The past couple of years the price of gold has sky rocketed and many precious metal experts believe the price will continue to climb. Due to the meteoric rise in precious metals, many jewelry lovers have been turning to contemporary metals, such as, the increasingly popular Tungsten Carbide. You too may have perhaps admired the steely glow and permanent brilliance of tungsten jewelry. Tungsten Rings and jewelry has been growing in popularity over the past few years for sure. However, there is a new player in town: COBALT CHROME.

Cobalt chrome rings are fast becoming an American favorite for today’s couples due to its unique properties. It's polished platinum-like appearance, by many opinions, has a brighter finish than that of even platinum itself. Its color and brilliance is permanent, found within the body of the alloy, not just a flashing or plating over the existing metal, and therefore its glow will not dull over time and does not require continual attention to maintain its shine.

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Cobalt Chrome has other similarities to the virtually maintenance free properties found in tungsten. It is nearly as scratch resistant as tungsten, and without question more durable than platinum. However the advantage to cobalt chrome wedding rings over tungsten bands is that Cobalt has the side by side, basic appearance of highly polished white gold, without the high price, while tungsten’s appearance is more gray, comparable to the color of dark steel.

A factor to be considered when researching mens cobalt chrome wedding rings, is that while most men want a band that has a solid and durable appearance, not all want the encumbrance of a heavy or weighty feel to their ring. Some have remarked that tungsten is a bit bulky, and there are those who are not accustomed to wearing much jewelry and prefer a lighter weight material than tungsten. This factor alone has added to the growing appeal of Cobalt Chrome. There is a most definite difference in the weight between these two metals. Take the opportunity of trying yourself the difference in the feel and comfort, when doing your own comparison shopping. Ask to try on both cobalt chrome and tungsten, it will take only a moment to detect the significant difference in the feel of the band.

Chad Anderson of Heavy Stone Rings, a driving force in the popularity of cobalt chrome rings, states that Cobalt Chrome amounts to upwards of 50% of their wedding band sales. "We have seen a continuing increase of demand for our cobalt rings. The unique properties of the metal allows us to have some creativity and flexibility in designing new styles. With the rising cost of precious metals, the future of our American made cobalt line is bright."

The above statement from Heavy Stone Rings also reflects the sentiments of other top designers in the quest, not only to bring consumers back into the buying arena but also leave them satisfied and returning for more. Benchmark, one such top designer has produced a significant line of cobalt chrome wedding rings due to the growing popularity this hypo-allergenic alloy. The fact that it is hypo-allergenic is a plus to those researching before they buy.

When looking to make your purchase, be sure to consider the advantages of Cobalt Chrome. Although new to the market, more and more online retailers, as well as brick and mortar jewelry stores are carrying this popular addition. Prices are competitive and range with the variety of styles. On average men's cobalt chrome wedding rings will start under $200. Take a look for yourself and explore the wide range of possibilities now available on the market.