Cobalt has become one of the most popular alternative jewelry metals used in making jewelry today, especially men’s wedding bands. However, can a cobalt ring be resized?
White metals are a popular choice for modern rings, with cobalt rings being at the top of the list. These rings have a beautiful and luxurious look of platinum or white gold but come at half their price. It has a natural silvery radiance comparable to that of palladium and platinum. As a result, cobalt rings are a common alternative for people on a budget who enjoy keeping up with the trends.
Cobalt’s use in jewelry began quite recently as manufacturers found out that they can blend this element with other metals to make an attractive and lustrous metal alloy. Pure cobalt is commonly used in electroplating to give other metal-based pieces of jewelry a smooth and polished look. Not only do cobalt rings have an exquisite look, but they are also lightweight and comfortable to wear, highly resistant to scratches, chipping, cracking, and corroding, as well as hypoallergenic. But, can cobalt rings be resized?
Can cobalt rings be resized?
Despite the occasion, many people buy rings with the hope that they will last an entire lifetime. Whether you are buying a fashion/costume ring, an engagement ring, or a wedding band, it acts as a fashion statement or a symbol of devotion or love from a loved one. As such, many people opt for cobalt rings since they can withstand many years of constant and heavy use.
However, the size of your finger tends to change over time due to several factors, like weight gain/loss, illness, age, injury, or pregnancy, among many others. As such, you might have to replace your initial ring with another one in a different size. Many alternative jewelry metals, like tungsten carbide rings, are not resizable due to their high tensile strength and durability.
Unlike titanium and tungsten rings, cobalt rings are easily resizable, especially if they do not contain intricate gemstones and designs. Cobalt rings have cobalt chrome, which is a metal alloy made from cobalt and chromium metals, to increase its wear properties and durability. Most cobalt-chromium alloys used in making rings consist of tungsten, chromium, cobalt, and a minimal amount of carbon, molybdenum, silicon, and manganese.
Although cobalt rings are resizable, cobalt chrome has a rating of 7 on the Mohs scale, making it quite difficult to resize. Many jewelers avoid resizing these rings as they do not want to damage the design of the ring. As such, many of them will advise you to get another ring.
Similarly, cobalt rings are highly durable, and they can maintain the beauty and lustrous look for many years. These rings are tarnish and luster resistant, making it unnecessary to re-plate, re-dip, or regularly clean the ring. These properties make cobalt rings perfect for people with active lifestyles as they are wearable during both work and play.
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Tips on resizing cobalt rings
As discussed earlier, cobalt rings are resizable without any significant damages, especially if they do not contain intricate designs and precious stones. The jeweler heats the rings to extreme temperatures to enable him/her to increase or decrease its size. If your jeweler recommends cutting the ring and re-soldering it back together, it means they do not have the expertise to resize your cobalt ring. By cutting the ring, it will leave a mark to show it was cut, which is not very pleasing to the eye. Under no circumstances should your ring be cut, unless you want a substantial change in ring size.
It is advisable to resize your rings down or up by either half or one size. Your jeweler should have the ability to resize your cobalt ring by a maximum of two sizes up or down without any visible signs of alteration. It is usually not recommended to resize your ring more than two sizes up or down to prevent substantial damage. Therefore, if you think your finger size will increase or decrease dramatically in the future, it is best to opt for another ring type.
Resizing a cobalt ring requires a jeweler who has the experience and expertise of resizing such types of rings. Cobalt rings are incredibly strong, durable, and scratch-resistant. They are not as easy to resize palladium, gold, or platinum rings. As such, it is crucial to ascertain the resizing policy of your cobalt ring from your jeweler before purchasing it as it is likely that you will return the ring there for resizing purposes if necessary.
Basically, plain cobalt rings with only metal and no stone settings are usually the best rings to resize. If your cobalt ring has carved patterns, braided designs, or milgrains, it automatically becomes difficult to resize as it may distort the patterns or designs. Due to the fear of damaging your intricate ring design or pattern, many jewelers may refuse to resize your ring.
Fortunately, it is not impossible to resize cobalt rings with stone settings. The process only requires a jeweler with experience with such types of rings. A half-size change is usually not a big deal as it is possible without any signs of alterations on the ring. If you want the ring altered more than half a size, the result depends on the quality settings and the quantity of the precious stones on the ring, among many other factors.
If the ring has numerous precious stones, resizing it will require resetting all the stones and possibly changing the stone setting to accommodate the ring’s new size. The process is labor-intensive and often results in an uneven stone setting, making the ring look worse. As a result, jewelers tend not to offer resizing services in such circumstances.
Conclusion
Cobalt rings are an excellent option if you are looking for durability, a lustrous appearance, and affordability. These rings are becoming increasingly popular and are a practical ring choice. However, there is more variety in the designs of cobalt rings among men than women, but it is not impossible to find matching wedding bands.
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Tiger is a fashion&jewelry lover. He is also a fashion jewelry manufacturer that help thousands of small business to grow and also do business with some big fashion jewelry brands. He is a truly metal expert and he will share some information you are looking for.