Men''s Wedding Bands: Palladium/Tungsten Carbide/Titanium

[dontactlikeyoudontknowthename]

Hello all,

I''ve been looking for a wedding band recently. I like what I read about tungsten carbide, however I am on a very limited budget ($50-$200 or so). I''d also like to order the ring online.

Has anybody had any experiences with online stores, such as titanium kay, or ebay stores when purchasing titanium carbide rings? I like some of the black tungsten carbide rings - do they fade quickly after time?

Should I be worried that some websites, particularly ebay, sell tungsten rings for as cheap as $50? Will these last a lifetime?

Is there anything I need to know about tungsten, as opposed to say, titanium or palladium?

Thanks everyone!

 

[boonerings]

One thing to be aware of is that tungsten carbide rings are extremely heavy. They are twice as heavy as lead, so be sure that you desire a heavy ring. They also absolutely cannot be cut, so removal in case of emergency will consist of cracking it in a vise or visegrips like ceramic. I don''t know first hand about black tungsten fading. Polished tungsten carbide keeps a pretty good shine. On order to make these rings, it takes a computer controlled grinder, which usually is around a $750,000 machine, so the rings you usually see on the market are mass produced by relatively few companies in China. They are offered to jewelers in large batches very cheap. The down side is that they only come in certain sizes and widths and cannot be resized whereas titanium or palladium could be stretched for most styles of rings.

 

[dontactlikeyoudontknowthename]

I appreciate the reply. Does the fact that they are mass-produced lessen their quality?

I wasn''t thinking about the weight, really. The reason I''ve been looking at tungsten carbide is because of its strength (I''m rather clumsy), and I''m afraid titanium would get scratched. Can you re-polish titanium indefinitely? Will a titanium ring last as long as a tungsten ring?

BTW, I like the ring you have in your picture - how do you manage to not dent/scratch the wood?

 

[boonerings]

The Chinese rings I''ve seen are pretty good quality. Mass producing them allows them to get their process dialed in. The strength of carbide is not it''s strong suit, just it''s hardness. Because they are formed from powder, the ring can actually shatter if thrown hard to the concrete. It is probably not the kind of hit that would take place in ordinary circumstances though.

You can polish titanium over and over. Some finishes that look brushed can be kept looking nice by buffing with a ScotchBrite pad. It''s hard to wear out either type of ring.

The wood inlays in my picture are surrounded by titanium, so that takes the majority of hits a ring takes. They are much more robust than a ring of all wood would be. There are times when all wood is good, such as for MRI doctors or electricians though.

 

[dontactlikeyoudontknowthename]

I might go into an actual store to feel the weight of different materials. I like the idea of having a ''robust'' ring, but don''t want to have it unnecessarily heavy. I also like rings with more than one shade or color; hence the reason I was looking at the black tungsten rings. Though on some sites they state that the black tungsten can fade over time.

You''ve got me curious about the hardwood rings now, though a good bit out of my price range. The titanium protects the wood because the titanium edges are elevated slightly higher than the wood inlay? What happens if the wood is damaged, is it expensive to replace? I''m assuming you can''t/shouldn''t wear the ring in the rain/shower? Looks awesome though!

 

[boonerings]

A lot can be done on tungsten or titanium with different finishes to get a different look, so it may not have to be black tungsten to get a good contrast. Sections of polished and brushed or beadblast side by side can give a nice effect.

I do make the wood inlays to be replaceable at low cost. Like any wood product, it will last longer if not submerged. I''ve worn the olivewood ring shown in the avatar and a red oak burl one in everyday use for about 3 years now, but I''m careful around water and don''t swim or shower with it on.

 

[ejsarkar]

I''ve bought gold bands from eweddingbands.com and have been pleased with the service(and engraving) . They have excellent customer service. My cousin has a titanium band that has been extremely durable and more subtle than other metals. Good luck.