Tungsten question.

doeie04 · February 2012

Are there different "grades" or qualities of tungsten? I ordered FI a ring on overstock and I want it to last. Is there such a thing as a bad tungsten ring? I know some are cobalt free, but what does cobalt do?

TIA!
Fawn

Britoz · February 2012

I'm definitely not an expert but FSIL got her hubby a "generic" tungsten ring from Harry Ritchies (not a "name" brand) and it has so many microscratches in it that it looks tarnished and old. A friend of mine whose husband is in the Army and works with his hands all day has a Triton tungsten band and loves it. That's what we chose since he was so happy with it. Both of our bands are Triton tungsten.

I hope your FI's ring is great! =D You should post a picture.

[Deleted User] · February 2012

Careful because when shopping for bands this weekend our jeweler pulled out a tungsten ring that had broken in two from one of his past costomers, he said that tungsten breaks easily. Therefore he no longer sells it,, he said cobalt is a much stronger inexpensive metal.

dogsandfrogs · February 2012

As a chemist and materials scientist, here's what I can tell you (I'm going to make this a little general as well for anyone else who stumbles across this):

Well made tungsten rings will last, however it is incredibly hard to detect faults in the material. If in the processing of the material (tungsten carbide is actually a ceramic, not a metal) an air pocket forms, you'll end up with a fault line that can break relatively easily (relative to the usual strength of tungsten; you're still going to have to hit it pretty hard and at that specific point). Your best bet for avoiding that is finding a reputable dealer. If it has spots for gems or has any kind of grooving carved into it, that will weaken the ring and makes it more prone to breaking. If it has a two tone finish, that is achieved by a different process and has no bearing on the strength of the ring.

Tungsten rings cannot be resized. If it needs to be "sized", what actually occurs is that the ring is sent in to the original manufacturer and traded in for the correct size. As you bought it through Overstock, I'm not sure what the protocol would be in that case.

Cobalt in your ring is a fine line to walk. Cobalt will react with your skin and cause damage to the ring over time (nothing will happen to your skin), such as discoloration that cannot be polished out. It does, however, strengthen the tungsten carbide and protect it from fissures caused by the above mentioned pockets. If you are concerned about strength and have a choice, ask for rings that use nickel as the binder. Nickel is also resistant to salt and acid erosion, so you get an added bonus there.

Summary for the OP: Tungsten rings, when done correctly, are strong enough to deal with "regular" use. If your FI is someone who does a lot of work with his hands (lifting, anything mechanical, etc), he'll need to take the ring off. As for whether or not it will last, it depends on how much he abuses his hands and if it's pure tungsten carbide or a composite with a binder.

Tungsten question.

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