Facts and Myths of Tungsten Rings

The most growing trend in wedding ring styles has come about with the newfound availability of Tungsten Rings. Wedding bands made from tungsten carbide have been made in small numbers and simple styles for years, but never before have there been so many different kinds of tungsten rings for every personality available from so many sources. The exponential growth of web commerce has now made accessible many less conventional goods and services to people in all areas, and tungsten wedding rings can now be found and happily worn by anyone who likes. I have a tungsten wedding band myself, which we decided on after both of us had purchased and worn some fashion Tungsten Rings and been impressed by their strength and shine. To help you to be a smart shopper, this article will address some common and lesser known facts about tungsten rings as well as dispel some widespread fiction.

Tungsten carbide, the material used to make all Tungsten Rings, is an alloy of tungsten, carbon, and small amounts of other binder metals also used in most gold jewelry, like nickel. Even when rings are billed as "pure tungsten", what they are really saying is that the best quality tungsten carbide has been used, as pure tungsten in its elemental form is very brittle and does not polish well. Some tungsten carbide alloys are made with cobalt, but those should be avoided for several reasons. Cobalt causes an allergic reaction for most people and binds to far too many substances (even the oils in your hand!) for it to last very long without your ring ending up with some nasty discolorations! All in all, cobalt binders result in rings that will not hold up or be pleasant to wear. Honest retailers of good quality products will not carry rings containing cobalt, and will make this very clear on their sites.

Tungsten rings are best known for their incredible strength and durability, which they truly possess, but this has unfortunately led to many people drawing incorrect conclusions about tungsten rings. One claim that has been making the rounds as an e-mail forward and general discussion topic is the idea that they are impossible to break, and should an injury to the hand occur that would require the removal of a ring, the patients finger would have to be removed instead. This is a MYTH! No ring of any material is totally indestructible, and every hospital emergency room has a set of vise grips which place incremental pressure on a ring to easily shatter it with no additional injury to the hand. So wear your tungsten ring with confidence– just be sure the retailer you order from provides a good warranty!