It seems that whenever one is in the market for a wedding band that will stand the test of time, or a piece of fashion jewelry that will make a lasting impression, the subject of tungsten carbide rings quickly comes up. Tungsten carbide wedding rings have become more and more popular for many legitimate reasons; however, as with all things in life they may not be for everyone. These guidlelines regarding the pros and cons of tungsten rings should help you to determine if a fabulous tungsten wedding band is the perfect match for you, or if you may find a better fit with a more traditional piece.
The main thing to know about tungsten rings is that along with being quite affordable, they are very, very tough.
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.
Most of us, for any number of reasons, are going to change ring sizes in our lifetime. With a fashion piece, this isn’t necessarily an issue as it can simply be moved to another finger, but wedding rings obviously don’t have that kind of flexibility. Like many traditional styles that involve eternity settings or intricate details, tungsten rings cannot be resized by conventional means. Resizing a tungsten ring means simply getting a different ring that was manufactured in the size you need.
Also, a harder material that does not bend is more likely to break; this means that a tungsten wedding band will never bend out of round and cause the wearer any of the related problems that can occur when a gold wedding band bends, but under too much force it is possible for them to break. Even this issue has its good point, though; breaking the rings under gentle pressure is the way they’re removed in emergencies, and there are many stories out there about people whose hand were accidentally closed in doors or otherwise endangered, and their tungsten rings absorbed the trauma and broke but prevented more serious injury. While there is no guarantee that a tungsten ring would prevent injury and we certainly don’t recommend testing this theory, it never hurts to improve one’s odds.
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.
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