluble in nitric acid, which dissolves silver and base metals. This is the basis of the gold refining technique known as "inquartation and parting." Nitric acid has long been used to confirm the presence of gold in items, and thus the origin of the "acid test," referring to a gold standard test for genuine vale.

Silver Custom Engagement Ring

Silver is a chemical element with the symbol AG, and translates from Latin to English as "white shining." This luscious metal has the highest electrical conductivity of any of the metals and also the highest thermal conductivity of any metal.

Most silver is as a by-product of copper, gold, lead, and zinc mining. It has long been recognized as a precious metal used to make jewelry and high value tableware and utensils. Silver is stable in pure air or water, but tarnishes when exposed to ozone or hydrogen sulfide.

The silver in today's custom engagement rings is sterling silver, an alloy of 92.5% silver with 7.5% copper. Sterling silver is harder than pure silver and has a lower melting point than either pure silver or pure copper.

Platinum Custom Engagement Ring

Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol of Pt. It is resistant to corrosion and naturally occurs in some nickel and copper ores along with some native deposits.

In addition to custom engagement rings, platinum is used in catalytic converters and spark plug tips. In the eighteenth century, King Louis XV declared platinum the only metal fit for a king.

Titanium Custom Engagement Ring

Titanium is a chemical element with the symbol of Ti. It is very light, strong, lustrous, and corrosion resistant, with a grayish color. Titanium obtained its name from a god in Greek mythology. In its unalloyed condition, titanium is as strong as some steels, but 45% lighter; just another reason why it is a popular choice in custom engagement rings.