The Wonderful World of Tungsten Wedding Bands

By Janine Carroll


People prefer the tungsten rings due to the strength, durability and affordability of the metal. For active couples who want a distinctive mean to symbolize their relationship, the tungsten wedding rings are the perfect choice.

1. Hardness Titanium and tungsten are both known for the superior hardness over traditional metals such as gold, silver and platinum. One thing worth noting is that it is not the metals themselves in a pure form that possess the hardness, it is their alloys that do. Roughly speaking, the hardest form of tungsten carbide is harder than titanium alloys, and only under extreme circumstances, such as abrasion from diamonds, can it be damaged.

Cobalt is a common additive for many metal alloys, and there are plenty of manufacturer's that try to cut corners by adding it to tungsten jewelry. In this case, that's an extremely bad thing. If there's any cobalt in the ring your skin will develop this greenish rash that will be very unsightly and really uncomfortable. That's because cobalt will react with the oils in your skin. If the manufacturer isn't upfront about their cobalt policy, hit the road and get yourself to someplace better at once!

Nickel is another common additive that people like to bring to the mix in order to reduce cost. Nickel isn't nearly as bad as cobalt - it won't react with your skin at all. However, it does weaken the tungsten a bit, meaning that your indestructible ring really isn't so tough any more. Will it hold up to most stresses? Most likely yes. It is a risk I'd take when purchasing an item known for its lifelong endurance? Definitely not.

4. Weight Titanium is lighter than tungsten, or more precisely, has a lower density. Titanium alloys are about 43% lighter than stainless steel and tungsten carbide is about 90% heavier than stainless steel.




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