Until relatively recent times, most men's wedding band shoppers were limited to selection at their local jewelry store. The local jeweler would have a handful of gold wedding bands and the groom would make a selection from what was on hand-usually a fairly simple yellow or white gold band. These wedding bands looked like just about every wedding band out there; that is, everyone was basically selecting a ring for the same simple wedding band designs.
Another limiting factor was the skill of the local jeweler. He was most likely trained to work with 14 carat gold and did not have the training or equipment to work with materials such as titanium-a relative newcomer to the jewelry market. As a result, it was a bit discouraging to look for a truly special and unique wedding band.
Nowadays, men's wedding bands come is a huge variety of designs and materials, many of which you can only find online or at a specialty jeweler. No longer do grooms need to settle with the plain and lackluster designs at their local jeweler.
One trend that has grown dramatically in popularity is the use of titanium for rings. There are literally hundreds of unique designs available online, and if you're lucky enough to have a skilled artisan in your area, locally. Titanium does require special techniques and equipment, which is why your local jeweler is unlike to carry titanium rings. In fact, it's not uncommon for local jewelers to spread the myth that titanium rings cannot be cut off in case of an emergency. (This is 100% false!)
Titanium is a near-perfect material for rings for several reasons. First, it's hypoallergenic, which means it will not react with human skin triggering allergic reactions. It's also non-reactive with most substances; including most acids, cleaning products and sea water. Titanium is also extremely lightweight, a lot lighter than gold and nearly one-fifth as heavy as platinum. Because of these reasons, titanium has gained widespread usage outside of jewelry, including aircraft, submarines, industrial plants and hip and joint replacements.
What designs are available for titanium men's wedding bands? It has become increasingly popular to have a titanium ring with an inlay material. For example, Koa wood, a native wood to Hawaii, makes for an excellent inlay material for titanium rings. Other popular wood inlays include Mango, Wenge, Cocobolo, Blood, Black and Ivory woods. These rings are always unique to the wearer due the characteristics of the wood.
Other popular titanium wedding band inlay materials include Opal, Turquoise, Tigers Eye, gemstones and, of course, gold and silver. These rings-all unique-are exquisite in their design and stunning in their appearance. For example, the combination of wood and mineral inlays makes for some titanium rings that are unsurpassed in their beauty.
Unfortunately, you are unlikely to discover all the possibilities at your local jewelry shop. You need to go online and buy from a reputable online store. If the store does not allow you to customize your ring width, profile and size, you should look elsewhere as they are probably just a reseller and do not make the rings they sell.