Metal for men's wedding bands?

Question

What are the pros and cons of titantium vs. tungsten rings? I've heard that with one of them, if your hand get smashed, you can't get the ring off and you'll lose a finger.

Answer 1

My fiance and I just got a pair of matching tungsten rings online. You should check out their site because they offer great information. Here is a direct quote from http://www.tungstenworld.com/faq/



Can you remove the ring in an Emergency?

YES!



Rings made of extremely hard materials, like tungsten carbide or ceramic, can only be removed by cracking them into pieces with standard vice grip-style locking pliers. Standard ring cutters will NOT work.



Place vice grip-style locking pliers over ring and adjust the jaws to clamp lightly. Release and adjust tightener one-third turn and then clamp again. Repeat until a crack is heard, and then continue clamping in different positions until the hard material breaks away. Take care not to slide or rotate the cracked ring on the finger. If the ring contains an inlay of gold, the exposed gold can then be cut or clipped in the usual fashion.



Why choose Tungsten over Titanium?



Titanium lacks the implicit durability of tungsten carbide rings:



- Titanium can never have the same high gloss mirror-like finish that Tungsten can have, yet tungsten can also be finished in numerous other duller styles just exactly like Titanium.



- Tungsten jewelry is 4 times harder than Titanium jewelry. Titanium can be bent and is easily scratched.



- The weight of Titanium is almost non-existent. It does not have the same luxurious precious metal feel of heavier rings.



- The manufacturing process of Titanium is strictly industrial. It is easily produced using cheap materials involving almost no man-hours. Tungsten involves combining specific elements in up to 40 separate, labor-intensive processes to fabricate, refine, and polish each ring blank.

Answer 2

My husband's ring is tungsten & I didn't want him to have tungsten for the same reason as you listed. But he just loved this particular ring he saw at Zales & wouldn't accept anything else. Now, I'm glad he has the ring he has-- he's dropped it so many times & it would be scratched and dented to death if he'd gotten another metal. Also, what are the odds that he'd be in an accident where his hand gets smashed that badly? Yes, it could happen. But I drive my car every day knowing I could get into an accident, ya know?

Answer 3

You are right about the titanium not being able to be resized, however tungsten is also the same. White gold is the next best bet for a guy that wants a resizable ring, it does turn slightly yellow over time but this can be corrected by having the ring re-rhodium plated, typically a inexpensive job at a jewelry store. We use to charge $20 at the store I managed. On the flip side, if you like the titanium or tungsten they are pretty inexpensive, so just replace it if necessary, or buy a couple of different sizes when you buy yours. In my experience men's fingers change less often in size then womens.

Answer 4

titanium is much lighter in weight and could feel that he's not wearing a ring if he doesn't like to wear rings which could be a benefit for him. tungsten is heavier than most jewelry metals. both titanium and tungsten have a grayish/gunmetal color but titanium is whiter. both are strong metals, stronger than gold and platinum. titanium will scratch and can be sized. tungsten is scratch resistant and more durable than most jewelry metals. it cannot be sized. both titanium and tungsten rings can be cut off the finger so don't worry....when you are ready to select one, visit diamonds of palo alto. they can guide you and also ship anywhere in the world if you are not in the area.



http://www.diamondsofpaloalto.com/

Answer 5

well the getting your hand smashed part is very unlikely but that will apply to white gold, yellow gold, and platinum as well. the pros of titanium and tungsten is that its a 100% pure metal meaning it isn't mixed with any other alloys for strength or color, titanium is also considered an extremely strong and durable metal. the only con i can think of with titanium is that those metals cannot be sized in any way and that applies to tungsten as well. since titanium is a strong metal that metal cannot be easily cut to size down or up therefore every time your size changes(if sized correctly)very rare for men, titanium rings can only be special ordered. as for tungsten ring i wouldn't recommend due to the fact is that sure the durability stands but if you hit the ring at the right force and certain angle will cause the ring to shatter. i've worked in a jewelry store for 7 years and sold both ring as wedding bands and always had complains about tungsten either chipping or it shattering. hands down titanium wins for durability and strength and a fraction of the cost. a titanium ring should only run you no more than $120 with no diamonds or stones. great ring especially for men because they really abuse the hell out of their rings and titanium can withstand that type of abuse. my husband has both one that he can abuse (titanium) and one that he wears on special occasions.



so with that said you really don't need to worry about the getting you finger smashed part, sure it's a scary thing to happen but very unlikely unless he works with heavy machinary and is surrounded by that because of his job but other than that no worries. trust me they will also find a way to get the ring off other than just cutting off your finger. speaking from personal experience. had my fingers crushed in a 2 ton vault with my wedding rings on and they ended up just pulling them off with lots of lubercant. and trust me when i say that my fingers were not a pretty site but that happened because of something stupid on my part.

Answer 6

We just bought our bands, and my fiance chose a tungsten.



The most obvious disadvantage is you can't get it resized. However he doubts he will drop or gain a significant amount of weight so he got it anyways.



Another con about tungsten is you can't engrave the inside if you are wanting to do that.



Otherwise I think they look pretty cool, and the jeweler said a lot of men prefer them because they weigh more, whereas the titanium it feels like you have nothing on your finger.

Answer 7

Most (if not all) hospitals are equipped with machinery that would help them remove a titanium or tungsten ring. They would not have to chop your finger off.

Answer 8

I prefer the Tungsten over the Titanium..

I thing gold is best...

Answer 9

I gave my husband a white gold band to match what he bought me some 40 years ago. It has lived on his key chain for most of that time.



I notice my brother wears the silver and turquoise ring his wife bought him that matches hers. I do suppose he takes his off when working with some equipment, but have seen him in the corrals working cattle with it on.



My sister got her hand caught in a gate some years back and had to have her rings cut off at the ER, mashed them sort of flat. She has had them replaced and now they stay in her jewelery box.



Mine are on a key ring attached to my purse. I cannot get them over my knuckles any more. Arthritis takes a horrid toll on some of us!



What is wrong with gold and silver??