Tungsten carbide is a metal compound made of equal parts carbon and tungsten. It is commonly formed into jewellery, specifically wedding bands, because of its strength, elegant looking style and resistance to scratches. Tungsten carbide wedding bands have become more popular during the last ten years and are available at most jewellery stores.
Solid bands made from tungsten carbide (WC) are harder than 18k gold, titanium, and steel. Because they don’t scratch, more and more people are choosing rings made from this strong material. Some jewelers offer lifetime warranties on these rings because they are so durable.
Bands of WC are available as a solid band, with inlays of other material, or with inlaid stones. Solid bands are more durable, because the inlay styles may fracture due to weakness caused by voids in the metal.
You can get brushed, polished, bevelled, domed, and grooved bands. You can also get black tungsten carbide rings, in either polished or brushed matte form. Any of these styles are available with different inlays, from copper to stones to leather.
Because the metal is so strong, rings must be molded to your size. They cannot be re-sized after they are manufactured, so make sure you order the correct size. If your ring size changes, you will need to buy a new ring or exchange it for the proper size.
After being formed, these rings are polished with a diamond compound to ensure they are as bright and shiny as possible. This super-shiny finish will last the lifetime of the ring, because the surface will never scratch.
Another benefit of these rings is that they will not bend under normal use. Men or women who own a tungsten carbide ring will never have to take it off to lift weights like with rings of other metals.
