Things You'll Need:
- small strip of paper
- pen or pencil
- metric ruler
- ring size chart
- an assertion from the jewelry store that the tungsten carbide, titanium or platinum materials are hypoallergenic
-
Step 1
Buy either titanium, tungsten carbide or platinum wedding rings from a local jeweler or on the Internet. These metals are all considered hypoallergenic. Titanium wedding bands may have aluminum added if they are aircraft grade, but for many this will not cause contact dermatitis. Tungsten rings without the word "carbide" may not be hypoallergenic. Hypoallergenic platinum rings typically are 95% platinum and 5% other metals, including ruthenium, iridium, or palladium.
-
Step 2
Measure your ring size if you plan on ordering your hypoallergenic wedding ring online. Get measured by a jeweler, or use a complimentary ring sizer or chart online. Some Internet jewelers offer printable ring sizers.
To measure your finger, wrap a small strip of paper cut to 1/4-1/2 inch thick around the base of your ring finger. With a pen, mark where the end overlaps. Unwrap the paper, then measure the strip to the mark with the ruler. Convert to millimeters (mm) if the ruler doesn't have metric units. Then refer to a chart listing ring sizes (see the Resources section for some ring size conversion charts.) -
Step 3
Choose not just the style, but the width of the wedding band you want. Because of the relatively low cost of the hypoallergenic titanium and tungsten carbide rings (versus the non-allergenic platinum, which usually tops $1,000), these wedding rings can be wider and still inexpensive. In some cases there is no cost difference.
-
Step 4
Check the store terms if you order wedding bands online. Some stores will resize up to 1/4 size larger if the size isn't exact. Some will offer returns if there is no engraving. Some stores will also offer to polish your titanium rings for free by mail.
Lastly, check the descriptions of the metals used. Make sure the alloys used in the rings you buy are hypoallergenic. Tungsten carbide and the other metals mentioned here usually are, but it's best to make sure the alloys follow the standards set for rings that don't cause allergies.
