Tungsten Wedding Bands

admin — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 06:23:59 +0000

Tungsten Wedding Bands -

When you decide to marry, one of the most important decisions will be about your ring. Traditionally, gold, white gold, silver and platinum have been used in wedding bands. But today, the selection of metals is broader, reflecting the change in our tastes and lifestyle. Tungsten carbide is one of the new metals from which jewelry designers have begun to craft wedding band rings, offering a wide variety of styles and designs that fit every taste and budget.

What is Tungsten Carbide?

On its own, tungsten is a very hard and dense metal, with the highest melting point of all metals - 6,100 degrees Fahrenheit. Alone, tungsten is vulnerable to scratches and damage just like any other metal, it gains its extreme hardness by being combined with a carbon alloy, transforming it into tungsten carbide, with a hardness between 8.5 and 9.5 on the Mohs hardness scale. The strength of tungsten carbide has made it widely used for decades in industrial applications - it is four times harder than titanium, twice as hard as steel and almost impossible to scratch. The resulting metal can be designed into wedding band rings that are both visually stunning to please the eye and durable enough to withstand everyday use. These rings can only be damaged through extreme measures, such as abrasion from diamonds or being struck with a hammer.

Choosing Your Tungsten Wedding Bands

Make sure you ask your jeweler which metal was used in the finishing or binding process. Many manufacturers of tungsten carbide wedding band rings use cobalt as a binder, mostly because it is cheaper to produce. The problem with cobalt is that it bonds with oils in the skin and leeches out of the ring resulting in oxidation. The oxidation appears similar to tarnished sliver, but cannot be removed by polishing or grinding. The better choice is nickel-binder tungsten carbide which is chemically inert, will not oxidize and because it is hypoallergenic, there is no danger of irritation to the skin. Be careful about dealing with a jeweler that doesn't specify that their tungsten wedding bands are made with the nickel binder alloy. Many jewelry stores do not know which alloy they are selling, and if they don't know, it is most likely cobalt alloy or pure tungsten, which lacks the hardness of tungsten carbide and are easily scratched.

Because of tungsten carbide's extreme hardness, tungsten wedding bands cannot be sized like gold, silver or platinum rings. When you are ready to purchase, make sure that you take extra care in determining the proper size. In regards to engraving a tungsten carbide ring, it is possible, but the results will be very faint and difficult to read.

Finally, since your tungsten carbide wedding band ring is not indestructible, it makes sense to get a warranty, especially against breakage. Under normal usage there should be little or no wear on both the polish and the textures of your tungsten carbide wedding band ring and you will never need to use your warranty.

Tungsten Carbide Gold IP I love you for ever and ever Etch Couple Wedding Band
US $17.59

Tungsten Carbide Shiny Flat Top Gold EP Mens Womens Band Wedding Ring Sz 9
US $15.99

8mm Tungsten Carbide Brush Top Step Edge Jewelry Wedding Ring Band Silver Black
US $29.99

Size 9 ELEGANT MENS TUNGSTEN Ring Wedding Band RILLP11 218
US $7.99

8mm Tungsten Carbide Gold GP Grooved Center Strip Band Mens Wedding Ring
US $18.39

Size 8 MENS Gold TUNGSTEN Ring Wedding Band RHLLP11 145
US $9.99

Black IP Flat Shiny Top Tungsten Carbide Ring His Hers Couple Wedding Band
US $15.99

Tungsten Carbide Ring Wedding Band Gorgeous Celtic Design 8mm Size 105 TG008
US $18.95

Tungsten Carbide Ring Wedding Band Gorgeous Celtic Design 8mm Size 115 TG008
US $18.95

Size 9 MENS Gold TUNGSTEN Ring Wedding Band RILLP11 145
US $9.99

Muti Faceted Tungsten Carbide Shiny Jewelry His Her Couple Wedding Band SZ 7
US $15.99

8mm High Polish Pip Cut Beveled Edge Tungsten Carbide Band Mens Wedding Ring
US $18.39