Tungsten carbide rings and titanium rings are the most popular metals currently trending right now in today’s market for men’s jewelry and wedding bands. It’s a known fact that tungsten and titanium have superior strength qualities versus other metals used for jewelry making purposes.
The surface appearance can be deceiving for a lot of consumers as they look very similar in nature. The reality is, they’re two different metals and some key points to consider between them are outlined below so read on to see our Tungsten Carbide Rings and Titanium Rings vs other metals in our ring guide below!
Tungsten Carbide Rings
Price
Tungsten carbide and titanium are affordable alternatives compared to expensive gold and platinum jewelry. Prices can fluctuate based on the manufacturer, the style, and the quality of the metal.
Hardness
Tungsten carbide and titanium are significantly harder than metals like platinum and gold. Tungsten carbide is considered to be one of the hardest known metals on earth and is excessively harder than titanium. It registers at a 9 on the Mohs mineral scale of hardness compared to a score of 6 for titanium.
Composition
Titanium is slightly alloyed with different elements for making jewelry and vanadium and aluminum are usually the two elements and this also depends on the grade. Titanium grade jewelry is commonly used in aircraft’s and has to be pure titanium at 85%.
Tungsten carbide, on the other hand, is a rare metal tungsten compound that has the same number of carbon atoms in its composition.
Crack-resistance
Tungsten carbide is naturally brittle and titanium is more crack-resistant. The extreme hardness of tungsten carbide coupled with its brittleness can cause tungsten carbide rings to shatter or crack if it comes into a hard contact with an unforgiving object. Although higher grades of tungsten carbide show a decrease in brittleness, the preferred ring for men working with their hands is titanium.
Scratch-resistance
When it comes to being scratch-resistant, tungsten carbide will always topple titanium. Titanium is significantly more scratch-resistant over other metals, however, the only material hard enough to scratch tungsten carbide is a diamond.
Color
Both tungsten carbide and titanium rings have a manly grey gunmetal color and are also very popular in black. White tungsten is another option for tungsten rings, which have a nice classic appearance closely resembling platinum or white gold.
Weight
Tungsten carbide and titanium are at opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to wearing one on a finger. Having the properties of durability, titanium rings are lightweight and perfect for the jewelry-phobic. While tungsten carbide rings are heavy, very dense, and offer a weighty presence on the finger.
Hypoallergenic
Most of the titanium rings being worn today are hypoallergenic and suitable for those individuals with skin allergies. Tungsten carbide is not hypoallergenic due to the use of cobalt in its composition that can be an allergen for a lot of different skin types.
Emergency removal
A myth for both tungsten carbide and titanium is they can’t be removed in the case of an emergency? Both rings can be removed in emergency type situations, the methodology will vary for removal. Tungsten carbide can be cracked open with vise grips and titanium can be open with a jeweler’s saw.
Resizing
Due to the strength of tungsten carbide and titanium rings, they’re virtually impossible to resize, however, both rings offer inexpensive solutions by buying a new one.
Tungsten Carbide Rings with wood inserts
Conclusion
When it comes to finding a good reputable seller for these special rings the efforts can be even harder than the metals themselves unless you know where to look!
Check out the tungsten carbide rings and titanium rings available!