We have affiliate partnerships and sponsorship and may generate some revenue from these at no cost to you. As with most other metals used in jewelry, tungsten is an alloy of pure tungsten and other metals but commonly carbon. White tungsten carbide ring. See it here. Brushed tungsten carbide ring. The other two possible additions to the alloy — nickel and cobalt — are not necessary but typically serve the function of making the alloy extra malleable and durable.
Keep in mind, however, that cobalt can cause skin irritations and allergic reactions for some people so always make sure to check for cobalt in the alloy if you know you have an allergy to metals.
Tungsten used in jewelry and wedding bands is the hardest and most durable metal of all other jewelry metals, including some of the heavyweights such as titanium. Men traditionally prefer harder and more durable metals, often because of the manual or physical labor they engage in.
Tungsten wedding bands offer sleek contemporary styles for reasonable prices, but is tungsten the right metal for your wedding band? Use this helpful guide about tungsten carbide wedding rings including pros and cons, characteristics of tungsten wedding rings, best styles and styles to avoid, need to know shopping tips and more. Discover what this type of wedding ring metal really offers and if this is the right material for your ring.
Tungsten rings are much heavier than cobalt, stainless steel and titanium rings. Tungsten rings are crafted with tungsten carbide - a compound that contains equal parts of tungsten and carbon atoms. Tungsten rings are highly resistant to scratching. And if you have any questions about tungsten rings, or you would like to leave a review of a tungsten wedding ring, use the handy comments box at the end of the page!
What is tungsten exactly? Tungsten is a chemical element, also known as wolfram, and it has some pretty amazing properties. Out of all the metals, tungsten has the highest melting point and the highest tensile strength. It is extremely durable and somewhat rare. But tungsten wedding bands are not made out of pure tungsten - instead they are made out of tungsten carbide.
Pure tungsten is too difficult to work with, so tungsten that is used for industrial applications - and in jewelry - is compounded into its carbide form. Tungsten carbide is created by combining an equal number of tungsten and carbon atoms. The result is a very fine powder which is then mixed with a binder - like nickel or cobalt - to create a compound which can be crafted into different shapes - like razor blades and wedding rings.
Tungsten carbide rings retain many of the characteristics of pure tungsten metal - including a high melting point and high tensile strength.
The rings too are extremely resistant to scratching, and have a light gray color which can be darkened with brush finishing processes. Tungsten carbide wedding bands have moderate heat and electrical conductivity properties - so if this is a concern for you, it might be best to go with a wooden wedding band or a stainless steel wedding ring or remove the band when working in a capacity where electricity and heat pose a safety issue.
It is a common myth that tungsten carbide rings cannot be removed during an emergency - but they can be removed in the event of an emergency using regular jewelry removal tools. Tungsten wedding bands are also somewhat heavy - just a touch heavier than 14k gold.
Quality tungsten wedding bands are made with jewelry grade tungsten carbide compounded with a nickel binder. While nickel in gold alloys can cause allergies in some people, the amount of nickel in tungsten carbide is extremely low plus bonded so tightly to the other atoms in the ring that allergy risks are low.
There are different types of jewelry grade tungsten carbide, and rings made with quality tungsten carbide which contain a low amount of nickel and a high percentage of tungsten and carbon are priced higher than rings made with lower quality tungsten carbide grades. Most black tungsten rings are made with a plate over the natural gray tungsten. Unfortunately, any type of plate will eventually scratch - even if the plate itself contains some tungsten carbide ingredients.
Top Tungsten Wedding Band Picks. For this reason, Everything Wedding Rings recommends avoiding black tungsten wedding bands - with one exception. So, if you are looking for a tungsten ring with black inlay features I highly recommend one of the Titanium Kay 2nd Generation rings. Only the 2nd Generation rings are made with scratch-proof solid black features. Recently, there have been many questions about the durability of tungsten wedding bands.
Before you decide to go with a tungsten carbide wedding ring, here is what you need to know about the durability of tungsten carbide:. Tungsten carbide is extremely durable, more durable than gold, palladium, silver or platinum - and highly resistant to scratching - but it does have brittle properties. This means that if enough pressure is applied to a tungsten wedding ring, the ring will crack or break instead of bending like, for instance, a gold or platinum ring.
How brittle are tungsten wedding bands? Tungsten rings made with quality grade tungsten carbide will not break unless extreme force is applied to the ring. Some people actually prefer the fact that a tungsten ring will break - instead of bending - if extreme force is applied to the rings.
Men's tungsten rings are especially favored by men who work with heavy machinery or heavy objects because of their break vs. But because tungsten carbide does have these qualities, many reputable retailers of tungsten carbide wedding rings offer lifetime warranties for their rings - if the rings do break, they will be replaced at no charge.
So what are the main pros and cons of tungsten carbide wedding rings? Tungsten carbide rings are extremely scratch resistant and are more durable than many other types of traditional wedding ring metals.
Tungsten rings may also be engraved with a laser engraving tool and the rings are available in a variety of finishes including the highly polished mirror finish and the darker gray brush finish. Like any tool, if used incorrectly, you will get an incorrect size. We cannot be held responsible for customers who purchase the wrong size based on using our ring sizer or recommendations given by our customer service representatives.
A ring sizer already been requested with this email. If you believe this is a mistake please contact customer service. Facts, Myths, Pros and Cons of Tungsten Carbide Rings: If you've been reading tungsten ring reviews online, you may think it's some kind of mythical substance from another world. Facts Let's start with some facts: Tungsten metal is rated at about a nine on the Mohs scale of hardness.
A diamond, which is the hardest substance on earth and the only thing that can scratch tungsten, is rated at a Tungsten carbide is two to three times harder than titanium and cobalt chrome. The word tungsten comes from a Swedish term meaning "heavy stone. Wolframite means "the devourer of tin" because the mineral interferes with the smelting of tin.
Tungsten has the highest melting point of all metals at an astounding 6, A higher percentage makes the metal too brittle, and a lower percentage makes it too soft for jewelry applications. Tungsten wedding bands for men, pros and cons aside, are the top selling metal for men's wedding rings in America today.
Myths Next, let's examine some myths: You might have picked up some less-than-accurate information from retailers and tungsten rings reviews, so here's some real information about this popular metal: Myth: Tungsten rings are indestructible. Pros Tungsten carbide is the most scratch-resistant metal known to man. Tungsten carbide jewelry is affordable and has a nice weight to it, similar to gold and platinum. Tungsten rings are quick and easy to remove from your finger in case of medical emergency - easier than gold.
Tungsten does not bend out of shape due to its hardness, so in an accident the ring will not become deformed and injure your finger further.
People with allergies to gold jewelry can wear tungsten jewelry because it is naturally hypoallergenic. Tungsten wedding bands come in a natural gun metal grey color, but they can be plated black, white or even gold colors. Cons Just like a diamond, tungsten is very scratch resistant and will not bend out of shape, but it will break if enough shock or pressure is applied to it. Reputable jewelers and manufacturers will offer a lifetime warranty that covers this by providing a replacement ring in case of accidental breakage.
Due to its hardness, tungsten rings cannot be resized. Reputable jewelers and manufacturers should provide a lifetime sizing policy to provide for ring size exchanges when your finger size changes. Tungsten carbide is not easily turned back into cash. Gold is traded on the world's commodities markets and is very liquid.
This means anyone can change gold into cash or gold is just like cash. Tungsten is not traded and easily valued, so if you want to pawn it someday, that will be difficult. How strong is a tungsten ring?
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