Do Durable Tungsten Rings Scuff?
By Advisor. Filed in Jewish Dating |
As you look down at your left hand, you smile as your tungsten rings gleam catches your eye. Even years later, you marvel as the ring still looks as luminous as your wedding day. Amazing! Especially considering you work with your hands and frequently remark how you “really beat your ring up”. But imagine if that same symbol of your love could cause you to lose a finger in an accident. Unable to cut off the ring, doctors must instead remove your ring finger to save your hand. It’s not too far-fetched. In fact, many couples opt not having tungsten rings scratch for this very reason. But is this fact or fiction? In terms of jewelry and wedding bands, tungsten carbide is the “new kid on the block.” As a result, many rumors and misconceptions are branded about by uneducated jewelers and consumers alike. A deeper look can shed some light on a few of the most common “tungsten myths.” “I heard Tungsten Carbide was an indestructible metal, is this true?” This is really a two part myth. Words like “indestructible” and “scratch-proof” are used all too often in conjunction with tungsten rings. Whether it is the jeweler making it their key selling point or your best friend just bragging about his wedding band, this is certainly myth. Let’s start with the indestructible claim. While Tungsten Carbide is a rugged and durable metal, to say it is “indestructible” would be misleading and erroneous. No material is indestructible, but when it comes to wedding bands, tungsten might just be the closest any metal comes to this attribute.
Over time, dirt and oils from your skin and food, alcohols from cosmetics, and other substances with which you come into contact in your day-to-day routine can build up on any piece of jewelry worn without interruption and obscure the lifetime shine of tungsten wedding bands. A tungsten ring scratch with no other alloy metal, or one that contains a nickel binder alloy, will not give you any trouble during cleaning as the chemical bond is impenetrable to oil. All dirt and oil will stay on the surface of the ring and can be easily removed by simply washing your tungsten wedding bands with hot, soapy water and wiping them with a soft cloth. Some jewelers carry tungsten wedding ring styles made with a cobalt alloy binder, a cheaper but inferior material. Use of cobalt binder alloys is generally frowned upon by reputable jewelers because they are not as durable, cobalt causes severe adverse reactions in some wearers with allergies or sensitive skin, and cobalt does leech surface oils that can then never be removed and ruin the ring. Since NONE of the tungsten rings we carry contain cobalt, permanent discoloration and oil deposits will never be a problem. You may also find that during this easy cleaning process, marks that appeared to be scratches will disappear. These are not scratches at all; they are in fact other materials that formed weak bonds to your ring due to its unusual electrical properties.
So while no tungsten band scratch can be “scratchproof”, in your daily on-goings a tungsten rings will be the best choice for scratch resistance. Now to our original myth; and the myth many couples worry the most about. For good reason too! “Can Tungsten Carbide bands be removed in an emergency? Or would have to lose my finger?” It has almost become an urban legend; one that causes many couples to avoid tungsten wedding bands in hopes of keeping all ten digits intact. However, like many other urban legends it is complete myth. Although it is true tungsten rings cannot be cut off in the way gold and silver rings are, medical professionals are able to remove any tungsten band in an emergency. Instead of cutting the ring, they are able to crack it off. Using a vice clamp like mechanism, they apply enough pressure to the outside of the ring until they hear it crack. Allowing for easy removal, and letting you keep your finger! So while many jewelers will give you the slick salesman pitch, we’ve busted three key myths associated with tungsten jewelry. You can now consider yourself to be a bit of an expert. All while, keeping yourself, and your friends, clear of the common misconceptions associated with this great new metal on the market. And you won’t even have to lost a finger for it!
Tags: tungsten band scratch, tungsten ring scratch, tungsten rings scratch
