Tungsten Carbide

Tungsten Carbide

What does Carbide Stand for in Tungsten Carbide Ring?

What does the ‘carbide’ stand for in tungsten carbide ring? You have heard that tungsten rings are ‘unbreakable’ - that they are made from one of the hardest substances on earth. You may have heard that tungsten rings do not scratch, or that they keep a ‘like-new’ polish for their entire lifetime. Much of the fantastic stuff you hear about tungsten comes from the presence of the ‘carbide’. To understand how the metallurgy works to create such beautiful rings we will need to start at the beginning.

Tungsten is one of the hardest substances known to man, and amazingly made stronger when combined with carbide. When pure tungsten is mixed with a carbon alloy the resulting metal alloy rates between 8.5 and 9.5 on the MOHs hardness scale (only diamonds are harder at a rating of 10). The mixed tungsten and carbon alloy becomes known as tungsten carbide and is used in a huge variety of products and tools – x-ray tubes, light bulbs, welding electrodes, turbine blades, high speed tools, grinding tools, golf clubs and even bullets. All of these ‘practical’ items are the reason it took so long to get around to using it for tungsten carbide rings.

When jewelers began to try and work with tungsten carbide they quickly discovered that the process would be much more like cutting a diamond in the rough than the usual process of shaping metal. In fact, there are almost 30 steps between beginning and finishing a tungsten carbide ring. Working with metal this hard isn’t easy, but the end results justify the effort. Rings of unprecedented durability and beauty emerge from the rough metal. Polished tungsten has a very deep shine that will stay for life – tungsten rings never need refinishing.

A tungsten carbide ring will last a lifetime and beyond. With the addition of carbon alloy, amazingly, tungsten becomes even stronger and more durable. You have heard great things about tungsten, but to truly appreciate this quality metal you need to feel and see a ring for yourself. You will be impressed by the ring’s weight and feeling of liquid satin in the hand. You will be impressed as well by the deepness of the shine and how light plays across the highly polished surface. Soon you will be the one, showing off your new ring, and talking about the fantastic properties of tungsten carbide rings.

About the Author

A tungsten carbide ring expert of Larson Jewelers was written this article. Find more information about tungsten rings here.