Is precious inlay or titanium harder wearing?

Precious inlay, at Mohs 8.5 against 6. Airborne dust contains quartz at Mohs 7, so anything below that scratches from ordinary wear alone.

Precious inlay, at 7.2 g/cm³ against 4.5. That is 1.6 times the weight, which is very obvious on the hand rather than a technicality.

Neither. Both are replaced free for life rather than resized, because neither metal can be worked once it is finished.

Precious inlay, starting at £345 against £225. That is about 53% more before any stone or inlay.

Only Precious inlay. Titanium is not a precious metal, so no hallmark exists for it.

Comparison

Precious inlay or Titanium?

Precious inlay is meaningfully harder, so if your hands take a beating the choice is largely made for you.

	Precious inlay	Titanium
Surface hardness	Mohs 8.5	Mohs 6
Density	7.2 g/cm³	4.5 g/cm³
Resizable	Replaced free	Replaced free
Hallmarked	Yes	Not applicable
Hypoallergenic	Yes	Yes
Price from	£345	£225

What the difference actually feels like

Precious inlay is 1.6 times the weight of titanium for the same ring. On paper that is a number; on the hand it is the difference between a ring you forget about and one you are aware of every time you move. Neither is better. It is worth knowing which you want before you spend anything.

Precious inlay sits at Mohs 8.5 against 6. Ordinary household dust carries quartz at Mohs 7, which is the line that matters: below it a ring collects fine scratches from nothing more than daily life. That is not a marginal difference between these two, it is the main one.

The straight answer

Choose precious inlay if wanting gold without a gold budget, or if mixing metals with a partner's ring.

Choose titanium if first time ring wearers, or if anyone who dislikes the weight of gold.

Still torn? The metal chooser asks six questions and picks one, and it will tell you if neither of these is right.

In both materials

Rings to look at

Multi toned

Gold line, titanium

Solid gold inlaid down the centre of brushed titanium.

From £550 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 mm

Multi toned

Gold line, black

The same gold line, against black instead of grey.

From £700 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 mm

Multi toned

Rose on relieved black

Three tones: bright edges, black shoulders, rose gold centre.

From £756 6 / 7 / 8 mm

Common questions

Is precious inlay or titanium harder wearing?: Precious inlay, at Mohs 8.5 against 6. Airborne dust contains quartz at Mohs 7, so anything below that scratches from ordinary wear alone.
Which is heavier?: Precious inlay, at 7.2 g/cm³ against 4.5. That is 1.6 times the weight, which is very obvious on the hand rather than a technicality.
Can both be resized?: Neither. Both are replaced free for life rather than resized, because neither metal can be worked once it is finished.
Which costs more?: Precious inlay, starting at £345 against £225. That is about 53% more before any stone or inlay.
Are both hallmarked?: Only Precious inlay. Titanium is not a precious metal, so no hallmark exists for it.