Tungsten Wedding Band Opinions

[GentaiShinigami]

Just recently wandered onto these things, and am researching them really hard atm. Seem to have everything sorted, but have run into just a couple of problems. It would be nice if someone here has some experience with these and could shed a little light on them! Thanks in advance for your time and advice.

#1: I know they are a Mohs or ~9, and are very scratch resistant provided they are Tungsten Carbite, but are in turn very very brittle. What I'm concerned with is accidentally breaking the ring on something like a granite/quartz counter-top or accidentally dropping it onto the floor (tile seems the worst-case scenario). Scratches and shit aren't as huge of a concern. I mean sure a dollar store nail file with synthetic diamond on it will scratch it, but it'd own gold/platinum/silver just the same so does it really matter? XD I just don't want a ring that's going to break cause i slammed my hand down too hard.

#2: Tungstenworld.com so far is seeming like a pretty good place to go if I do decide to get a tungsten band. I've looked far and wide on the net and could only find one complaint (repeated on 3 sites I've never seen before), and one of the sites had a rebuttal claiming the site makes fake negative reviews and contacts the seller trying to basically extort them into signing up with the site to "manage" it's reputation. That honestly doesn't sound too unlikely lol. I figure if the site was so bad I wouldn't have to look so hard to find something negative, but I'd like to know if anyone here has any experience with them or has a better place at which to shop. The "problem" that was reported was that the ring was tarnishing into a very dark almost black color after several months of wear. Couldn't find any other reports really of it though, and to me it sounded like a cobalt-binder tungsten ring that had leeched and been permanently "stained". This website doesn't use cobalt for a binder though because of that and uses the more accepted nickel binder (though I've heard this does make it more brittle than cobalt would).

Thanks for any advice on the matter! If you have experience with any other non-traditional band materials I'd love to hear about them (ie, titanium, cobalt, palladium, carbon fiber etc).

[BerenTebogo]

Can't be sized, if you've ever cracked your knuckles, have skinny fingers with large knuckles (me) or etc just don't bother, they won't fit.

My original band was tungsten and after about 6 months I went to a regular band because it was the most annoying thing in the world (needed a larger size to get over my knuckle and then was huge around the base of my ring finger).

Almost every store that sells rings sells tungsten and other metals now. Best bet is to just walk in somewhere and try different fits on. Tungsten is quickly becoming the new "traditional".

[GentaiShinigami]

Not sure I understand. Wouldn't any ring give the same problems if both were the same exact size but different materials as far as fitting over knuckle but being too big once "in place" on your finger? If not could you elaborate a little more please. Is it the "comfort fit" that they sell that causes your problem?

My biggest concern currently is accidentally fracturing it by hitting it on something. Not sure what the limits as far as how hard you can slam it into something is. I mean with a gold band you can hit some things pretty hard and maybe just scratch or nick it a little, and is very unlikely that you would ever bend it while on your finger by hitting something (though something hitting YOU... not so much). Tungsten however isn't sounding so good in this regard and sounds like not only is something hitting you an issue, but you hitting something (like a desk, or grabbing a pole or shifter knob, etc) too hard. If it's a pretty common thing then might as well say screw it and get a traditional metal or get titanium or something so it won't be quite as brittle.

Moreso than the scratch resistance I like the look of tungsten and the heft of it. Titanium is a lot whiter and leagues lighter so it's worlds apart, but if tungsten is just too brittle I may just have to settle for titanium. I don't really want to bother with gold/platinum because it's too expensive and I don't really care that much about prestige. Plus, I do a lot of things with my hands and would destroy a softer metal ring over time (and I'm a nerd and think the more exotic metals are cooler >.>).

I'm going to be going out to the mall and check them out in person for sure, but figured I'd get some advice from here because I did remember seeing some people mentioning owning one.

[Osiris]

Make one from Unobtainium lol

I dunno, Platinum? Or I guess that's pretty traditional.

A band made of noble gases perhaps? Or a liquid ring of mercury?
Something radioactive?

Oh, there's a Rhodium wedding band I saw that looked pretty cool.

[amdingo]

I wore a TC ring for 2 years working in the restaurant industry and whacked it on every surface imaginable from brick walls to stainless steel counter tops. Never scratched, never broke, never shattered. Faired quite a bit better than the watch that I was wearing at the time. From what the jeweler told me in order to shatter a TC ring you'd have to have levered pliers and still apply quite a bit of force in order to break it so if shattering it by whacking it on something is your concern, I wouldn't be too worried.

[Diamicles]

Can't be sized

this really is the only argument necessary against tungsten bands.

you never know what will happen in the future, always get one that can be resized or repaired. (I married someone who worked at a jeweler for 10 years, happens more than you'd think)

as for gold, white gold, and platinum, you get what you pay for. they might be a little more expensive, but will last a lifetime if taken care of properly.

[Avinor]

Considering this is the same material used in drill bits and ammunition, I can't imagine you ever breaking it without some sort of tool (like a vise or a hammer). Just because its brittle doesn't mean its fragile. Diamonds are brittle too, but you wouldn't concern yourself with your wife breaking her engagement ring by dropping it. Before you break it slamming your hand into a countertop, you'll have shattered every bone. At which point a busted wedding band will not be your biggest concern.

[izembo]

i have a tungsten band, and have had it for 2 years. never cracked, or scratched. i got it cause i like the look of it and didnt want one that would scratch.

[bigrougabagel]

^this

Ive had mine for 2 years and wore it while working in the construction industry. Never had any scratches that couldn't be removed with a wet cloth and it hasn't shattered yet. Though breaking is a concern, so I do try to keep it out of harms way. One thing that I didn't see mentioned along with the inability to resize/repair etc is that it also cannot be cut. If you break a finger or injure your hand in some way that the finger swells, the ring cannot be cut off and it will have to be broken. So consider that kind of pain if you are prone to fucking yourself up.

[Weiing]

One thing that I didn't see mentioned along with the inability to resize/repair etc is that it also cannot be cut. If you break a finger or injure your hand in some way that the finger swells, the ring cannot be cut off and it will have to be broken. So consider that kind of pain if you are prone to fucking yourself up.

Yeah I was about to ask that question, because, while looking for a ring for my now-husband, I thought I read that tungsten couldn't be cut. Obviously you may not get into a situation where this may happen...but it's the what-ifs in life? Although when we went to the jewelers, the guy said they'd probably have to cut off his finger, instead of just breaking it. D:

[bigrougabagel]

Hmm, things may have changed, I was told the ring could be shattered with a table vise. This was about 2.5 years ago though, and some jewelry store chains may have differing chemical compositions of their rings. But yeah, consider the worst case scenario. It's not something that's likely to happen, but it could.

[Darkdreamer]

I've had a TC ring for a couple of years now and I've never had any problems and I'm constantly banging it off my desk at work and home out of boredom. Unless you plan on punching metal beams for fun I doubt you're going to have any problem. After all the abuse there are no scratches or dings on my ring, it could use a good cleaning though, the ring design has a raised surface and tends to build up dirt. This was a nice cheap option for an everday wearing ring and it looks pretty decent. I personally hate the look on gold on me and silver was not something I cared to have as a band and platinum was too expensive (although I may try and upgrade to a platinum band at some point) so this was definitely a good option. I even got one for my wife so she could have a solid everyday wear band.

[Auspice]

I've had a TC band for a year and a half and I'm so fucking clumsy I'm always smacking it against shit. The jewelry store my wife got it from has a lifetime warranty on it that if it my finger ever gets too big for it they will replace it with a new one for free so the inability to resize is moot in my case at least. I love it, looks shiny and just like new still.

[Ksandra]

I don't know anyone with Tungsten, but when I was shopping for rings they had them at jewelry stores. So, I'd strongly suggest going to them vs buying online. Best part about going to a jewelry store is you can haggle the price. (my wedding band for instance iwas a 2k ring on clearance for $600. There was another ring they were trying to sell for $500 that was ugly so I got the manager to give me the pretty one for $500 ^^.) Sucks though cause he agreed fairly fast which probably means I could have gone lower. -.-;

[Eratosthenes]

You shouldn't be hitting anything with your hand hard enough to break carbide. I've had to hammer broken carbide cutters out of holes at my job; it really does take a pretty sharp impact to shatter it.

[Diamicles]

this really is the only argument necessary against tungsten bands.

you never know what will happen in the future, always get one that can be resized or repaired. (I married someone who worked at a jeweler for 10 years, happens more than you'd think)

as for gold, white gold, and platinum, you get what you pay for. they might be a little more expensive, but will last a lifetime if taken care of properly.

Yeah I was about to ask that question, because, while looking for a ring for my now-husband, I thought I read that tungsten couldn't be cut. Obviously you may not get into a situation where this may happen...but it's the what-ifs in life? Although when we went to the jewelers, the guy said they'd probably have to cut off his finger, instead of just breaking it. D:

that's more of the sort of thing I was referring to. If you gain a little weight (or lose a little) you can't really wear your ring anymore b/c it can't be resized. And yes, they would have to cut off your finger because you can't cut tungsten.


and you can definitely crack a diamond if you hit it wrong, depending on the imperfections that are in the stone. of course, if you buy a high enough quality stone, you don't have to worry about it.

[BerenTebogo]

Not sure I understand. Wouldn't any ring give the same problems if both were the same exact size but different materials as far as fitting over knuckle but being too big once "in place" on your finger? If not could you elaborate a little more please. Is it the "comfort fit" that they sell that causes your problem?

My biggest concern currently is accidentally fracturing it by hitting it on something. Not sure what the limits as far as how hard you can slam it into something is. I mean with a gold band you can hit some things pretty hard and maybe just scratch or nick it a little, and is very unlikely that you would ever bend it while on your finger by hitting something (though something hitting YOU... not so much). Tungsten however isn't sounding so good in this regard and sounds like not only is something hitting you an issue, but you hitting something (like a desk, or grabbing a pole or shifter knob, etc) too hard. If it's a pretty common thing then might as well say screw it and get a traditional metal or get titanium or something so it won't be quite as brittle.

Moreso than the scratch resistance I like the look of tungsten and the heft of it. Titanium is a lot whiter and leagues lighter so it's worlds apart, but if tungsten is just too brittle I may just have to settle for titanium. I don't really want to bother with gold/platinum because it's too expensive and I don't really care that much about prestige. Plus, I do a lot of things with my hands and would destroy a softer metal ring over time (and I'm a nerd and think the more exotic metals are cooler >.>).

I'm going to be going out to the mall and check them out in person for sure, but figured I'd get some advice from here because I did remember seeing some people mentioning owning one.

tl;dr of why it sucks: The tungsten bands come in the sizes they come in. If you're in-between a size or if your knuckle is you're shit out of luck.

[Tyche]

It's a guys wedding band...is it that important?

I have titanium. It was, like, $90. Spend money on the wifes ring, noone cares about yours.

[Ksandra]

It's a guys wedding band...is it that important?

I have titanium. It was, like, $90. Spend money on the wifes ring, noone cares about yours.

as a woman, I approve of this statement. (b'')b

[BerenTebogo]

It's a guys wedding band...is it that important?

I have titanium. It was, like, $90. Spend money on the wifes ring, noone cares about yours.

Ultimately this. A lot depends on how much stock you put in the symbolism of the ring. I've always lol'd at people who go into debt for engagement rings and etc, shit is ridiculous. Get something that you like and your wife likes, and if in a few years you don't like it anymore, get a new one.

No need to overcomplicate things. I wouldn't invest too much into it unless you have much disposable income.