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Question: What do you know about iridium wedding bands? - Sabrina

Answer: 100% iridium rings have only recently become available, and to my knowledge the only company which currently offers these rings is American Elements. So what is iridium and how will iridium perform as a wedding ring?

Iridium is a precious transition metal that is a member of the platinum family. It is a rare silvery white metal and it is also extremely dense. Because of its rarity, iridium has only been used in jewelry making as a small part of platinum/iridium alloys until now.

The pros of iridium wedding rings? These unique rings are made from an extremely rare metal and they will probably only increase in value with time; while iridium is extremely rare, iridium wedding rings are somewhat affordable with a price range of between approximate $1200 - $4000.

The cons of iridium wedding rings? Iridium is a brittle metal and theoretically if the ring is exposed to a hard knock or blow the ring could crack – although American Elements does offer a warranty if the rings crack or break - styles of iridium rings are also only available in limited men’s and women's ring designs and iridium rings are very heavy due to the density of the metal. One other con: iridium rings cannot be resized.

How iridium wedding rings will perform over a lifetime remains to be seen. As these rings have just recently come onto the market, it may be years before we receive any consumer reviews on how well the rings hold up to long term wear.

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1940 Iridium wedding band
by: Max Kellermann

I have a 1940 patented Iridium wedding band, with a dimension 7 to 14 mm wide. What would such a ring look like? It has what I believe are filigree markings pointing towards the Edwardian era (1900 to 1920). Thank-you!

Hi Max,

I am a little confused by your question - but I will try to answer it as best I can.

I am sorry to say but your ring is definitely not iridium because the invention of iridium rings is fairly recent (2009).

Additionally, iridium is extremely difficult to work with in order to produce jewelry and to this date even the manufacturers who have recently begun producing iridium wedding bands can only offer the bands in clean or simplistic styles filigree, at this time, on an iridium ring has so far never been performed. Iridium rings that have been created look somewhat similar to platinum, if just a tad bit darker.

The Edwardian era, which technically dates from 1901 to 1910 is famous for filigree jewelry styles and filigree rings, and these rings were most often created in platinum alloys.

It is possible that your ring is an Edwardian era platinum iridium alloy (10% or less iridium by weight in the ring), but it could also be a recent reproduction. If the ring was made around 1940 it would probably not be made of platinum because platinum was, then, considered a valuable metal that was directed for use in World War II.

Instead the most common types of metals used during 1940 were white gold made with silver and palladium alloys and rose gold.

I would like to know why you feel that the ring may be iridium. Are there any markings on the ring? (You can upload photos of the ring here).

Thanks and I hope this information is helpful!

Suzanne

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10% Iridium Platinum Shank
by: Anonymous

I just recently purchased a ring that says 10% irid plat in the shank! Can you tell me a little bit about it?

Hello. Platinum by itself is too soft for jewelery, and so it is alloyed with other types of metals such as iridium, ruthenium or even cobalt.

Platinum which has been alloyed with iridium is generally a 5% iridium and 95% platinum alloy (by weight) or a 10% iridium and 90% platinum alloy. The 10% iridium and platinum alloy is abbreviated as PT900/IR.

In use as a shank metal, the PT900/IR wears very well - better than the PT950/IR which has a tendency to pit with time. It has a rich white color and is resistant to scratches and dings.

The only downside to this type of platinum metal alloy is that in some countries, including the United States, anything which is labeled "platinum" must be at least 95% platinum by weight. So technically the ring is a platinum/iridium ring as opposed to a "platinum" ring.

I hope this answers your question, and do write back if you have any additional questions!

Suzanne Gardner

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Platinum Iridium Ring
by: Anonymous

Dear Suzanne,

I was mistaken with the filigree work, what it actually shows is that the outer edges of the ring
has engravings. It appears that these are tree leaves that are very tiny, could also be flower leaves.

I still believe that the ring is platinum. Perhaps some iridium was used as well. Then there is the weight...it is by far heavier as
for example gold would be. Furthermore, it does not tarnish !

There was also only "one" owner. The Lady who sold me the ring was wealthy in 1940.

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Platinum Iridium Ring
by: Anonymous

The answer that you were given is incorrect!!! There is a web site called ***** that will tell you all you need to know about jewelry stamped 10% IRID PLAT, and yes it is from the era of the 1890's to the 1930's!!!! Scroll down about half way through the page, and it will tell you all about it!!!

Hello Max,

The answer that I gave to you based on the information that you gave to me was not incorrect. If you would re-read your question and my answer - you will see that you asked me about a "patented iridium ring."

I explained to you that a pure iridium ring from the date you provided was impossible because they were not made at that time, but that it was possible the ring was a 10% iridium platinum alloy - and that yes, it could be an antique but it could also be a reproduction (because 10% iridium platinum alloys are still widely used today).

When you sent in your question you did not mention anything about platinum in the ring or a platinum stamp inside of the ring. I also mentioned that it was unlikely that the ring was not from the specific date you provided (1940) because at that time most of the platinum was re-directed to the War effort - instead white gold became popular.

My Platinum Wedding Band page also has a full description of the types of platinum alloys which are used to create rings and my Edwardian Rings page also provides extra details about rings from this time.

All of my answers are thoroughly researched and backed up by a consultation with a jeweler.

Thanks!

Suzanne Gardner

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