Is Cobalt Hypoallergenic? What Are the Pros and Cons of Cobalt Rings?

Brief History of cobalt

The metal cobalt is indeed relatively rare. It is found in veins underground. The name cobalt comes from the German name kobald, which means evil spirit or goblin. The name came about due to superstitions.

What is cobalt wedding rings?

Not all cobalt rings are silver in color. You can get black cobalt that is gaining popularity. The reason for that is they are unique in appearance, which goes perfectly well with the modern look that people look for. The other kinds of cobalt that you can get are plated. You can have it plated gold if that is what you want. It is cheaper, and you still get to enjoy the gold for a while before you have to go get it plated again.

Cobalt properties and usage?

The metals that you find alloyed with cobalt tend to be tungsten, iron, or chromium. The other name for cobalt is cobalt chrome, and that is because the chromium content tends to be high in cobalt jewelry. Before purchasing cobalt, you ought to ask what other metals are present. That is because some cobalt jewelry gets alloyed with nickel, which is an allergen for some people. If you have sensitive skin, that is the last thing you want on your jewelry or even a wedding ring. Overall, cobalt jewelry is widely considered hypoallergenic. It is something to consider when you’re purchasing wedding rings.

Why is cobalt used in jewelry making?

As mentioned above, the kind of cobalt that is used in the jewelry world is actually not pure cobalt but an alloy. For use in making jewelry, cobalt is alloyed with metals such as tungsten, iron, and chromium. In most cases, the chromium content used is quite high, and the cobalt jewelry is ideally made of cobalt chrome.
But there are times where cobalt is alloyed with a cheaper metal like nickel. Although the resultant jewelry is durable, this kind of jewelry is very problematic for persons struggling with nickel allergies, so you’d have to be careful about the cobalt jewelry you are buying and the metals alloyed with it. Avoid the cobalt jewelry with nickel.

Is Cobalt Hypoallergenic?

The cobalt chrome often used in jewelry is very safe to wear, and it’s highly hypoallergenic. As a result, cobalt chrome is often used to manufacture the best varieties of surgical equipment, as well as joint and dental implants. The use of cobalt in this way shows that cobalt chrome is bio-compatible, and you wouldn’t have to worry about getting or suffering an adverse skin reaction when you wear jewelry made of cobalt.

But you should avoid cobalt that is alloyed with nickel because it would only spark and worsen skin allergies. If you have sensitive skin, opt for a nickel-free cobalt alloy.

The Pros and Cons of Cobalt Rings

The Pros of Cobalt Rings

Lightweight

Some rings are too heavy to carry even on two fingers! They disturb you and give you headaches. A cobalt chrome ring won’t cause any discomfort since it is light. It is made from light metal, which gives comfort and doesn’t make you want to throw your ring away.

Scratch Resistance

Wearing a shiny ring is all fun and games until you notice that scratch on it. Moreover, you don’t wonder how and when it got there. If you want to wear your ring all day without thinking about whether it will get scratched, cobalt is a good choice. Cobalt chrome rings are scratch-resistant like stainless steel, so you can have an easy time with fewer worries!

Price

One of the main reasons why cobalt wedding bands are gaining more love is their affordability. It is one of the biggest advantages of cobalt pieces, especially in these times where there is no shortage of expenses! Of course, it isn’t the cheapest one on the market, as it still exceeds tungsten and titanium in price. Even so, if you want something that costs less than white gold, you can always try cobalt.

Hypoallergenic

Some metals don’t play nicely with sensitive skin. They cause allergenic reactions like itching and color change. Nickel is often the one to blame for these allergies. And many metal alloys may include nickel even in very small parts. This is why you should choose jewelry made of hypoallergenic metals. Thankfully, cobalt is a hypoallergenic metal. It is safe to wear.

Little maintenance

If you don’t want to spend too much time maintaining your ring, don’t worry – cobalt chrome rings don’t require a lot of work. Minimal time is required every now and then for daily wear. But this will rarely meet the care spent for gold or other types of rings. Basically, you will need to make sure the ring is kept away from other jewelry pieces so it doesn’t get scratched by harder pieces like a diamond ring. After all, it is not scratch-proof, just scratch-resistant.

Beautiful shiny look

Cobalt has a very nice white shine to it. In fact, it looks quite like white gold or platinum. It is reflective and will look amazing on your ring. In addition, there is no need for re-plating your cobalt chrome ring: it will maintain its luster. This is a great benefit that you wouldn’t have with rhodium-plated white gold. Many times white gold rings get a rhodium plating. This is a thin layer of rhodium that protects the inner metal and gives a uniform look. Cobalt chrome bands do not need such coating. Getting the same beauty for a smaller price is always a plus. Apart from silvery white gold-type cobalt chrome rings, there are also black cobalt rings.

These offer a distinct exquisite look. If you fancy black cobalt rings, make sure they are made from blackened cobalt, not any plating. If so, the outer black layer may wear off with time and the inner color will see daylight. Choose black cobalt rings made from fully blackened cobalt.

The Cons of Cobalt Rings

Difficult Resizing

Cobalt is a very strong metal, which makes resizing a tough and costly process. Your ring finger size may change with age and the rings may not fit as day one. Going a size up or down for a cobalt chrome ring is not impossible. However, it will require additional effort than a sterling silver or gold ring. Not to mention that many jewelers may even refuse the job, as the process is too much to handle.

Non-precious metal

In case you’re focused on getting something with intrinsic value, then you should know that cobalt -and chrome- is not precious metal. While platinum, gold, and silver are precious metals, cobalt does not belong to this group. A cobalt piece may not be the best choice if you want something that will maintain or even increase its value over time.

Engraving is not easy

Although possible, engraving cobalt wedding rings should only be done through laser machines and not traditional methods. This is a con that comes with durability and hardness. These properties that make cobalt chrome wedding rings scratch-resistance makes it getting engravings harder.

Should you buy Cobalt jewelry?

Though hard to resize and you will not find cobalt rings in very intricate designs, cobalt jewelry is hypoallergenic, affordable, durable, and looks just as good as high-end jewelry made of platinum or white gold. And you should absolutely buy it if you are looking for something different.