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.