Why it is tough to say no to Tungsten rings
Wedding is an occasion that is supposed to bond two souls for a lifetime and the only piece of jewelry that is expected to last as long are the wedding bands. Therefore, when you are shopping for wedding rings the question about long lasting always tops your mind. Since wedding rings are to be worn through the ups and downs of your travel through life it should also withstand the strains that can damage it. In addition, the price should be reasonable and the style contemporary and sleek. In consideration of these factors you have to figure out the metal of your choice that would meet all the requirements of a long lasting stylish wedding ring that does not get corroded and tarnished under any circumstances.
It is not pure Tungsten
Tungsten seems to be meeting all the aforesaid requirements that people usually seek when shopping for rings. Although tungsten is primarily known as an industrial metal it can be converted into a metal that is suitable for making jewelry by alloying it with other metals. Pure tungsten is not used for jewelry as it cannot be formed and given shape easily. It is mixed with carbon atoms to form tungsten carbide that is more malleable and can be crafted into different shapes and designs quite easily. It has light grey color and strong scratch resistant properties but is slightly heavy than 14k gold.
Jewelry grade tungsten
In order to make pure tungsten suitable for making tungsten rings it is not only alloyed with carbon but nickel is also added to it. Tungsten is first converted into tungsten carbide by adding carbon atoms to it and then the resultant tungsten carbide is compounded with nickel that acts as a binder. This combination imparts special properties to the alloyed metal that can be easily given different forms and shapes to craft jewelry designs. However, the inherent hardness of tungsten is retained in the alloy which makes it highly durable and scratch resistant. There is nothing to fear about allergies that can happen from nickel as it is used in very small very small quantity that remains almost hidden under the carbon atoms. When shopping, be careful to avoid tungsten that uses cobalt binders instead of nickel as it can cause allergies.
Rings with lifetime warranty
Affordable cost and extremely high durability are the reasons for the popularity of the metal in making rings. It ranks at the top of the list above gold, silver and platinum in terms of durability and jewelers are ready to offer life time warranty. There are almost no chances of any scratches to the surface no matter how severe the conditions might be. But there is one thing that you have to be careful about. Despite the hardness, tungsten carbide is also brittle. When subjected to very high pressure, the rings can crack or break.
If you are attracted to modern designs then tungsten is a good choice as these designs can be easily crafted in the metal.
About the author – Trevor McCarthy is a fashion photographer who takes special interest in jewelry design. He is passionate about tungsten rings and has been a stark supporter for using non-traditional metals in ring making. Writing comes to him naturally and he has taken up blogging to express his views. He is also attracted to golf and spends his holidays on golf courses.
