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Any Suggestions For a Meaningful Geeky Wedding Band?
mbutala writes "I am getting close to popping the question, and I've been racking my brain for an idea for a cool and unique wedding band. I've been thinking of contacting a company that can (possibly) fabricate a ring from pure Iridium (Ir) or a nearly pure alloy. It is the most corrosion-resistant metal known — it cannot be dissolved in aqua regia like gold or platinum. Iridium is extremely rare on Earth, and the high concentration of it at the K-T boundary in the Earth's crust is what suggests a meteor took out the dinosaurs. I am positive that the symbolism of the permanence of Iridium, the reminder that we are star-stuff, and the fact that the ring would be one-of-a-kind would really strike a chord with my girlfriend. It's a really geeky idea, so I thought I would run it past you all — what do you think? Any other ideas?"
Men have wedding bands, women have wedding rings. It's just one of those things.
Every year during my review, I just pray the words "slashdot.org" aren't mentioned.
My wife's engagement ring, plus our wedding bands are Titanium:
http://titaniumrings.com/
ICQ# : 30269588
"I used to be an idealist, but I got mugged by reality."
Just pop the question with no ring and tell her it's because you want everything to be perfect and want to go pick it out together with her. Then let her have 100% say.
Get used to this algorithm, you'll be applying it to all sorts of problems in the future. It even handles otherwise NP-complete issues with ease.
Trust me on this.
Your finger will likely not remain the size it is. You will lose or gain weight, so the ring will need to be resized. This will likely be a gigantic pain in the rear with an exotic metal like Iridium. It certainly is for titanium.
Any halfway competent jeweler can braze in a new segment of ring, even one with a complex pattern, if it's made of a precious metal commonly found in jewelry. Most large jewelry stores or store chains will also offer free size adjustment of the band for life as part of the deal, or for a small fee at the time of purchase.
Titanium is theoretically re-sizeable, but only smaller, as doing two small welds so close together are impractical: it needs to be welded in an oxygen-free environment. In reality, they're going to have to give you a new ring if (when) you need to re-size, as it's a lot cheaper to replace than repair. Likewise tungsten-carbide steel, which is also popular these days. I want to keep =this= ring, not have it replaced if something goes wrong. Stupid and sentimental, I know, but still...
There's also the issue of medical emergency. If your finger swells up abruptly, due to injury or allergy, the hospital will need to cut your ring off. They have tools to do this painlessly and quickly with silver/gold/platinum bands, but things get tricky with tougher stuff, like tool-grade steel, titanium, and, I'd imagine, iridium. What was a minor medical procedure is now a medical emergency requiring tools that the hospital may not have.
It was a hard choice, as there are a ton of cool carbon fiber and titanium wedding bands out there, but I found a two-tone gold band with a nice herringbone pattern. It's unusual, comfortable, and can be cut and resized as needed. It's not as cheap as titanium, carbon fiber or tool-grade tungsten-carbide, but it will be easier to maintain.
If you want =really= unusual, I have a friend who had his tattooed on. Now that's commitment.
Also, keep in mind that fingers do get larger during the normal course of life, so you will need to resize it anyway at some point in the future.
You might want to read the article. Iridium may not dissolve when exposed to aqua regia, but it's too brittle to machine. Bodes ill.
Consider getting a ring made of damascus steel. Just make sure they've smoothed off the rough edges first. Rings made this way are quite beautiful.
And, of course, by "your gut" he means to say "your fiancee." That is, if you want her to be your fiancee.
You're missing the point of the post you replied to. Based on the theory that planets and stars are formed from clouds of gases, every naturally occurring element on a planet is "stardust". The earth is a planet, the sun is a star, and we're all made of matter from this planet. Gold and carbon are no less stardust than iridium, just not as common on this planet.
No we don't! I'm so tired of seeing that stereotype in every movie or tv series that so much mentions a wedding. If I were to get married again, I'd prefer a simple wedding ceremony outdoors (with buglights, of course). No annoying and expensive wedding gown, no juggling a list of invites, no big reception, no BS. Just something nice.
I dream of a better world... one in which chickens can cross roads without their motives being questioned.
Titanium is a good choice also because it is hypoallergenic. Believe it or not, a person can become sensitive to metals as they grow older -- even gold or platinum.
I dream of a better world... one in which chickens can cross roads without their motives being questioned.
If for some reason your future wife happens to need to get the ring cut off due to an accident, and the hospital cannot get the ring off with the tools on hand, they will cut off the finger. I found this out after speaking to two registered nurses.
Given the context, posting anonymously might also have been a good idea. If he's in the market for a geeky wedding band, chances are she reads slashdot too (or at least knows that he does)
How are sites slashdotted when nobody reads TFAs?
I bought her an expensive gold band inlaid with several small, though almost flawless (blood-free) diamonds that cost what was an incomprehensible amount at the time.
She bought me a several hundred US$ band. In retrospect, it was because she felt guilty about her band and wanted me to have something of similar value. She didn't understand that I thought she was worth much, much, much more than any ring ever could. (Sappy but true.)
I lost that ring within the year while playing a round of golf. I then found a simple, plain silver band of an unknown metal at Hot Topic in the closest mall for $10. I bought two and am now on the second. I lost the first/second looking for a new one since the first was lost off my finger and the second was deformed during a weight lifting incident.
THe guys' ring doesn't matter, while a good woman should care about hers up to the point where she can buy a better one for herself and keep the one you bought her for sentimental reasons.
You shouldn't case about your ring except to understand that you should have some sort of band on your left ring finger forever to indicate to other women that you won't be having sex with them.
obviously no deficiencies vs. no obvious deficiencies
Making things yourself is great, but isn't this the sort of thing you want done by an expert? Seriously, I'm a jewellery student and I wouldn't consider myself ready for such an emotionally important assignment for a long time yet. This has to be something beautifully designed and executed, and made to last and to be able to be adapted down the track. Oh, and by the way, once you start you'll realise that the cost of jewellery tools and equipment adds up pretty fast, so there's a bit more to it than picking up a cheap drill and going for it. Just think about what you want, then go see an expert to make it happen for you!
resized at Zales.
Suggestion 2, don't buy the ring at Zales, (or any mall store for that matter). They do have some nice designs, but they pass on very low quality diamonds (usually SI2 ) onto their customers while charging a much higher price. Note that most reputable places won't even sell SI2 diamonds as imperfections and flaws (like a chunk of black carbon) can be seen by the naked eye and grossly affect the diamonds fire (amount of light that is reflected internally then broken apart in a prismatic effect and sent back out to the eye).
I know this because the first ring I got my wife was from Zales, but luckily they had a 30 day return policy ^_^ (I returned it before I proposed and got something much better).
Now as to what to do,
1. Decide what kind of ring, design, and materials best describe her and appeal to her tastes. For example, my wife is geeky, just like me, but does like sapphires, white gold or silver jewelry and can appreciate technology and such, so I endeavored to have a ring custom made with white gold, sapphires, and for the center stone I used a very geeky stone: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moissanite"> Moissanite . All and all it did cost me as much as much as a diamond ring, but it ended up being a beautiful, unique, and fitting ring (beautiful and geeky!).
a) Find out what is her favorite cut or shape (or if she even wants a center stone)
b) Find out what color metal she likes (it is a ring, and it is mainly a thing of beauty, so find out what metals she finds beautiful). Iridium does sound interesting.
c) Find out what her favorite colors are, you can find stones in these colors (even "Cultured" or "Synthetic" diamonds"). And don't fall for the birthstone nonsense or even diamond engagement ring tradition (both marketing fabrications).
d) Find out what type of band design (stone arrangement, etched designs, side elevation) she likes. Heck if she's a Lord of the Rings geek there's a even a band she may like!
2. Now shop around, find a design that you like (don't settle for what's in the store), if you don't see it in a store, some can order it or make it. I ended up looking through literally over 2000 ring designs.
3. Buy a loupe and carry it with you (they cost $10). Even if you're not buying a diamond, the moment a jeweler sees you with a loupe they'll know they can't pawn off crap on you.
4. Shop around, pay attention to small but established stores in your area. Those will typically be able to accomodate custom orders.
I wont' go much into stones since you just mentioned a band, but If you do decide to get a stone added into that ring then do your research. Find out if she'll care about a synthetic vs natural grown stone (don't confuse synthetic with simulant, a simulant is something that isn't the original but tries to approximate it, a synthetic is just a man made (or cultured) version. So the difference between a synthetic and a natural stone is just like the difference between say a banana grown in a jungle (in a natural environment) vs a banana grown in a farm or greenhouse, they're both bananas (except the synthetic product has less defects). If she's a geology freak she'll probably want a natural stone, otherwise it shouldn't matter. Heck even jewelers can't tell the difference between say a synthetic diamond and one that was pulled from the earth. Only diamond certification labs have the equipment necessary to tell the difference.
Materials? Well Platinum is nice and valuable, but also easy to ding and hard to keep looking good. Titanium is very cool (and is what my band is made out of), and don't believe the FUD about it, it is safe, emergency rooms have equipment to cut through it if needed (they don't have to cut off your finger as one jeweler claimed....) . Gold
Georgia Tech, the leader in Chia(tm) technology.
Well I'm not sure about all ER's, but I work on an ambulance in an area with a major medical center, and we are often called to the hospitals because they don't have any ringcutters at all. Mind you, our ambulance ring cutters are basically a steel, handcranked can opener. It can cut purer gold fairly well, but even gold alloys can take close to an hour. I'm not exactly how we would remove a titanium ring, because titanium would break our ringcutter.
Titanium is very cool (and is what my band is made out of), and don't believe the FUD about it, it is safe, emergency rooms have equipment to cut through it if needed (they don't have to cut off your finger as one jeweler claimed....)
No. Believe the FUD. I cut off a titanium band once before. It broke my ring cutter and two others and took about a half hour total time (not including getting the fire department to cough up theirs) to get it off.
It doesn't mean you shouldn't get one, but know what you are getting into. Also, if you wear a titanium band carry a small packet of antibiotic ointment in your wallet. If you clobber your finger or hand, get the ring off immediately and don't wait for the swelling to set in. If it won't come off, use the ointment to help. (The antibiotic part doesn't help. Its the vaseline that does the greasing, but they make small packets of the antibiotic ointment you can stuff in your wallet.)
Ti is nice - I have it myself, for the same reasons you like it. However, it's not a perfect metal. Ti doesn't get along with chlorine very well at all.
After I settled on and ordered my Ti ring, I discovered that there are Stainless Steel ones available. And they weigh about the same. I live the Ti, but kind of wish I'd gone with SS.
Fixed the link. Moissanite is more brilliant than diamond due to a higher refractive index. There are more brilliant gemstone materials out there, but they are more brittle. Moissanite is _the_ geek choice for "best gemstone in existence".
A caution on white gold: Many white gold items are rhodium-plated with a thin electroplated layer that will wear off, exposing the yellowish-grey alloy beneath.
Iridium is very heavy; slightly heavier than platinum, much heavier than 18 carat gold. Something light like titanium may feel flimsy and cheap. An iridium ring will be give you that "whoa" feeling when you feel its weight.
You are doomed in the marriage department.
Most ring injuries are the type where someone catches their ring on an object, and the ring gets stuck(Basketball rim, hook of some sort, etc).
What happens is typically that the finger sustains a degloving type injury - thering grabs the skin and other soft tissue of the finger, and the skin is pulled off. Your finger is "skinned", just like a sock or glove coming off your foot or hand.
Usually very difficult/impossible to repair, and winds up with a digit amputation.
..........FULL STOP.
Iridium is very hard and very brittle; I think it'd be difficult to make it into a ring. Maybe it could be alloyed with gold?
At least it's not terribly expensive; about half the cost of gold.
When my spouse and I wanted geeky wedding bands, we ended up getting them from Isabel Jewelry, in Wyoming. Isabel Rucker makes beautiful hammered rings from several colors of 14K gold, as well as silver. The geek cred comes from her being the daughter of SF author Rudy Rucker, of whom we're fans.
Her rings are beautiful, functional, and not terribly expensive, and we're very happy with ours.
I was going to get one, but I was told by my doctor not to. He said if I was ever in an accident where my hand was swelling that hospitals do not have the tools to cut Titanium.
I was going to get one, but I was told by my doctor not to. He said if I was ever in an accident where my hand was swelling that hospitals do not have the tools to cut Titanium.
That's not true: http://www.boonerings.com/faq.htm#4
There is more than one alloy of titanium. Some of them are REALLY hard and should NOT be used for rings, others are not so bad and can still be cut. A worry, aside from cutting, is crushing! If you have a really hard alloy and the finger gets squished it can be a REAL problem when no one can cut it :(
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I'd have felt the same way before my wife had a stroke. As her husband, the family medical leave act guaranteed me job flexibility to help her do rehab. Even before that, at the hospital, I had influence on her medical treatment and access to the doctors and staff that no other family member had.
It isn't that you can't have some of this with other legal documents, like durable power of attorney for medical decisions (more valuable in my opinion than a living will). But it is something that comes with marriage that I would guess you probably don't have. When you need it, the value is without price.
I have two perspectives to this. One as a First Responder who managed paramedics for 13 years and one as a Machinist. First, get it cut off. When it is done any jeweler will be glad to repair it for you. Second, yes your finger will look like the others in a few months, maybe a year. You should always be able to remove your jewelry - always. God forbid that you should have to have an MRI and they cut it off then. Think of it this way: I would gladly lose a finger if it meant my grandmother would live another year, but I am the one that gets to make that decision, not her or anyone else.
Sera
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Have you tried some of the tricks? First, lubricant. If that doesnt work, one trick I hear was to take a spool of thread and start wrapping the thread around your finger, starting above the knuckle and moving toward the ring. This compresses your skin evenly. When you get close to the ring, cut off the thread and feed it under the ring. Now start unwinding the thread. The unwinding thread will push the ring up over your wrapped knuckle very slowly.
Or just cut the SOB off.
"As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly." A. Carlson