AN ANALYSIS OF THE TUNGSTEN RING INDUSTRY

Tungsten rings and Tungsten Wedding Rings are still growing in popularity, and today stand on the cusp of powering forward to become a market-leading product.  Here are some of the most intriguing, interesting, and surprising statistics about the tungsten ring industry.

The Production Process

A Tungsten Wedding ring isn’t (at least, most of them aren’t) produced from 100% tungsten.  A tungsten ring is actually tungsten carbide, which is an alloy of tungsten, carbon, and other trace elements, such as nickel.

The first step in the production process is to mix the three elements in powder form.  From here, they are placed in high-pressure molds in the shape of a tube, before being baked in an oxygen-free furnace at temperatures in excess of 6000°F.

Once baked and cooled, the tubes are cut with diamond tools and the rings extracted.  The rings then go through a process known as diamond polishing; we polish the rings three times each with three different diamond polishes.  This gives tungsten carbide rings their famous everlasting shine.

That’s how you make a Tungsten Wedding ring, but who wears them?  Here are some of our favorite numbers from the industry.

5%

The number of US men who wear a matching engagement ring along with their fiancée.  At the same time, various studies suggest the number of women popping the question is increasing.  Are they doing it without a ring, or are men simply sticking to tradition?  Those who do want to be different might be able to find matching ‘his and hers’ tungsten engagement rings or Tungsten Wedding Rings.

12%

A ‘white wedding’ might be the dream many people have when they’re growing up but we’d love to have met the 12% of men who prefer black Tungsten Wedding Rings when they were younger!  Black tungsten wedding bands are a popular product in the industry!

27%

The number of men in the United States who prefer a tungsten carbide wedding band to one made from gold, the traditional wedding band metal.  This number is set to grow this year, and in years to come.

59%

Whoever said romance was dead and buried?  Nearly two out of every three married couples choose to have a personal message engraved on their Tungsten Wedding ring, although none of them were willing to specifically say what theirs’ said!  If you go for a tungsten wedding ring, you can enjoy free laser engraving with us.

$491

Presumably, you see such a figure and assume that the bride is a very lucky lady.  She may well be, but this figure is the average sum spent on a groom’s wedding band in the United States.  Whoever said that weddings were just for women?

$9.6billion

No, not how much of a black hole there is in the financial accounts of a Government department, but the total spend on wedding and engagement bands across the United States in 2012.

Why So Popular

While breaking from tradition and the desire for something different has driven the popularity of Tungsten Wedding rings, the attributes of tungsten carbide have been by far the biggest reason for such growth.

Unbreakable Tungsten Carbide

Tungsten carbide is 10 times harder than 14-carat gold, 4 times harder than platinum, and denser than silver, steel, and titanium.  It is almost impossible to scratch tungsten carbide, and the diamond polishing process means a tungsten ring never loses its shine.

100% tungsten jewelry is available, but doesn’t have the strength and shine characteristics of the tungsten carbide alloy.

Have a need for a Tungsten Wedding Ring, look us up, we will be happy to serve you.

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How to engrave a Tungsten Ring

While a wedding ring or another piece of jewelry can be a hugely personal thing to give to someone, you can make it even more so by having the item engraved, be that with a personal message, a significant date, or a piece of text that means something to you and the person who you have given the gift to.

Tungsten rings are becoming increasingly popular, both as a wedding band alternative to the traditional favorites such as gold and silver, and as a gift for birthdays and other occasions.  They are even suitable for men who love wearing jewelry and want to wear it as a fashion piece, having purchased it themselves.

Traditional Engraving

When you think of having a tungsten ring engraved, you probably imagine that your ring goes to the jeweler or specialist engraver, where they would etch your message into the ring in the traditional manner.  It is possible to engrave a tungsten ring in this manner, but it is not the best, nor the recommended, way to do it.

The reason for this is that tungsten rings are actually tungsten carbide, a tough and durable alloy.  Etching any piece of tungsten jewelry in the traditional manner has the potential to upset the appearance of the ring owing to these characteristics.  Applying force to a tungsten carbide ring, as you would when etching, will actually damage the ring and could even weaken the alloy, not to mention significantly reducing the value of the ring itself.

How Tungsten is Engraved

With the traditional method of engraving out of the question for anyone that wants to keep their tungsten ring strong and looking amazing, the alternative will ensure a clean, modern looking finish, and do nothing but enhance the appearance and meaning of the ring.

Laser engraving is the method used to personalize tungsten rings.

Why Laser Engraving?

There are many benefits to using laser engraving when it comes to tungsten carbide.  What are they?

  • Nothing actually comes into physical contact with the ring itself.  The desired engraving is simply loaded into a computer, and the system-guided laser takes care of doing the actual job.
  • Assurance of a cleaner looking finish; one letter etched even a millimeter or two out of place in the traditional manner can have a huge impact on how an engraving appears.
  • Laser etching appears darker and clearer on a ring, making it easier to read.
  • In a similar vein, because tungsten rings are available in a range of colors, an engraving can stand out stronger against a red or a black background, for example, further adding to the appearance and finish.
  • Several options are available for customizing the engraving of a tungsten ring, stretching even as far as patterns rather than the traditional text.
  • Lastly, there is no other method to engrave tungsten other than diamond bits. But diamond bits are expensive and the tungsten wears them out too fast. Plus, Diamond bits don’t engrave the ring as dark as a laser does.

As laser engraving is the only acceptable way to get your personal message onto a tungsten carbide ring, you should look for a free engraving option whenever you buy tungsten jewelry.  At the same time, you should contact any business that offers to etch tungsten jewelry, yet does not specify how, prior to making a purchase.  Why pay for a high-quality tungsten ring or another piece of jewelry only for it to lose its luster at the engraving stage?

Although traditional engraving is still popular, the benefits that come with laser engraving are making it much more popular, irrespective of the metal used to make a ring.

Engraving Placement

Most of the time, people will choose for their engravings to be on the inside of a tungsten ring or piece of jewelry.  Laser engraving, as well as enabling patterns, also allows for engraving on the outside of the ring.  Completed in the same way as internal engraving is, this again creates a professional finish for your ring.

Finally, you can ask for tungsten rings to be engraved with whatever you want.  For example, a college might want to have their logos engraved on a ring for the championship football team, or a family may have a crest that all members of the family wish to wear on a ring for all eternity.

Do not be fooled by the people who tell you that you cannot engrave tungsten rings.  You can, it just needs a slight change in the process from usual.

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Ready for Valentines?

Just finished working on modifying the website to accommodate our selected rings for Valentine day.  Working with our vendor it’s been a great learning experience how to modify our website.  We are really working hard to provide quality and great products for our customers who appreciate Tungstens quality for shining, beauty & toughness.

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An Analysis of the Tungsten Ring Industry

Tungsten rings and Tungsten Wedding Rings are still growing in popularity, and today stand on the cusp of powering forward to become a market-leading product.  Here are some of the most intriguing, interesting, and surprising statistics about the tungsten ring industry.

The Production Process

A Tungsten Wedding ring isn’t (at least, most of them aren’t) produced from 100% tungsten.  A tungsten ring is actually tungsten carbide, which is an alloy of tungsten, carbon, and other trace elements, such as nickel.

The first step in the production process is to mix the three elements in powder form.  From here, they are placed in high-pressure molds in the shape of a tube, before being baked in an oxygen-free furnace at temperatures in excess of 6000°F.

Once baked and cooled, the tubes are cut with diamond tools and the rings extracted.  The rings then go through a process known as diamond polishing; we polish the rings three times each with three different diamond polishes.  This gives tungsten carbide rings their famous everlasting shine.

That’s how you make a Tungsten Wedding ring, but who wears them?  Here are some of our favorite numbers from the industry.

5%

The number of US men who wear a matching engagement ring along with their fiancée.  At the same time, various studies suggest the number of women popping the question is increasing.  Are they doing it without a ring, or are men simply sticking to tradition?  Those who do want to be different might be able to find matching ‘his and hers’ tungsten engagement rings or Tungsten Wedding Rings.

12%

A ‘white wedding’ might be the dream many people have when they’re growing up but we’d love to have met the 12% of men who prefer black Tungsten Wedding Rings when they were younger!  Black tungsten wedding bands are a popular product in the industry!

27%

The number of men in the United States who prefer a tungsten carbide wedding band to one made from gold, the traditional wedding band metal.  This number is set to grow this year, and in years to come.

59%

Whoever said romance was dead and buried?  Nearly two out of every three married couples choose to have a personal message engraved on their Tungsten Wedding ring, although none of them were willing to specifically say what theirs’ said!  If you go for a tungsten wedding ring, you can enjoy free laser engraving with us.

$491

Presumably, you see such a figure and assume that the bride is a very lucky lady.  She may well be, but this figure is the average sum spent on a groom’s wedding band in the United States.  Whoever said that weddings were just for women?

$9.6billion

No, not how much of a black hole there is in the financial accounts of a Government department, but the total spend on wedding and engagement bands across the United States in 2012.

Why So Popular

While breaking from tradition and the desire for something different has driven the popularity of Tungsten Wedding rings, the attributes of tungsten carbide have been by far the biggest reason for such growth.

Unbreakable Tungsten Carbide

Tungsten carbide is 10 times harder than 14-carat gold, 4 times harder than platinum, and denser than silver, steel, and titanium.  It is almost impossible to scratch tungsten carbide, and the diamond polishing process means a tungsten ring never loses its shine.

100% tungsten jewelry is available, but doesn’t have the strength and shine characteristics of the tungsten carbide alloy.

Have a need for a Tungsten Wedding Ring, look us up, we will be happy to serve you.

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Can you resize a tungsten ring?

Can you resize a Tungsten Ring?

 
As trends relating to both fashion jewelry and wedding bands evolve at pace, tungsten rings are quickly emerging to become frontrunners in what is an increasingly crowded race for supremacy. The old school of traditional ring metals such as gold and silver, not to mention two-tone rings that are made up of those particular materials, are starting to fall to the back of the pack, if not yet falling completely from the radar.
Of course, as new trends emerge, there are always going to be questions surrounding them. Is this product really better than what came before? Does this represent the future, or another fad anointed the next big thing that we’ll forget in a years’ time?
Tungsten rings have had both of those questions asked of them, and we’d like to think both have been answered emphatically. However, others still exist, specifically surrounding the resizing of tungsten rings.
Is it Possible?
There is no point in beating around the bush or having a big build up just to prove a letdown. It is almost impossible to resize tungsten rings, and as a result, very few, if any, jewelers or retailers will advertise services to do so. However, you should not immediately think that this is a negative. In fact, it is a huge positive. It is indicative of the properties of tungsten that makes it such a desirable metal for wearing as a ring or another piece of jewelry in the first place.
Properties of Tungsten
What are the properties that makes tungsten ring resizing so difficult?
• Up to ten times harder than 14k gold
• Up to four times harder than platinum
• Melting point well in excess of 6,000 degrees Fahrenheit

These contribute to tungsten’s reputation as a strong and durable material, perfect for standing up to the demands of modern life. In addition, the permanent polish and scratch resistance of tungsten means that is even more appealing, both as a wedding band and as a personal purchase or gift.
Despite these benefits being more than what other materials can offer, there is likely to be some apprehension prior to buying a tungsten ring. This is understandable. If you get married at the age of 21, it is unlikely that you will be exactly the same shape and size in 30 or 40 years’ time. Some might change even quicker than that. You won’t want to remove your tungsten ring, particularly if worn for a special, particular reason.
With resizing out of the equation, however, there is a solution at hand.

How to Resize a Tungsten Ring
Although you cannot resize your actual ring owing to the properties listed earlier, a smart decision when buying the ring in the first place will mean your ring can be dealt with.
Whenever you buy a tungsten ring, ensure you do so with a guaranteed lifetime warranty. As there is no way to resize your ring, the least a seller should do is offer to replace your existing ring for one the correct size. After all, they were happy to take your money when you purchased the product knowing it couldn’t be resized.

What to Look Out For
When you find a seller that guarantees replacement rings, there are a number of factors to consider.
• Does the seller replace your ring free of charge, or will you be hit with a fee simply because your body has changed and you need a new product? Is shipping included in any cost?
• If you have a custom laser engraving on your tungsten ring, will this be added to your new product? Again, is this free of charge?
• Is it a lifetime guarantee, meaning you can replace the ring as often as you need? This might sound like a ‘wow’ offer, but the reality is it isn’t unreasonable, given how rarely you will probably need to change your tungsten ring size.
If a seller is able to tick every box, and provides these pointers in writing, then you should definitely buy your tungsten ring from them.

Your Tungsten Ring
Do not be railroaded into thinking that a tungsten ring is a purchase to avoid simply because it cannot be resized. If anything, this is a positive aspect of owning a tungsten ring as it pays testament to the qualities and characteristics of the material and the product itself. If you know that you can simply replace your ring with a dazzling new one, why wouldn’t you take up the offer?

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How to Engrave Tungsten Rings

While a wedding ring or another piece of jewelry can be a hugely personal thing to give to someone, you can make it even more so by having the item engraved, be that with a personal message, a significant date, or a piece of text that means something to you and the person who you have given the gift to.

Tungsten rings are becoming increasingly popular, both as a wedding band alternative to the traditional favorites such as gold and silver, and as a gift for birthdays and other occasions.  They are even suitable for men who love wearing jewelry and want to wear it as a fashion piece, having purchased it themselves.

Traditional Engraving

When you think of having a tungsten ring engraved, you probably imagine that your ring goes to the jeweler or specialist engraver, where they would etch your message into the ring in the traditional manner.  It is possible to engrave a tungsten ring in this manner, but it is not the best, nor the recommended, way to do it.

The reason for this is that tungsten rings are actually tungsten carbide, a tough and durable alloy.  Etching any piece of tungsten jewelry in the traditional manner has the potential to upset the appearance of the ring owing to these characteristics.  Applying force to a tungsten carbide ring, as you would when etching, will actually damage the ring and could even weaken the alloy, not to mention significantly reducing the value of the ring itself.

How Tungsten is Engraved

With the traditional method of engraving out of the question for anyone that wants to keep their tungsten ring strong and looking amazing, the alternative will ensure a clean, modern looking finish, and do nothing but enhance the appearance and meaning of the ring.

Laser engraving is the method used to personalize tungsten rings.

Why Laser Engraving?

There are many benefits to using laser engraving when it comes to tungsten carbide.  What are they?

  • Nothing actually comes into physical contact with the ring itself.  The desired engraving is simply loaded into a computer, and the system-guided laser takes care of doing the actual job.
  • Assurance of a cleaner looking finish; one letter etched even a millimeter or two out of place in the traditional manner can have a huge impact on how an engraving appears.
  • Laser etching appears darker and clearer on a ring, making it easier to read.
  • In a similar vein, because tungsten rings are available in a range of colors, an engraving can stand out stronger against a red or a black background, for example, further adding to the appearance and finish.
  • Several options are available for customizing the engraving of a tungsten ring, stretching even as far as patterns rather than the traditional text.
  • Lastly, there is no other method to engrave tungsten other than diamond bits. But diamond bits are expensive and the tungsten wears them out too fast. Plus, Diamond bits don’t engrave the ring as dark as a laser does.

As laser engraving is the only acceptable way to get your personal message onto a tungsten carbide ring, you should look for a free engraving option whenever you buy tungsten jewelry.  At the same time, you should contact any business that offers to etch tungsten jewelry, yet does not specify how, prior to making a purchase.  Why pay for a high-quality tungsten ring or another piece of jewelry only for it to lose its luster at the engraving stage?

Although traditional engraving is still popular, the benefits that come with laser engraving are making it much more popular, irrespective of the metal used to make a ring.

Engraving Placement

Most of the time, people will choose for their engravings to be on the inside of a tungsten ring or piece of jewelry.  Laser engraving, as well as enabling patterns, also allows for engraving on the outside of the ring.  Completed in the same way as internal engraving is, this again creates a professional finish for your ring.

Finally, you can ask for tungsten rings to be engraved with whatever you want.  For example, a college might want to have their logos engraved on a ring for the championship football team, or a family may have a crest that all members of the family wish to wear on a ring for all eternity.

Do not be fooled by the people who tell you that you cannot engrave tungsten rings.  You can, it just needs a slight change in the process from usual.

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How to Polish a Tungsten Carbide Ring

Tungsten carbide jewelry is one of the most desirable and popular trends of today. While wedding bands are the most common type of tungsten carbide jewelry worn by men, bracelets and necklaces are also popular. This guide will look at the best ways to polish and maintain your tungsten carbide ring yourself.
Popularity of Tungsten Carbide
One of the reasons why tungsten carbide rings are so popular in the first place is that they require very little in the way of maintenance. They are strong and durable, making them a popular choice with people who do not want to have to pay for regular servicing and repairs for their wedding band or fashion ring.
Scratching a tungsten carbide ring is virtually impossible, and the polish and finish of the ring means that it maintains a ‘new’ and shiny appearance at all times. Although tungsten carbide rings are famously low maintenance, there may still be times when you need to give it a clean to keep up its appearance.
Cleaning Your Ring
Although your tungsten carbide ring cannot be scratched or lose its shine, debris can attach itself to the ring; this might be dirt, pieces of another metal that has come into contact with your tungsten carbide ring, or something else. Light smudging and fingerprints might be as bad as it gets, but why would you want to allow even that when it is easy to get the pristine appearance of your ring back?
Cleaning your ring is so simple that you can do it in a matter of minutes. Follow these steps to easily maintain your tungsten ring and keep it looking new forever.

Mix Up a Solution
Tungsten carbide can have an extreme reaction to some cleaning chemicals commonly used for cleaning other types of jewelry, such as ammonia or so-called ‘jewelry cleaning fluid’ that you can buy at the store, and end up damaging your ring irreparably. Thankfully, the solution you need is probably sitting in your kitchen or bathroom right now.Just mix up a cup of warm water with a cup or two of hand soap or washing up liquid, and you will be good to go.

Hit the Tungsten Carbide
You need to use either a cotton cleaning cloth or a toothbrush at this stage. We recommend using the former to complete the main cleaning process, but keep the latter at hand so you can deal with any grooves or areas of your tungsten carbide ring that need specific attention.

Remember that tungsten carbide is a strong alloy, so you can really focus on putting all of your energy into vigorously removing any grime or dirt that has built up on your ring.
Alternatively, you can choose to place your ring in your homemade solution for a short period prior to cleaning. This has a similar effect to soaking dirty dishes prior to cleaning them; most of the dirt will loosen and simply fall off. Use a toothbrush or even a cosmetic cotton swab at this stage. It is better to do this if you have rings with an intricate pattern, engravings, or gemstones within the design.

The Final Step
Once you have completed the cleaning process, tip your cleaning solution away and hold the ring under gently flowing warm water. Use another clean cotton cloth to dry off the ring carefully, and you can return it to pride of place on your finger of choice.

Additional Tips
Not only should you avoid using chemicals to clean your tungsten carbide ring, it is also best to avoid other traditional jewelry cleaning methods, such as ultrasonic cleaning, as this too can damage your ring.
Should you work in an environment where your ring might be exposed to damaging chemicals such as the ones mentioned, then it is a good idea to remove it in any situations contact is possible. If your tungsten carbide ring is exposed to a potentially damaging chemical, your ring should be cleaned as soon as possible. It is definitely best to avoid any problems and just take it off, if you can.
In addition, if you remove your ring for whatever reason elsewhere, ensure it is kept away from other jewelry that might have been cleaned with chemical agents, as these will stay on the jewelry for some time and can still have a damaging impact on your own ring.

Maintaining Your Ring
If you have paid for a quality tungsten carbide ring then it is only natural that you will want to look after it properly. Follow these tips for keeping your ring out of trouble and for cleaning it when you need to, and you will ensure your ring always retains the ‘new’ and shiny look.

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Next series of rings

We thank everyone for their business on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. We have a new line of Black Wood Inlayed Tungsten Carbide wedding rings that will be released over the course of the next month or two.

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November Sale

Check out our tungsten rings on sale this week only!

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Black Tungsten Inlayed Rings

Menstungstenonline.com has done it again. Their exquisite line of unique tungsten wedding rings has been expanded even further by introducing a new collection of black tungsten inlayed rings. Menstungstenonline creates their black tungsten by processing their tungsten with a black ceramic and carbon making the ring solid black all the way through and not just covered with a black plating. These amazing rings are inlayed by rare and unique materials such as wood, meteorite, antler and dinosaur bone. Since the rings are made custom here in our shop, you can guarantee that every ring is unique and unlike any other. The first ring of this collection will be released in the month of November. The band is the an 8mm wide, black tungsten, with a Buckeye Wood inlay. Buckeye wood is an exquisite hard wood that has color ranges from bright yellow to dark green. We hand pick the wood to ensure that the ring shows interesting color and texture.  The buckeye wood then goes through a treatment process to dry it out and create a durable hardwood masterpiece.  You will not be disappointed. The band is beautifully finished with a beveled edge, infinity polish and treated with our own ring armor that protects the wood from wear, moisture and scratching. These rings are completely waterproof and will last a lifetime, making them a perfect choice for a wedding band. Enter the special promo code HOL$30,  upon checkout,  for a $30 discount on all rings.

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