All That You Wanted To Know About Tungsten Wedding Rings but Didn’t Know Whom to Ask
If you are planning to get married and considering acquiring a wedding band then the choice of materials and designs available can leave you bewildered. No wonder, according to a study, Americans take about five months to decide on an appropriate wedding ring. Apart from the design itself, you need to make a choice of the material.
Gone are the days when the choice was limited to a few precious metals like gold, silver, platinum, etc. Now with massive leaps being made in engineering and science, a lot of new materials have been adopted for the production of wedding bands and rings. One of the materials that are most in demand by those who like to project a minimalist, high-tech, and suave look is tungsten. Apart from its urbane sophistication, it has become a preferred choice due to its scratch-resistance, toughness, and durability.
About Tungsten and Tungsten Carbide
Tungsten has a very high melting point and tensile strength. When made into a compound with carbide, it becomes a very hard, scratchproof and durable material that has become very popular for a number of applications where such qualities are desirable. While tungsten carbide has been much in demand for industrial applications, the jewelry sector has favored it for crafting wedding bands and rings.
The manufacture of the material is long and arduous; first tungsten and carbide are taken in equal proportions and nickel is mixed in to act as a binder. The powder is subject to very high heat and pressure in the absence of oxygen to yield tungsten carbide, a super strong tough and scratch-resistant material. Crafting a wedding band can be really difficult as the material is very hard and can be cut only with diamond-tipped cutters.
Beautiful and Tough
The reason why tungsten wedding bands have become so popular is not difficult to understand. To start, the material has wonderful aesthetics; it is naturally gray and can be polished to a high luster that looks incredibly fashionable on the finger. It makes a very quiet and understated look yet one look at it will reveal how tough and durable it is. Unlike conventional precious metals that are used to make wedding rings such as gold, platinum, and silver, the rings crafted from tungsten carbide are almost impossible to scratch. Traditional metals need to be polished at regular intervals to keep them shiny and in good shape. Further, the material does not react with any acid or alkali so it does not tarnish at all. This is of course when the ring has been manufactured from high-quality materials and you’ve paid a decent price for it.
Wear It without a Worry
Tungsten carbide, when sintered with nickel, makes the material completely hypoallergenic and is ideal for those with a tendency of developing skin allergies and rash. Because of its tough nature, it is possible to wear tungsten wedding rings without a care in the world. It does not develop scratches and is extremely break-resistant. Only severe pressure will cause it to crack and even then you remain safe from the usual hazards of traditional ring metals as it does not deform and damage the tissues of the finger.
While its alleged brittleness has been hotly debated, it should be understood that only a hard impact will cause the material to crack. Since reputed jewelers are so confident about its toughness, they usually offer lifetime replacement warranties that will ensure that you get a free replacement in case it ever does break. The best part of buying a tungsten ring is that compared to conventional materials, it costs a mere trifle, and even the good quality ones, are extremely affordable.
Author bio: Isabella Rossellini is a wedding planner with the experience of a number of high-profile business executive weddings under her belt. Many of her affluent clients have also tended to favor tungsten wedding bands due to the enhanced contemporary aesthetics and many qualities.
