While there was an era for precious metals such as platinum, silver, and gold, the popularity of these materials are gradually fading away. Several other metals belonging to the precious metal category have now conjured a place with these traditional metals used for jewelry. Rhodium and Palladium already entered the market with huge pomp and show.
Now, the market is overrun with the crazed fan following reflected by titanium wedding bands for men and the ever-so-unique tungsten rings. These two materials have joined the list of elite metals. However, what’s selling better in the market is the tungsten. Here are some popular reasons that list tungsten high among the metals to be opted for.
- Your rings need to last
The rigidity of the metals directly indicates how long it is going to stay with you. The harder your metal is, the better are the chances of it to resist any kind of damage. Most of the metals used in the rings do not last very long. This is because the metals used in making rings are too soft to resist the strains that come from constant wearing.
Silver and gold tend to be the usual choice for the jewelers when it comes to crafting rings. Platinum-based rings tend to be on the costlier side and are therefore made in very fewer quantities. No one is a fan of wearing the same ring very another day unless it comes with some emotional value or premium quality.
High-value rings are only the ones that are kept to last a lifetime, and similar values apply for the tungsten rings as well. This metal can effectively match the strength and durability that comes from platinum which is why tungsten is a popular choice when platinum is out of the budget.
- The “Tungsten Carbide”
The jewelers cannot use the jewelry metals if they are in their purest form. Even though you are opting for silver, platinum, or gold, none of these metals is 100 percent pure. Jewelry making requires a certain standard of rigidity, tolerance, and strength that cannot always be obtained from pure varieties. This is why alloys are always preferred for crafting the best of the jewelry items.
When tungsten is mixed with the carbon atoms with an appropriate proportion, it generally produces the tungsten carbide which brings the feasibility for crafting beautiful jewelry. Even if the seller lists it as a tungsten wedding ring, remember it is tungsten carbide wedding ring with better features as opposed to its pure form. However, keep in mind that a good ring has 85 percent purity so look for the same when purchasing a ring.
- Is it hard enough?
When we talk about the unique men’s tungsten wedding rings, the alloy they are made up of is very hard. It is practically impossible to be damaged by rough use or regular use or even after it falls from the “nth” floor. This is the reason; it is used in the form of cutting tools as well as the drill bits meant for mining & exploration rigs for oil.
The hardness for this material can easily be measured with the use of Mohs scale where it ranges somewhere between 8 and 9. This is way higher than the generic jewelry metals silver and gold. Tungsten is around ten times as hard as gold. However, when purchasing the tungsten rings, keep an eye on the hardness of the same. This is because various jewelers use varying mix of tungsten with carbon to create the ring for you.
- Resemblance with platinum
Before tungsten entered the market, platinum ranked as a popular choice among the young population for the offbeat look it flaunted. However, not everyone could afford it due to the high price tags. The introduction of tungsten brought new hope for the budget-friendly shoppers who want the same qualities and looks as platinum for their ring but at fairly low prices. Not just that, tungsten has a particularly noticeable mirror finish with a darker tone that suits one and all. It gels well with the trendy requirements of the modern-age youth.
