Tungsten versus Titanium - The Wedding Ring Dilemma

Tungsten versus Titanium - The Wedding Ring Dilemma

Is there an elephant in the room when considering purchasing a titanium mens wedding band versus a tungsten wedding band? There is - but first let's explore why these two contemporary metals are so popular these past two decades.

Tungsten wedding bands lead the way. They are clearly number one. They have been the king of the mountain ever since this patented product entered the marketplace and took over the gold and silver category. And why you ask? We believe there are three important factors. First, they shine. They have a brilliant finish that is about as permanent as any product's shine in the world of fashion. Period. Hard to scratch, hard to put a dent in and the polish looks like a far more expensive metal - such as gold or platinum. Second, it is heavy and durable. In short, this is a man's product. Not for those who want a slight, lightweight product to wear. It smacks of toughness - like a Ford F150 pickup truck. And lastly, it is easy to work with as far as creativity is concerned - wood inlays, mokume gane inlays, diamonds inlaid in gold bevels, silver and gold inlays - yes to all and oh so many more.

Now when you consider that these are facts that are not going away any time soon - and when one considers that a tungsten gold band costs about a 1/3 of a solid gold band - you now see why they have earned the right to be NUMBER ONE.

This is all fine and good - so we see why tungsten has taken over the contemporary band market and earned its reputation. So what about titanium? When you look at all the descriptors above - they are all true of titanium with one major exception. Titanium is lightweight. You barely feel it on your hand. Some men hate this sensation - they want something that looks and feels manly - durable - heavy - hardened - so they choose tungsten. Titanium weighs over half less that tungsten. So if you want a heavy feel - don't purchase titanium

Now, we started by saying there might be an elephant in the room regarding tungsten. And there really is. It is not even a well kept secret and we are surprised that more people do not talk about it. Here goes ... tungsten breaks and when it does - there goes the ballgame - there is no putting humpty-dumpty back together again regardless of the type of glue you have!

Tungsten is so hard - it is brittle. That is ok for all rings that have lifetime warranties although prorated lifetime warranty fees can get a little expensive over time. But what about unique, custom inlay bands that do not have lifetime warranties that are made of tungsten? There lies the risk. We love tungsten - for all of the reasons listed above. But the prudent and wise shopper will need to gauge his or her tendency to drop things, to hit their hands against hard object, to be rough with jewelry. Because if this describes you - our recommendation is to go for the titanium which has the same beautiful characteristics of a fine contemporary metal, is lightweight and does nto shatter when hit against a hard objcet.

Now you've seen - the big gray elephant. But we've talked about it so ll should be OK now....