My partner works for a water works company which involves loads of digging holes, hands in water, using concrete etc etc... Which type of ring would be best? We've been told titanium is best as its hard wearing, then get told palladiums better as it can be re-sized and safer if an accident happened and it needed to get cut off etc? Anyone's fellas in a similar job and which have they gone for? xx

My h2b is a ground worker and we've decided to get titanium rings so it wont get scratched or ruined while he's at work.
Palladium might be better, but if I remember correctly it was just out of our price range xx

my husband does alot of hands on work and we got him a tungsten ring which are very durable and look good too, hope this helps a bit. x

My h2b is a labourer and he has asked that I get him a watch engraved with our date and names on it and a ring to wear on special occassions.

Hello Kate_B

There's a lot of misinformation about the hardness and scratchability of rings. We sell 6000 rings a year so let me tell you what we think - then you can make your mind up based on facts rather than rumours and opinions.

We spoke to the cheif metalurgist at the Birmingham Assay Office - one of the UKs leading experts on jewellery metals and he gave us the following advice -

First - All jewellery metals will scratch. This includes 9 and 18 carat gold, platinum, palladium and titanium. It doesn't matter where you buy them from these metals will all scratch - if anybody tells you different they are mistaken.

Titanium is very tough but it will still scratch - we have somebody in our office who does no 'manual' work - sits at a desk all day, never does DIY , never does gardening and his ring still gets scratched. This could be from coins, keys, cutlery, sandy beaches or many other things. But we guarantee our rings for life so we repolish them free of charge. Some other jewellers also offer this service. Titanium is also very hard to re-size but we do it free of charge

Gold, Platinum and Palladium will also scratch - even easier than Titanium. Again the scratches can be polished out.

Many jobs where peole work on ladders or with power tools recomend not wearing rings to avoid causing injuries. This will also protect the rings.

Our advice is that every ring will scratch, tungsten is probably the least likely to do this but it will still happen. Your rings will be with you longer than anything else from your wedding. Your hands are ALWAYS getting knocked, bumped abraded and damaged - so your rings will too. Just accept it as part of life. And get a guarantee which means you don't have to pay to get the ring re-polished or cleaned.

Hope that helps

palladium definately it just has a nicer finish than titanium, or i think it does

Totally agree with you Zowie. I doubt mine will wear his to work, he is not a ring person, he had even discussed getting a tattoo band done instead at one point.

My OH went for a titanium ring, but he wont be wearing it at work either.x