Tungsten Ring Cleaning and Care

If you know of any couples that have gotten married in the past few years, chances are some of them are now wearing tungsten carbide rings on their fingers. Due in part to the rising costs of traditional metals like gold, silver, and platinum, tungsten rings have surged in popularity, offering an affordable alternative to wedding wear without sacrificing in the looks department. If anything, tungsten opens the door to more design possibilities than ever compared to other metals because tungsten carbide is man-made in a controlled environment.

Though only a fraction of the cost of other metals, tungsten rings are extremely durable. In fact, they are the most durable rings you can wear on Earth. Tungsten itself is a naturally recurring metal ore with a hardness of 7.5 on the Mohs scale. Compare that with the gold standard of wedding jewelry, platinum, which is only rated at 4. When tungsten is combined with carbon, the resulting metal is called tungsten carbide. Tungsten carbide has a hardness of 9.0 on the Mohs scale and is only surpassed by diamond for the hardest material in the world.

Benefits of Tungsten Rings

Tungsten carbide rings make an excellent choice for wedding bands for a number of reasons:

• Does not scratch
• Does not tarnish
• Does not fade
• Does not oxidize
• Does not rust
• Resistant to water and air
• Inexpensive
• Infinite design possibilities

Cleaning and Care

While tungsten carbide will easily resist scratches, it is not resistant to build up of grime and dirt. When this happens, a tungsten ring may appear to have black spots. A little cleaning will easily make your tungsten ring shiny and new again.

Take advantage of tungsten's water-resistant properties and soak it in a cup of warm water with a few drops of mild dish soap. Let the ring soak for 15 minutes and dry it out with a cloth.

If the ring still appears dirty, use a toothbrush to scrub off any dirt build up that still remains. This should take care of any stubborn dirt still clinging to the ring.

Unlike pewter or silver, tungsten rings never tarnish and never require polishing or buffing. And unlike gold or platinum, a tungsten ring will not fade or lose its luster over time. For these reasons it's easy to see why tungsten rings have become a popular choice for wedding bands. They're affordable, require only a small amount of cleaning and care, and look just as dazzling as traditional metal rings.