Tungsten Wedding Bands Pros And Cons

Pros And Cons Of Tungsten Wedding Bands

Tungsten Wedding Ring Pros and Cons

Tungsten is a type of metal that is found naturally on earth and has recently been adapted for the use of wedding bands and other types of jewelry. It has become highly popular due to its relatively low cost and sleek appearance. Some people may question the integrity of an alternative material wedding band. Wedding bands are meant to last a very long time and be durable enough for every day wear. Lets take a very close look at all of the pros and cons of tungsten wedding bands.

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Patrick Adair Designs offers an assortment of tungsten inlayrings in many styles. You can even customize your own tungsten glowstone ring with a selection of gemstones and colors. On top of that, Patrick Adair Designs offers a lifetime warranty on all of their tungsten rings as well as a free size exchange for all non-custom rings. Shop our Tungsten Collection here.

Tungsten Rings Pros And Cons Chart

For people who are considering an alternative to traditional gold or silver rings, tungsten has become a popular choice for several reasons.

Tungsten carbide is tough, durable, and quite attractive while being most affordable. As with any metal for jewelry, there are both pros and cons to selecting tungsten carbide as a ring.

Pros

The most scratch resistant metal
Lower price than gold and platinum
Not easy to bend or alter shape

Great choice for people with allergies to gold
Choice of different colors from ion plating
Has a solid weight to it, perfect for Men

The Polished looks very reflective and expensive
The Brushed looks very matted and elegant

Cons

They are not traditional wedding bands
Possible to shatter from massive impact
Some people do not like the weight

Not possible to resize
Has lesser trade in value than Gold or Platinum
Able to remove in emergency but difficult

Its cheaper compare to precious metals, but expensive compare to generic metals

Pros

1. The first positive attribute is the affordable price when compared to white gold and other precious metals for rings. It is the affordability that has helped make it an attractive alternative, but that is not the only reason for its success.

Cons

3. Price: Compared to cheaper metals like Alloy Zinc, Stainless Steel, and Titanium, Tungsten Carbide is more expensive.

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Larson Jewelers Waterford Beveled Diamond Tungsten Wedding Band

Courtesy of Larson Jewelers

For extra shine, choose a band that has a stone. This .06 carat round-cut diamond band pairs nicely with the white gold bezel on the ring. The best feature of the band? Although it’s lighter in color, it won’t show scratches thanks to the tungsten carbide’s natural durability.

Titanium Vs Tungsten Rings Pros And Cons

2021 Popular Tungsten Carbide Wedding Bands Pros and Cons

Hey! I finally find the Answer!

If you want the difference between tungsten rings and titanium rings, or the pro and cons of titanium and tungsten rings. This post is for you.

The impressive bit about the jewelry world lies in its variety, as well as the openness of the jewelers and also their willingness to try different things. It is for the love of variety and different things that you will now find more titanium and tungsten jewelry options on the market. If you are looking for new rings, your options now include titanium and tungsten rings.

Titanium and tungsten rings are taking the world by storm, with more men and women buying engagement rings and wedding bands made of titanium today more than ever.

If the tungsten or titanium bug has bitten you too, you might want to read this article too. In it, we are sharing all the basics of titanium and tungsten rings, as well as their pros and cons. Keep in mind that titanium and tungsten look a lot similar than youd think and you want to make sure that you buy the right thing.

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Pros Of Tungsten Rings

The biggest winning point for tungsten rings lies in their durability. This durability comes from the hardness of the metal, as well as its alloying with carbon. As mentioned above, tungsten is harder than most other metals. Its ranked at between 8.5 and 9 on the MOH scale while diamond is ranked at 10.

But how does it compare with other metals used in jewelry making? Well, gold is ranked at 3 on the MOH scale, platinum is a 4.5 and titanium is ranked 6. By sitting high on the hardness scale with the likes of Spinel and Sapphire, tungsten is a top-rated element.

In case you are wondering how the hardness of material impacts its durability know that when you are dealing with hard metal, it means that the material in question will not scratch or even break easily.

Tungsten is scratch-resistant, and the only metals that can scratch it are the ones ranked higher than it on the MOH scale. Given the hardness and the scratch resistance of tungsten, you wont have to worry about your tungsten ring looking old and scratchy after some months. Tungsten rings will retain their initial polished look throughout.

Beautiful color

Regarding color, theres one thing you should know though this is the fact that black tungsten rings are not naturally black. If your tungsten ring is black, that color comes from plating with a black coat. So, even though it looks great, youll have to take the piece for replating after some time.

Emergency Removal

Will It Ever Scratch

Tungsten carbide can only be scratched or damaged by extreme measures, like abrasion from diamonds or corundum. Consequently, activities that would normally require the removal of conventional wedding bands for their protection can be performed without concern by the wearer.

While extremely strong and scratch-resistant, it is a bit more brittle than traditional metals used in wedding bands.

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What To Look For In A Tungsten Carbide Ring

As previously noted, if youre buying a tungsten carbide ring its important to find one thats at least 80 percent tungsten.

How can I tell if the ring is high quality? At this purity, it is 10x harder than 18k gold and has a weight thats substantial and luxurious, similar to platinum rings, Rector says. Sometimes sellers will use an expensive filler in place of tungsten, causing the value and integrity of the ring to diminish.

Can tungsten carbide rings be resized? Because tungsten carbide rings are incredibly hard, they cannot be resized. Consider buying your regular size as well as a half size up and keep the one that fits the best, she notes. If you buy a ring 6mm or wider, you may need a slightly larger size than what a ring sizer will tell you due to how much of your finger the ring will cover.

Tungsten Ring Colorand Designs

Tungsten Rings Pros And Cons – How Well Does A Tungsten Carbide Ring Hold Up

Tungsten wedding bands can come in multiplecolors depending on how the metal is polished. The basic color of the alloy,however, is best described as a steel gray shade. Essentially, itsabout 2 shades darker than platinum and white gold so its still quite light.

Thats the traditional color of tungsten it falls in the silver range and can look lighter or darker depending on thelighting. There are other options too, however:

Rose gold tungsten ring by Lazer Boyz Designs. See it here.

Brushed black tungsten ring by Bellyssa Jewelry. See it here.

Yellow gold tungsten wedding band. See it here.

Tungsten isnt workable enough to be madeinto intricate designs like gold or platinum is. This is why its typicallyused for wedding bands and not for engagement rings. However, designers can addall the popular finishes to tungsten bands including satin, matte, brushed,polished, hammered and swirls.

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Tungsten Vs Gold: Weight

Weight is definitely one thing we must not forget when deciding on a ring material. How would it feel to wear a tungsten ring compared to a gold ring? Both are in fact, quite similar in weight, as the difference in their densities is almost very miniscule. Tungsten rings are known for their heft, and when wearing one you will surely feel the weight on your fingers, but not too much!

Gold rings, on the other hand, are a little more of a complicated story. A gold rings weight is relative to its purity level, which simply means that 10k gold rings would be lighter than an 18k ring, and even a tungsten band, despite having similar density levels! You may still feel quite a heft when wearing a gold ring depending on its karat, but just like a tungsten ring, getting accustomed to the weight will be no problem!

Tungsten Carbide Wedding Bands Pros And Cons

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Are you planning to get engaged, but you dont know what type of ring to choose? If you know your partner very well, and you think gemstones or diamonds are off the list, here is a very interesting material you can use on your engagement ring and its called Tungsten carbide.

When choosing a wedding band, you want to be sure that the precious metal will be durable, last for a very long time, and make you incredibly happy. While pure tungsten is a newer material to the wedding band market, its one that can last a lifetime. As a symbol of your new marriage, you want a wedding ring metal that will last, so here is why you need to opt for a tungsten wedding band.

There are plenty of options for stylish rings, but we should talk about the tungsten carbide rings pros and cons in case you are choosing a tungsten band as your wedding ring.

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Should You Get Atungsten Wedding Band

As with any other jewelry metal andmaterial, it all comes down to personal preferences. Wed say that theadvantages of tungsten greatly outweigh its disadvantages which is furthersupported by the metals popularity.

In short if you want a ring thatsscratch-resistant, budget-friendly, sports a sleek and clean design, and alsohas a nice weight to it tungsten is likely your best choice.

Alternatively if youre worried aboutbreaking, you want a ring thats easy to resize, and/or youre looking for amore prestigious ring that has a higher monetary value there are other moresuitable options.

Tungsten Rings Cant Be Resized

Due to the nature of tungsten rings, its impossible to resize them. So as your finger size changes over the years, youll likely have to buy a new ring that fits your finger better.

Some retailers offer free size exchanges within a certain period, and others do not. Be sure to check with the seller to ask about their policy before buying.

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How Hard Is It

Tungsten carbide, also called cemented carbide, has become a popular material in the bridal jewelry industry due to its extreme hardness and high resistance to scratching. Unfortunately, this extreme hardness also means that it is very prone to shattering.

Tungsten is extremely hard and dense. Combined with carbon and other elements, it becomes tungsten carbide, which registers between 8.9 and 9.1 on the Mohs hardness scale. It’s roughly ten times harder than 18k gold and four times harder than titanium and is equal to a natural sapphire’s hardness. In addition to its design and high polish, part of its attraction to consumers is its technical nature.

Cons For Purchasing A Tungsten Band

Despite the very attractive pros listed above, you should know that there are a few cons to buying a tungsten band.

Heavy

Tungsten is a very dense metal, which makes it very heavy. Heavy bands can weigh down your finger and be uncomfortable for you. If you intend to wear your wedding band regularly this should be something to consider.

While it does boil down to individual choices, if you prefer a lightweight band perhaps you should consider a ceramic band, which is extremely lightweight.

Brittle

While tungsten is hard, it is also brittle. So, if you hit it or drop it against a very hard surface, you may end up breaking it. Metals like gold are highly malleable. If you hit a gold band against a wall, it would bend and lose shape, whereas, tungsten can crack and break into pieces. And once broken a tungsten ring cannot be repair. You must purchase a new one.

Can’t Be Resized

When buying a tungsten band you need to be certain of your finger ring size. This is because tungsten bands cannot be resized.

Some alternative materials used for bands, like gold and platinum, can resized up or down by a local jeweler.

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What Is Tungstenand Tungsten Carbide

As with most other metals used in jewelry,tungsten is an alloy of pure tungsten and other metals but commonly carbon. Thestandard mixture is 80% tungsten plus 20% carbon although 85 to 15 ratio isalso common. There are many tungsten alloys that also use cobalt and/or nickel withcarbon, but carbon is the most common addition to the tungsten alloy.

White tungsten carbide ring. See it here.

Its important to note here that theresulting alloy between tungsten and carbon is actually called tungstencarbide and not just tungsten. It is tungsten carbide thatsused in tungsten wedding bands. However, as it often happens, people justshorten the alloys name to the name of its main component.

The reason why tungsten needs to be mixedwith carbon, nickel, and/or cobalt is that pure tungsten is very brittle andnot suitable for jewelry use.

When mixed with carbon in a 4:1 ratio,however, the result is a very hard, exceptionally durable, and scratch resistingalloy thats also malleable enough for jewelry use. It has a stylish look exactly what jewelers need for a mens wedding band.

Brushed tungsten carbide ring. See it here.

Tungsten carbide is also the heaviest metalof the ones used in jewelry which is one reason why its less popular withwomen, most men dont seem to mind this property of the alloy as it gives thering a substantial feel.

Tungsten Rings Pros And Cons

Tungsten Carbide Rings Pros and Cons

Posted on 25th Mar 2014

Nowadays it is quite common to see both men and women sporting tungsten rings on their fingers and at some point it may have even crossed your mind to buy one for yourself to wear. If you are in the market for a tungsten ring but want to know a little bit more about the pros and cons of tungsten carbide, this article is for you.

Tungsten rings technically refer to tungsten carbide rings. The name has just been shortened possibly due to misuse or laziness or a combination of both. All “tungsten rings” like the ones sold on Timeless Tungsten are “tungsten carbide rings.”

With that confusion cleared up, what exactly is tungsten carbide then? To answer that question, let’s start with tungsten itself. It is a metal ore that is extracted from the Earth and commonly used in industrial machinery. Tungsten, when it is combined with carbon, becomes very strong and is thus referred to as tungsten carbide. Just like white gold is really a mixture of gold and palladium, tungsten carbide is derived from two elements as well. And just like how white gold is a little bit more durable than regular gold, tungsten carbide is much more durable than tungsten.

Tungsten itself is rated at a 7.0 on the Mohs scale of hardness. When combined with carbon to form tungsten carbide, its hardness increases to 9.5. To put it into perspective, gold has a hardness of 2.5 while diamond has a hardness of 10.0. Tungsten carbide is very hard.

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What Is The Strongest Jewelry Metal

Although tungsten is the hardest and most scratch-resistant metal, nonmetals such as diamonds, sapphires, and other hard crystals can still be scratched. It is critical to remember that titanium is far less scratch-resistant than tungsten.

The Unbreakable Metal: Titanium

Titanium is by far the most unbreakable metal on Earth. Titanium, despite its extreme properties, can be used for extreme sports and protection from accidents due to its shock absorption and durability.

Tungsten Rings Lose Their Luster

Tungsten rings dont typically tarnish or get damaged in any way. After all, its not called the forever polished ring for nothing. However, in rare circumstances, tungsten rings do get tarnished and can rust. This is normally because the ring is made of low-quality materials, so to avoid this, purchase tungsten rings from a reputable and trustworthy retailer.

Apart from these, tungsten rings tend to maintain their luster and shine excellently. Heres what one reddit user says:

I bought a tungsten ring about 6 years ago now. One of the many faceted black ones, with the shiny finish. I have beaten the absolute hell out of it, and yet it lives. Thrown it at rocks, ran it over with my car, worn it in every area imaginable, scraped it on pavement, used to lever screws, open bottles. Hasnt shattered yet. Theres a good chance it will outlive you.

On the flip side, while tungsten itself doesnt get damaged, it can damage a lot of other things.

The biggest issue I have found with mine is that when you have a nearly indestructible ring you find that it can destroy a lot of things. My ring scratches things like door handles all the time, also the leather on my steering wheel has work away from under where my ring grips it.

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