My boyfriend and I were out looking at rings the other day and we decided to check out men's wedding bands. Of all the rings on display, my boyfriend's eye caught a ring that's made of tungsten carbide. I have never heard a thing about it, other than from the jeweler that day saying it's "the men's ultimate ring, because it won't scratch or tarnish."
What can you tell me about this metal and this may sound funny - but is it cheap, low-scale? I want white gold and wanted my boyfriend's ring to match mine, but I'm open to him having what he wants. Afterall, I'll be looking for a particular style of ring when he proposes, knowing that I'm the one who will wear it. The metal color wasn't not too different from white gold, but still. Please tell me all you can about this kind of ring.
Thanks.
(This post was
edited by TWQadmin on Sep 13, 2007, 9:27 AM)
Wedding Rings
Professional Jeweler
Sep 13, 2007, 11:12 AM
Post #2 of 2
(696 views)
Re: [gtgirl] What is a tungsten carbide weding band
[In reply to]
Hi, GTGIRL,
Tungsten is a type of metal, just like gold, platinum, titanium, or silver.
It is not "cheap", but it is not worth as much a gold. Gold is much more expensive of a commodity than tungsten. There is no real intrinsic monetary value when it comes to tungsten. The cost is more in the labor of making the ring, whereas with gold, you can melt a gold ring and salvage a few hundred dollars at times from the melted scrap gold.
White gold wedding bands are softer than tungsten wedding bands, so they will not be as durable. But you can also do a lot more with white gold in terms of design. Tungsten rings tend to be a lot more limited in terms of design -- they are often simple, plain bands. But if that's what you like, there's nothing wrong with them. Afshin from Apples of Gold Jewelry Professional Jeweler
What is a tungsten carbide weding band
