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The Pro’s and Con’s of Tungsten Rings for Men

Tungsten is Extraordinarily Strong

More and more men are choosing tungsten as their number one choice for wedding bands and rings. In this article, we will look at the pros and cons of tungsten carbide and everything there is to know about this superpower of a metal. 

When it comes to tensile strength, tungsten is the strongest of all natural metals. It is ten times harder than 18K gold, 5 times harder than steel, and 3 times harder than titanium.

The name tungsten actually comes from the Swedish words, “Tung Sten”. Translated, this literally means heavy stone, a pinpoint accurate description of tungsten for sure.

Whereas metals such as gold, silver, and platinum are mined for their lustre and shine, tungsten is mined for its own unique quality – almighty strength and durability.

Tungsten rings have unparalleled durability and strength. You can rest assured that your ring will not break and will stand the test of time no matter what you put your ring through.

Tungsten rings are an absolute boon to men who work with their hands and who live active and busy lives. This is a ring that will have your back covered no matter what you are doing. Almighty, strong, and dependable. 

Waterfall Ring - Tungsten Carbide Ring with Damascus steel pattern
WATERFALL RING - (Tungsten) The dramatic and unique Damascus steel look with the benefit and strength of tungsten.
Black Tungsten Ring with Inlay of Antler and Natural Wood
BUCK RING - (Tungsten) A remarkable and stunnging ring design with inlays of natural wood and naturally shed deer antler. Exquisite.
silver mens ring for wedding anniversary engagement band 6mm 8mm tungsten in all sizes
SILVER MASTER RING - (Tungsten) Gorgeous brushed silver at centre with polished bevelled edges for a chic and contemporary style.

Tungsten Provides Unparalleled Scratch Resistance

It is the supreme hardness of tungsten that makes a tungsten ring so resistant to scratching. 

Materials can only be scratched by another material that is harder than itself. This essentially means that tungsten can only get scratched by another material that is harder than it.

Since tungsten is one of the hardest materials on earth, not much can scratch tungsten. Diamonds are about the only thing to watch out for since they top tungsten in terms of hardness!

Collection of Men's Rings made with Tungsten Carbide
See the Full Range of Tungsten Carbide Men's Rings

Unbeatable Durability

The remarkable strength and extreme scratch resistance of tungsten provides a durability that will stand the test of time.

Your ring will remain in immaculate and pristine condition and will show no sign of wear and tear. No matter what your lifestyle is. 

Regardless of what you are doing, you don’t need to worry about your tungsten ring. Whether you work with your hands, or you play hard at life, you can depend wholeheartedly on your tungsten ring. It is so durable and robust that it will never bend or become misshapen. It will not get tarnished and will not scratch unless by an extremely hard material such as diamond. 

The wonder of a tungsten ring for men is that no matter what your lifestyle. No matter how much you put your ring through. At the end of the day, it will be as perfect as it ever was. And you simply won’t need to give it a worry or thought. 

Wearing a Tungsten Ring

A ring made with tungsten is, as you might expect, weighty. Its considerable weight provides a sense of importance and significance. It feels strong, dependable, and reassuring.

Some men love this about tungsten. Others may prefer a more lightweight metal such as titanium. Indeed, titanium shares the durability and strength of tungsten, but it is also remarkably lightweight. 

If you are looking for a lightweight ring, have a browse through our wide range of unique and stunning titanium ring designs for men.

Because we appreciate the importance of comfort, all of our rings are ‘comfort fit’ rings. This means that the interior of the ring is domed and has a slight rounded curve. 

This makes the ring slide over the knuckle more easily.

This contrasts to the ‘standard fit’ rings where the interior of the ring is flat. 

It is important to note that comfort fit rings will feel a bit looser than standard fit rings of the same size. This may mean that you will need a ring that is half a size smaller than a ring in a standard fit. 

If you are worried about getting the right ring size, please note that we can send you a ring sizer for free if you are placing an order with us. 

We also have a policy where you can exchange your ring for free until you have the exact perfect fitting ring.

Newman Bands offer a Try at Home option. This means that you can check out the feel of tungsten and make sure it is right for you.

In the Try at Home option, you can pick 3 rings to try on at home. There is a £5 charge for this service to contribute to postal costs and a £20 deposit that is fully refunded when you send the rings back. 

Why not try both tungsten and titanium so that you can feel the difference between the two and decide on which one you prefer. 

Newman Bands – Try at Home Option

Contemporary and Traditional Ring Styles for Men

There are many unique designs of men’s rings made with tungsten carbide. Designs include traditional gold and silver wedding band styles as well as contemporary designs featuring different colours, finishes, and inlays.

Below is an example of some of the more traditional designs of men’s rings at newmanbands.com 

gold mens wedding ring anniversary engagement band. polished tungsten 6mm 8mm traditional modern ring in all sizes
'King' - a traditional style gold ring perfect as a men's wedding band. Made with tough and durable tungsten.
silver mens wedding ring or anniversary engagement band polished 6mm 8mm tungsten band in all sizes modern traditional design
'Elie' - a classic silver ring for men made with tungsten. Highly polished and very chic
mens rose gold ring tungsten 6mm modern style for wedding anniversary engagement band in all sizes
Dapper' - rose gold ring for men offering simple style and grace. With all the strength and durability of tungsten

Other styles are a perfect blend of traditional and contemporary. These tend to be all one colour but use different finishes (mix of polished and brushed), have a raised centre, or bevelled edges.

Mens silver ring made from tungsten Mens Silver Master brushed silver ring with polished edges in 6mm and 8mm
'Silver Master' - a stunning ring for men featuring brushed silver at centre and polished, bevelled edges
mens black ring of tungsten in 6mm or 8mm. Perfect wedding anniversary or engagement band in all sizes, brushed
'Pursuit' - a stylish all black ring. The raised centre is matte black which contrasts with the polished edges and interior
silver mens ring wedding anniversary engagement band black inside 6mm brushed tungsten in all sizes
'Systematic' - a brushed silver ring with polished black at the edges and interior

Always popular are the men’s rings which feature a groove of another colour running through the ring. Distinctive, stylish, and ultimately gorgeous. 

black mens ring with orange centre band 8mm tungsten wedding anniversary engagement ring in all sizes
'Aptitude' - An eye-catching black ring with a groove of viibrant orange
mens silver ring with blue band for wedding anniversary or engagement 8mm in all sizes
'Steadfast' - Superb silver ring with groove of brilliant blue
mens silver ring with gold tungsten. Wedding anniversary or engagement band 8mm in all sizes
Imperial - A spectacular blend of brushed silver and polished gold

Other distinctive tungsten rings for men feature an inlay of a contrasting material set within a durable and scratch resistant tungsten carbide ring.

These rings are unique in that they incorporate a natural element to the ring such as wood, abalone shell, mother-of-pearl, or naturally shed deer antler.

No matter what you are looking for, there is a tungsten ring out there for every man.

mens antler wood ring in black tungsten 8mm. Perfect for wedding band anniversary or engagement
'Buck'- A black tungsten ring with contrasting inlays of wood and naturally shed deer antler
Mens silver ring with shell inlay. Perfect wedding anniversary or engagement band in all sizes. 6mm or 8mm in tungsten
'The Shield' - Silver Tungsten with inlay of iridescent abalone shell
wood mens silver ring wedding anniversary engagement band 8mm tungsten in all sizes
'Resolute' - Silver tungsten with inlays of wood and abalone shell with stunning effect

Will a Tungsten Ring Tarnish or Rust?

Tungsten is highly resistant to corrosion and tarnishing. This means that overtime, your tungsten ring will not tarnish or rust. 

Indeed, your tungsten ring will remain as flawless and immaculate as the first day you began to wear your ring – forever. 

Cleaning and Caring for your Tungsten Ring

There is virtually nothing you need to do in terms of care for your tungsten ring. It is basically hardy and sturdy enough to look after itself. 

If your ring happens to get dirty, you can give it a wipe with a soft cloth to remove any bits of dirt or debris.

Can my Tungsten Ring Break?

Although a tungsten ring can in theory break or crack, the phenomenal strength of tungsten means that it would take extraordinary pressure to cause it to break. Indeed, it is remarkably rare.

Because tungsten does not bend or give in to pressure, it can break or crack if maximum pressure is applied. Such extreme pressure would have to be something like being bashed with a hammer.

No matter what grit or grind you put your ring through, your tungsten ring will not so much as show any signs of wear and tear. Under normal circumstances, your tungsten ring will not break or crack.

As well as finding the perfect ring that is just right for you, finding the right ring size is also essential. If don’t already know your ring size, we are here to help.

When you have selected the ring you wish to order, you will be asked to select the size you require. Simply click on ‘I don’t know my ring size’. We will then pop a ring sizer in the post to you for no extra cost. 

Once you receive your ring sizer, all you need to do is send us an email to let us know your ring size. We will then be ready to send the ring out to you. 

It is important to note that it is a good idea to measure your finger several times. This is because your finger size will actually change during the day – depending on time of day and your body temperature. 

By checking your finger size several times, you will soon get an idea of what is your average finger size is. 

RingSizer11
Ring sizer delivered to your door

The Affordability of Tungsten Rings for Men

Surprisingly, tungsten is much more affordable than most other precious metals such as gold, silver, and platinum. Not considered as a precious metal, tungsten does not have the value that is attached to precious metals such as gold. 

By no means does this mean that tungsten is inferior. Indeed, its strength, durability, and practicality  actually surpasses that of gold, especially in terms of a ring. 

However, watch out for tungsten rings that seem to be a little bit too cheap. Tungsten is actually mixed with a binder to make it hold the metal together and so that it can be shaped. The material to bind tungsten can either be cobalt or nickel. Superior to cobalt in terms of quality and durability, rings made with tungsten and nickel are more expensive than those made with tungsten and cobalt. 

The rings available at Newmanbands.com are all made with tungsten and a superior nickel binder alloy. This means that you can rest assured that you are getting a tungsten ring that is the best possible quality.

The Disadvantages of Tungsten Rings

The drawback of tungsten rings is that they cannot be re-sized. This does mean that if your finger size changes over the years, you may need to change your ring and get a different size. This disadvantage is helped by the fact that the cost of a tungsten ring is considerably less than other metals that can be re-sized.

We appreciate the importance of finding the perfect size ring. Therefore we will exchange your ring for you at no extra cost – as many times as you need until you have the right fit.

Can I be Allergic to a Tungsten Ring?

Pure tungsten is an allergen free metal. Although our rings are mixed with a nickel binder (nickel can cause allergies), the nickel is such a minute part of the mixture that our rings are hypoallergenic. 

Are Tungsten Rings Waterproof?

Since Tungsten is such a hard material, any water simple rolls straight off the ring. Your tungsten ring will not even notice that it is wet!

It is important to note that tungsten is sensitive to chemicals such as bleach, chlorine, and ammonia. This means it can be affected if you were to expose your ring to swimming pools and hot tubs on a very regular basis. 

Overall

Overall, tungsten rings are a solid choice. Providing you with  guaranteed durability and extreme scratch resistance. In fact, no other metal used for rings can beat tungsten in terms of its scratch resistance or strength.

The strength of tungsten is especially important to men who either work with their hands or lead a busy and active lifestyle. A tungsten ring means that you can go about your daily life without a worry for your ring.

There are so many unique ring designs made with tungsten, there is a ring out there for every man. Maybe if you have decided that tungsten is the metal for your ring, it may be a good idea to think about your preferred style and colour. You may be interested in the meaning of different colour rings.

And you may want to think about incorporating an element of nature into your ring design – such as wood, abalone shell, or naturally shed antler bone

And remember that if you don’t know your ring size, we can send you a ring sizer for free.

And if you are struggling to make up your mind about which ring to go for, you might want to take advantage of the Try at Home option. Simply select three of your favourite rings to try on at home. 

FAQs

Tungsten rings are favored for their extraordinary strength and durability. They are highly scratch-resistant and maintain their pristine condition over time. Tungsten’s robustness makes it an ideal choice for men who lead active lifestyles or work with their hands, ensuring the ring withstands daily wear and tear.

Unlike other metals, tungsten rings cannot be resized due to their hardness and manufacturing process. If your finger size changes, you may need to purchase a new ring. This is a significant consideration when choosing tungsten, although its affordability often offsets this limitation.

Tungsten rings are heavier than other metals, giving a substantial, sturdy feel. Their weight can be a symbol of durability and commitment for some, while others may prefer lighter metals. Comfort fit designs with rounded interiors ensure ease of wear and make tungsten rings a comfortable choice despite their weight.

Tungsten rings require minimal maintenance due to their robust nature. They are resistant to tarnishing and corrosion. Simple cleaning with a soft cloth is usually sufficient to keep the ring looking new. However, avoid exposing them to harsh chemicals like chlorine, which can damage the ring over time.

Tungsten rings come in various styles, from classic and simple designs to contemporary ones with unique colors, finishes, and inlays. Options include inlays of wood, shell, or other materials, providing a wide range of aesthetic choices to suit different tastes and preferences.