We are excited to be offering the finest quality tungsten wedding bands at prices that are surprisingly low—sometimes less than half the price charged in jewelry stores. However, don’t confuse our low prices with inferior quality! All of our Lingengmin Jewelry tungsten carbide rings are made with the superior nickel-binder alloy instead of being made from pure tungsten or with the cobalt-binder alloy. Nickel-binder alloys are superior for several reasons:
Nickel-binder tungsten carbide is hypoallergenic, chemically inert and therefore will not oxidize, cause rashes, or irritate the skin.
We do not use cobalt as it can have an adverse reaction with the wearer’s skin, sometimes causing a rash.
Cobalt bonds with oils in the skin and leeches out of the ring resulting in oxidation. The oxidation appears similar to tarnished sliver, but cannot be removed by polishing or grinding. Nickel, on the other hand, does not bond with oil and therefore does not oxidize.
Many jewelers offer pure tungsten wedding bands which lack the hardness of tungsten carbide and can scratch quite easily. Some offer tungsten rings made with cobalt binder because it is cheaper to produce than nickel-binder carbide.We caution you against buying from a jeweler that doesn't specify that their tungsten wedding bands are made with the nickel binder alloy.Many manufacturers don't list which alloy they are selling because they don't know which alloy they are selling.If they don't know, it is most likely cobalt alloy or pure tungsten which are cheaper and inferior to the nickel binder tungsten carbide wedding bands.
What is Tungsten Carbide?
Tungsten is a very hard and dense metal, mined from Wolframite ore and symbolized by a (W) on the periodic table of elements. It melts at an extraordinary 6,100 degrees Fahrenheit–the highest melting point of all metals. On its own, tungsten is vulnerable to scratches and damage just like any other metal, such as titanium and steel. Tungsten does not gain its extreme hardness until it is combined with a carbon alloy, transferring it into tungsten carbide (WC) with a hardness between 8.5 and 9.5 on the Mohs hardness scale. Tungsten carbide is four times harder than titanium, twice as hard as steel, is virtually unscratchable, and has been widely used for decades in industrial applications such as cutting tools, mining machinery, and rocket engine nozzles.
The unique formula of our tungsten carbide allows these rings to be both visually stunning and durable enough for every-day use. You are no longer required to constantly remove and replace your ring in order to protect its finish.
Can Tungsten Carbide Rings ever scratch?
Tungsten carbide can only be scratched or damaged by extreme measures, like abrasion from diamonds or corundum. Consequently, activities that would normally require the removal of conventional wedding bands for their protection can be performed without concern by the wearer of a tungsten carbide wedding band. While extremely strong and scratch-resistant, Tungsten carbide is a bit more brittle than traditional metals used in wedding bands. All of our tungsten carbide wedding bands are comfort-fit style, providing optimal comfort while wearing the ring and when putting it on or removing it. Because our tungsten carbide wedding bands are engineered to be maintenance free, we offer a lifetime warranty.
Baolishi jewelry combines traditional precious metals with tungsten carbide to create a unique piece of jewelry with a style, polish, and texture that will last a lifetime. We offer tungsten carbide wedding bands with precious metal inlays of Sterling Silver, Platinum, Rose Gold, White Gold, and Yellow Gold. The tungsten carbide portion of the ring will maintain its original polish and luster for life, while the softer inlaid precious metals will eventually develop a textured appearance over time, creating an attractive contrast against the lasting polish of the tungsten carbide.
Can a Tungsten ring be cut off?
Yes! Please be aware that in any situation where there might be a medical necessity to cut off or remove a tungsten ring--for instance excessive weight gain, hand injury, etc.,removing a tungsten ring doesn’t pose much more of a challenge than cutting through a gold or platinum wedding band.In our own jewelry shop, as in many other jewelry shops, we have a cutting tool designed for cutting titanium and tungsten wedding bands. In addition, tungsten bands can be fractured into pieces using vise-grip pliers.When we contacted our local hospital emergency room and asked if they were equipped to remove tungsten wedding bands in an emergency, they told us that most hospital emergency rooms are prepared to handle almost anything, and assured us that it would be no problem for them.
During our 30 years of jewelry repair experience, we've only seen a dozen or so rings that have been cut off in hospital emergency rooms, and in most of those cases the rings had been bent out-of-round and were putting painful pressure on the finger. Tungsten rings will not crush or bend out-of-round, so if you shut your hand in a car door or drop a heavy object on it, a tungsten wedding band is likely to fracture into several pieces and fall off your finger freely.You might be safer wearing a tungsten ring than a precious metal band! Nonetheless, check with your local jeweler or medical facility if you have concerns.
Sizing and Engraving
Because of the extreme hardness and durability of tungsten, tungsten wedding bands cannot be sized like gold, silver or platinum rings, so please take extra care in determining the proper size. Also, engraving a tungsten wedding band is possible but it is very faint and difficult to read. Because of this, we have chosen not to offer engraving on Tungsten rings.