With so many choices on the market for those in search of the perfect wedding band or a basic fashion piece that will age well and make the right impression, the amount of choices and information can be overwhelming. A good way to approach this is to narrow down options in broad categories and compare the positive and negative traits of each one that interests you. This article will help you to make the basic decision between a traditional ring or a wedding band using modern materials, and outline the characteristics of one of the most popular contemporary types of wedding band: the tungsten carbide ring.
Tungsten’s low price point is often what attracts a customer’s initial interest, but it’s important to know what’s right for your personality and lifestyle as well as your budget.
Tungsten carbide is an extremely hard material-so hard, in fact, that diamonds are required to polish the rings during the manufacturing process-which logically tells us that they are extremely resistant to being scratched by other objects. Additionally, tungsten is chemically incapable of becoming tarnished, and due to the extreme heating and tempering these rings receive, they are impossible to bend out of round. Scratching, bending, and tarnish are all problems that come with the territory when dealing with traditional jeweler’s metals like gold, silver, and platinum. Tungsten carbide rings will simply age far better than the average gold wedding band.
Another positive quality of men’s and ladies tungsten wedding rings is how distinctive they are from any other ring that’s out there. Although their low price point makes them accessible to many, they are still a rarity compared to gold and silver rings used as wedding or fashion jewelry, and their trademark gunmetal gray shine isn’t duplicated by any other material. Tungsten rings can also be designed in new and unusual styles not possible or practical with softer materials; for example, laser etched patterns and precise faceted designs are among the most popular and attractive accents to these rings.
Of course no type of ring that exists is going to be perfect and impervious to all issues, and tungsten rings do have their weaknesses too. The drawbacks one might face with tungsten rings are actually related to the strength and resilience that make them a great choice for many wearers.
Due to the intense heating involved in the production process and inherent properties of the material, tungsten wedding bands are too hard and non-malleable to size the traditional way. While a jeweler would break and bend a more common item such as a gold ring in order to resize it, simply adding or removing metal and soldering the break back together, a tungsten ring must simply be replaced with an identical ring in the new size. It is worth remembering, however, that not all traditional rings can be resized either (eternity rings, for example, are notoriously difficult to alter).
Also, a hard metal is a brittle metal. To a degree, this is a good quality, but under an extreme amount of pressure or when stricken abruptly against a hard surface, tungsten rings break. This isn’t all bad, since it’s necessary to crack tungsten rings for emergency removal, but it is a possibility.
Should you need to replace a tungsten ring due to outsizing or damage, any jewerly store or site worth knowing will offer some type of low-cost replacement guarantee.
Want to find out more about tungsten wedding bands pros and cons? Visit our friends at deBebians Fine Jewelry for assistance with tungsten rings pros and cons and choosing the ring that’s right for you!