Tungsten

In jewelry, tungsten is almost always used as tungsten carbide, a compound of tungsten and carbon (with a metallic binder) of extraordinary hardness. It makes wedding bands and rings that barely scratch and keep their polish for years.

Properties #

• Composition: tungsten carbide, often with cobalt or nickel as a binder.
• Hardness: very high, close to 9 on the Mohs scale: only diamond and a few materials scratch it.
• Density: around 15 g/cm³: it feels heavy.
• Color: dark gray or polished black, sometimes with inlays of other metals.
• Brittleness: it is hard but brittle: a hard blow can chip it.

Uses in jewelry #

• Everyday wedding bands and rings.
• Bracelets and watches with a modern design.
• Decorative inlays in rings of other metals.

Pros and cons #

Advantages #

• It hardly scratches and keeps its shine.
• It does not tarnish.
• Affordable compared with precious metals.

Limitations #

• It cannot be resized and is hard to remove in a medical emergency.
• It is brittle under hard impacts.
• It is heavy, and not everyone finds it comfortable.

Care and cleaning #

• Clean with lukewarm water, mild soap and a soft cloth.
• Avoid knocks against hard surfaces, such as floors or countertops.
• Check the size before buying, because it cannot be adjusted afterwards.

See also #

• Stainless steel
• Titanium