Tungsten with Platinum inlay> Pros and Cons?

[Crue4]

What are the pros and cons of this ring metal choice for a mens wedding band that I am looking at? Your help will be very much appreciated.

 

[Superidealist]

Pros:
+ Nearly scratchproof
+ Gemlike luster
+ Unique appearance

Cons:
- Can't be resized (the manufacturer may have an exchange policy, though)
- Can't be cut off (but can be broken off since it is a ceramic, not a metal)
- Can't be engraved by traditional methods (can be laser engraved, though)

Do a search on the forum and you'll find several threads dealing with this topic.

 

[oldminer]

Did you mean Titanium / Platinum? Not Tungsten.

THe pros and cons above seem about right although Titanium and Tungsten are both metals and not ceramics. I don't know much about any Tungsten used in jewelry. Maybe it is an area that needs to be looked into.

 

[Superidealist]

The pros and cons I listed are for tungsten carbide, which is a hardmetal ceramic. I know this is what the Trent West rings are made from, but other manufacturers may use tungsten, which is a metal.

 

[oldminer]

Always more to learn. DO you have a web link for these designs? I'd love to know more about them.

I have worn a Rado watch, all ceramic, for over ten years and it still looks like the day it was purchased. This ceramic material is amazingly durable stuff.

 

[Superidealist]

The first maker of these rings was Trent West. Most of what I know about these comes from this website and personal correspondence with the manufacturer (my wedding band is of this type).

 

[boonerings]

Both the tungsten carbide of Trew Tungsten and the 17.7 tungsten alloy of Titanium Era, Titanium Commitment, and Boonerings can be cracked off in case of emergency.

A distinct feature, neither a real pro or con, is that it is very heavy. It weighs 4 times as much as titanium and has exactly the same color. Carbide is just slightly darker than the tungsten alloy. The tungsten alloy can be engraved whereas carbide cannot.