Wedding Rings—Titanium or Tungsten Band

When choosing wedding rings many couples do not think of the material that the bands are constructed from. They are concerned with the width of the band, and if it should be plain or have diamonds on it. In times past, the only choices available for bands were silver, platinum, and gold, which are precious metals. Today these precious metals have almost become unaffordable due to rising prices. Today wedding bands are being made from titanium or tungsten. Wedding rings made from titanium or tungsten may look similar but they are not. For example, the hardest wedding rings made are tungsten carbide wedding rings. They are four times as hard as titanium wedding rings and ten times harder than eighteen-karat gold. In price, titanium wedding rings are a little cheaper.

Titanium

• Color—these bands are a soft gray to silver and resemble steel in appearance.
• Styles—their style is much sleeker and if you add diamonds or other gems to the band, the result will be lighter and have a sophisticated look.
• Hardness—this metal is not as hard as tungsten but it is harder than precious metals. On the Mohs Hardness Scale, this metal is rated six.
• Weight—this metal makes a much lighter wedding ring but the exact weight will depend on the composition, size, and diamonds if added. Being lightweight offers stability. It stays in one place, does not rotate, and keeps the diamond in sight.
• Hypoallergenic properties—wedding rings made of this material can be worn safely even by someone who has hypersensitive skin. It has slightly more hypoallergenic properties than tungsten.
• Durability—this material is softer making it more susceptible to scratches. It is also more crack-resistant than tungsten.

Tungsten

• Color—these bands are usually dark grey but there is also white tungsten if you want your wedding rings to resemble platinum or white gold. The color of this band will last longer than the color of the titanium band
• Style—with this type of band if you add a number of diamonds or other gems the weight of the stones can give this band a massive appearance.
• Hardness—this is the harder of the two metals and on the Mohs Hardness Scale, this metal is rated between eight and nine. Unfortunately, by itself this metal is very brittle so they have to add carbon atoms to the metal, which forms carbide. This is what gives it such hardness.
• Weight—this is the heavier of the two metals. The reason is that tungsten carbide it two times heavier than titanium due to the low density of titanium.
• Hypoallergenic properties—usually this metal will not trigger an allergic reaction but it does contain a small amount of cobalt, which can trigger an allergic reaction in some people. It is more hypoallergenic if it is alloyed with the metal nickel even if cobalt causes an allergic reaction.
• Durability—this metal is not crack-resistant and can shatter if dropped onto a hard surface but on the other side, it is one of the hardest materials known.