The Pros and Cons of Tungsten Wedding Bands

As a man with a tough job, you have likely been through wedding band after wedding band, some dented, some crushed, and some just broken. You likely work as a mechanic, a carpenter, or another job that requires you to do a lot of work with your hands and you just can’t avoid scratching up that shiny gold band. At this point you are considering a stronger more durable ring and have stumbled on to the strongest, tungsten wedding bands. If you are planning to buy some jewelry, even bridal, tungsten bands are the way to go. If your tastes in jewelry are more designer brands take heart, you can find designer bridal jewelry in this very strong material. Tungsten, black tungsten and tungsten carbide far out perform titanium in every arena. This seems pretty straight forward right? Well, mostly right. There are still a few things you should know.

Tungsten wedding bands and tungsten carbide wedding bands are different. Both are made from the same base metal, tungsten, but tungsten carbide has added carbon in the makeup of the metal. Tungsten carbide rings are said to be even stronger than a regular tungsten ring which is still very strong. With that in mind these are your pros and cons:

Pros

• Tungsten carbide, black tungsten and tungsten bands are scratch and tarnish resistant and tungsten carbide even more so. Scientists have found that only certain materials like diamonds are able to scratch tungsten carbide. Titanium is hard to scratch but not as hard to scratch as tungsten bands are. This is the biggest draw for a man in the market for wedding bands.

• Tungsten bands of any type including black tungsten are surprisingly affordable.

• When polished tungsten wedding bands have a fantastic shine. This makes them a good choice for a man looking for bridal jewelry.

• While tungsten bands cannot be engraved the way that gold or silver or even titanium can be, they can be laser engraved, which is a beautiful and easy to read effect.

• Tungsten bands are hypoallergenic, which is good for people with sensitive skin.

• You can find plenty of designer tungsten wedding bands to suit a man and a woman.

Cons

• Tungsten carbide rings (not black tungsten or regular tungsten bands) have been known to cause skin irritation in some people. The oils in your skin can cause the cobalt to leach from the ring. This is believed to be the cause of this irritation.

• Tungsten rings are heavy on the finger.

• Tungsten bands, tungsten carbide bands, and black tungsten bands cannot be resized so losing or gaining weight might mean having to purchase a new one. However, they are affordable enough to make that a less painful purchase.

With these facts in mind, regardless of whether you choose tungsten bands or tungsten carbide bridal jewelry you are making a lasting choice. Despite the strength, durability and industrial nature of the metal tungsten comes in many styles and ranges in color from dark grey to black. You will be able to find a ring just as tasteful if not more so than the gold or titanium ring that can’t stand up to your lifestyle or job requirements. Why not choose a ring that will finally last as long as the commitment to your loved one?