Who's FI/DH has a tungsten ring?

mocha beans

FI likes a tungsten ring with carbon fiber inlay.  We liked one at the jeweler that was $300.  But, I go online and see something very similar for under $100.  Does anyone know if there's a good reason for the price difference?  Any good research on it? All I've really found online is that some tungsten rings have cobalt that can tarnish easier and is cheaper in the alloy rather than nickel, which is apparently better and more expensive.  As much as I really want to support my locally owned and operated awesome jeweler, if there's no significant quality difference between the price points, we're buying his online.

mynameskatie

I worked in jewelry. Only thing I would check is to make sure wherever you're getting it has a lifetime warranty. That way if the ring breaks (tungsten is brittle) or if your H needs a new size it can be replaced without you shelling out for a new ring. Otherwise there probably isn't much difference. The markup in jewelry is outrageous and since online stores have lower operating costs they can get away with making a smaller profit. 

ETA: also be aware that the Carbon fiber inlay is not scratch resistant the same way the rest of the band will be. 

mocha beans

I found one seller on amazon that has almost exactly the one he liked at Jared for $200 for $40.  For that price, shiit, we'll buy two and if one breaks he's got a backup.  I worry that it seems like one of those, if it seems to good to be true, it probably isn't.  But the seller has lots of stellar reviews, so we're really thinking about it.

louisvillebride21

Oh, pick me, pick me! H got his from Tungstenworld.com. I got the rec from here and it's AMAZING. We originally bought one for 300 from the jewlery store and then returned it and bought two from that website. We have an everyday one and a dressy all black one. They have a lifetime warrenty and we got both engraved. He loves them and thinks they're very comfortable.

vegasgroom

I'm getting the exact same ring your FI wants; haven't purchased it yet but yeah what you'll get online is probably going to be the same exact thing, chain stores mark things up like crazy.  I don't know about $40, but anything in the $100 to $150 range should be identical to the $300 one you looked at.  Unless it's the factory itself selling it to you I wouldn't think the $40 ring would be a good idea.

AmoroAgain

OH man, sure, tungsten is "brittle" but you'd have to drive a car over it or drop it off a 5 story building before it would break.  Comeon.

Anyway, my H got his tungsten band from overstock for $40.  Yuppers.  4.0.  it's the same thing, but he just wanted a plain band, so it was easy.  Still no scratches on it!   His looks like this: http://www.overstock.com/Jewelry-Watches/Tungsten-Carbide-Half-Round-Band-8-mm/2105037/product.html

scoetto

He found a ring at Jared that he loved, but we found a ring online, for $70 that he was ok with, too - until it showed scratches a couple weeks later. Then it fell down the drain and instead of retrieving it, he decided to get the one from Jared. He absolutely loves the new ring and we wish we would've spent the extra money to get the more expensive one in the first place. Would've saved us in the long run. 

quotequeen

This isn't specific to tungsten, jewelry in general can be found cheaper online for the same item.

FI and I both ordered tungsten rings online and received them yesterday.  I love them both!!

RodeoRed

We got one for my FI. The way the jewlery store explained it there is two types, a cheaper one that if you have it cut off or something like that or need a new size you have to buy a whole new one. Or a more expensive one that has a lifetime warrenty so you can send in the old one if you need a new size or somthing.

Manwaithiel

FI has a Tungsten ring. He's in love with it. We got it off Zales for $140. It does not have to be expensive.

quotequeen

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_whos-fidh-tungsten-ring?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:c8147cb8-92ef-4a21-aa9f-59244fa96297Post:d8aa7218-a057-45e4-a413-55814ab531d9">Re: Who's FI/DH has a tungsten ring?</a>:
[QUOTE]We got one for my FI. The way the jewlery store explained it there is two types, a cheaper one that if you have it cut off or something like that or need a new size you have to buy a whole new one. Or a more expensive one that has a lifetime warrenty so you can send in the old one if you need a new size or somthing.
Posted by RodeoRed[/QUOTE]

That sounds like it's the same ring, and they're just charging you for the lifetime warranty.

NuggetBrain

Noodle has one from online.  He's rough on his jewlery, especially rings, and it's held up just fine.  He's only had it on for like, three months though, so there's that.  His best friends both have them too, one from online and one from a jewelry store, and they are both holding up exactly the same.

RodeoRed

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_whos-fidh-tungsten-ring?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:c8147cb8-92ef-4a21-aa9f-59244fa96297Post:bb24b393-5612-4d1a-bd03-2fef721df9d9">Re: Who's FI/DH has a tungsten ring?</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Who's FI/DH has a tungsten ring? : That sounds like it's the same ring, and they're just charging you for the lifetime warranty.
Posted by quotequeen[/QUOTE]
Yeah that is pretty much the deal. They are two different companies but the rings are mostly the same though one had more choices than the other. We went with the cheaper one because at the end of the day I don't really care if he looses it or can't wear it if his ring size changes and neither does he.

SunnyCanadian

Yep we used tungstenworld.com too and its gorgeous! We highly recommend that website.

H uses his ring to take bottle caps off lol and it doesn't leave a scratch!

kristi-ji

love tungsten world! I purchsed my FI wedding band from a local store for close to 400 after tax. We found the EXACT same ring onlne at tungsten world for 199 including engraving and a lifetime waranty that included any resizing he might need down the road. As much as I love supporting local stores, the price difference for teh exact same ring was just too much. And he loves it. Very class, beautiful, and a lifetime waranty (the store's was only good for a year.)

Do your research, but chances are you'll save money if you buy online.

jessjo04

I got DH's wedding band on overstock for about $50. He is a car mechanic and his ring gets as beat up as his hands (which is bad!). The ring is still in almost perfect shape almost a year later. I told him if he breaks/scratches it at work, we'd just buy another one. The one at Kays would have cost over $300.

pearlaqua

I wouldn't feel bad about purchasing online, so long as the seller has good reviews.

Got ours for $30. 

Feels good to beat the market!

JenO24

I got FI's tungsten ring through overstock for $60...like a PP said, if you drive a car over the ring you might notice some damage, but everday wear these rings are so durable our opinion.
Definitely check them out in stores since you can try them on and then order a replica online for a fraction of the cost!
Even if we need to get a new ring for FI down the road thats still saving us money vs paying $300+ in a jewlery store!

vegasgroom

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_whos-fidh-tungsten-ring?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:c8147cb8-92ef-4a21-aa9f-59244fa96297Post:47628575-da9c-427a-b6c0-6cbe817b9af4">Re: Who's FI/DH has a tungsten ring?</a>:
[QUOTE]He found a ring at Jared that he loved, but we found a ring online, for $70 that he was ok with, too - until it showed scratches a couple weeks later. Then it fell down the drain and instead of retrieving it, he decided to get the one from Jared. He absolutely loves the new ring and we wish we would've spent the extra money to get the more expensive one in the first place. Would've saved us in the long run. 
Posted by scoetto[/QUOTE]

If the one that was showing scratches was supposed to be tungsten carbide, it should not have had scratches at all unless he was working on power tools while wearing it, like drill bits, since not a lot of metals are hard enough to put scratches in tungsten carbide; perhaps it was just plain tungsten.