Affordable Alternatives to Black Gold

In one of our previous articles, I unleashed a huge amount of information regarding the question of "Is Black Gold Real Gold?". In that article, we discovered that it is indeed real. We also went over some of the various manufacturing methods and the price point. To spoil that article, black gold costs roughly the same as real gold.

Today we're going to look at some cost-friendly alternatives to black gold. There are plenty of them out there, all with distinct advantages and disadvantages. The biggest advantage that most of these affordable alternatives to black gold have is that the price point is much lower. Granted they don't bestow the same amount of prestige, but the average person will never know the difference.

Some of these jewelry pieces are extremely renewable in addition to their low cost. Renewable and inexpensive jewelry has taken the fashion world by storm in 2020. There are shells, feathers, various types of wood. It's very cool to see resource consciousness taking root in the fashion world.

While not all of these affordable alternatives to black gold are completely resource-conscious, we do offer some all-natural jewelry cleaner that can put your mind at ease even if your current baubles don't necessarily comply to the environmentally-conscious standard that we are starting to see unfold.

Carbon Fiber

Strong, durable, heat-resistant, lightweight... There is a whole lot to like about carbon fiber jewelry. It can be plenty of colors aside from black, but I prefer a sleek dark color myself. Interestingly enough, carbon fiber is not a type of metal but is instead a very versatile type of fabric. It's cheap and renewable.

Carbon fiber generally fits over some sort of skeleton to keep it from having too much bend. This is generally some sort of inexpensive metal but I find the ones with wood skeletons look particularly striking. A light colored wood on the inner side and a black carbon fiber covering looks downright snazzy.

Ceramic Jewelry

While ceramic jewelry is heat-resistant, it doesn't quite stack up to the durability of other black gold jewelry alternatives on this list. The main draw when it comes to choosing ceramic is that it easily maintains its luster with extremely minimal maintenance. The other selling point is the consistent color.

Since ceramic jewelry isn't just surface plated the color persists throughout the ring. Because of this, a little chip won't be terribly noticeable. Chipping will very likely be a problem, because while it handles scratched better than black gold is can be decimated by sudden shocks. Dropping a ceramic ring usually means it is destroyed.

Black Onyx

Black onyx is generally more popular for use as a gemstone than the band of a ring, but you can certainly find onyx rings if you are looking hard enough. The thing about black onyx is that it is more sensitive than ceramic while being far more prone to damage like cracks and scratches.

I don't recommend an onyx ring to anyone. If you're in it for the style, there are much more cost-effective options readily available. Maybe the prestige draws you in? Well, you should probably round up a bit more cash and go for something a bit more durable. Gold is sensitive, but at least it won't shatter when dropped.

Black Titanium

We've compared titanium vs. tungsten in a previous article. Both of these are some fantastic cheap alternatives to a legitimate black gold ring. Titanium is far more durable and lightweight than gold. It offers far more scratch resistance and shock absorption than many of the other choices on this list.

Is there any downside? Well, isn't there always? It's not a huge point of contention for most buyers but I've never met a jeweler who is willing to resize titanium rings. The cost simply isn't worth the time and effort. With most titanium rings costs ranging in the double-digits, it's much easier to just buy a new one.

Black Tungsten

Titanium was quite sturdy, rating a hardness of 6 on the Moh's Hardness Scale. Tungsten is almost impossibly hard with a rating of 9! You will not scratch a tungsten ring, but that hardness comes at a cost. Once again you will need to be very wary of knocking tungsten rings around too much.

Tungsten develops cracks much easier than the majority of other affordable alternatives to black gold. That isn't to say it'll fall apart when dropped like ceramic or onyx, but cracking is a sizeable concern. The thing I like most about black tungsten is how weighty it is. When you're wearing some tungsten jewelry, you notice it.

When cleaning tungsten it should be noted that you'll need something a bit more gentle. Our gentle jewelry cleaner set is just what the doctor ordered to maintenance all of your sensitive precious gems and metals.

Black Wood

African blackwood, mahogany, dark walnut, cherry wood. Most kinds of wood can look fairly dark if they're stained that way. Wood is sort of the inverse of most black gold alternatives we've talked about. It's fairly easy to scratch but doesn't need to fear being shattered from getting knocked around too much.

Most wood rings will require some sort of maintenance after extended periods of use, but that maintenance is extremely inexpensive for the most part. While you can clearly see the grains on most wooden jewelry it is very popular in 2020 due to its status as a fairly renewable resource.

Personal Preference

As I stated, tungsten takes the lead for my favorite alternative to black gold due to its sleek look, durability, and weighty feel. Wood is something that I'll be delving into this year as well to stay on top of current fashion trends. Carbon fiber is also a very cool alternative to both of these and if I find one that suits my taste you better believe I'll jump all over it!