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Getting married is a major life event, and your wedding ring will always carry the memories of that moment. Not only does it symbolize your eternal commitment to your partner, but it highlights your personal taste.
While gold is seen as a classic, tungsten bands are increasingly seen as the #1 choice for wedding bands. So, which is better? Both have benefits, but only one will be there for your ceremony, so you need to make an informed choice.
The team at Steven G Designs is here to help – here’s what to look for.
Tungsten bands are a modern alternative to classic gold bands, prized for their toughness, durability, and stunning range of designs.
While gold is a tried-and-true style, it’s on its way out of being the top choice for wedding bands, simply because it’s not always the best choice for everyday wear. This has also led to the increasing popularity of bands made from other materials.
The team at Steven G Designs is here to guide you through this important choice. Here’s what to look for in a wedding ring, and how each metal performs.
The material that your wedding ring is made from determines how long it lasts and how well it can handle stress and wear and tear.
Traditional gold bands are a soft metal can be scratched easily. Depending on your day-to-day activities, your gold band can quickly lose its luster and sheen and become just another ring.
Tungsten bands are much harder than gold, meaning that they won’t scratch as easily. For reference, a diamond ranks as a ten on the Mohs scale of hardness, and tungsten comes in at a nine, while gold is registered between a two and three. If you’re looking for a ring that will last, tungsten bands are the way to go.
However, while tungsten bands are hard they can be brittle and do not bend like gold. A strong blow against a hard surface can cause a tungsten band to crack and break apart. And once broken it cannot be repaired. A new ring must be purchased.
Gold and tungsten bands can both have some choice for variations.
Gold is known for its lovely yellow shine and can have rose gold or white gold as viable options. This can add a new pop of color. The ring can also have a mill grain edge or a filigree design with delicate ornamental work. Of course, diamonds can be added for a much higher price.
Tungsten bands tend to have a much larger variety of colors and material combinations. With these bands you can find black, yellow, rose, blue, red and more color variations. Also, tungsten looks great when combined with different materials, such as wood, meteorite, abalone shell, deer antler and more. These rings are able to move away from the traditional “plain” aesthetic and showcase a contemporary look while maintaining durability.
Price is always a point of concern with everything around a wedding – it adds up! And the ring is no exception.
It’s worth splashing out on the ring you really love. After all, you’ll have it forever! But if you can find your dream ring without breaking into the $$$$ range, that’s also great news.
Gold rings come with a hefty price tag due to the scarcity of the metal and the extra value retailers charge for that “traditional” look. The cost can easily escalate, especially as the purity of the metal increases – from 9 karat up to pure 24 karat gold.
Tungsten bands are more affordable due to the material being far more accessible. It’s much easier to find a design that you’ll love that will last a lifetime, symbolizing the longevity of your relationship.
Gold does not need much maintenance since it does not tarnish. However, due to its softness gold is vulnerable to scratching and bending. These can’t be easily fixed at home, so you’ll likely need to take your ring in for maintenance a few times during its lifetime.
Tungsten bands are also low maintenance since they are hard, durable and scratch resistant. You can simply use warm water and mild dish soap to help clean the ring and keep it looking its best. The ring can get wet and will not tarnish.
Just try not to hit your tungsten ring with a strong blow against a very hard surface, as I explained earlier.
Gold, while stunning, isn’t always a user-friendly material. Since karat gold is combined with nickel people wearing it can experience an allergic reaction.
At Steven G Designs our rings are tungsten carbide, that is, a combination of tungsten and carbon. There is a small amount of nickel in the rings but the rings are hypoallergenic. With the process of combining the metals, the nickel binds so well with tungsten that it loses its ability to react with the skin. This allows you to enjoy a stunning wedding band without the risks of an allergic reaction.
Tungsten is becoming one of the most popular alternatives to precious metals for those with allergies or sensitivities. You’ll wear your wedding band a lot, so even mild symptoms like itchiness or a light rash are extremely undesirable – best to opt for the safer choice.
Like everything else, our hands change during our lifetime. Weight loss, weight gain, and natural aging all affect how your ring fits, and you may need to make adjustments.
A jeweler can easily re-size a gold band. The price will vary depending on if you are sizing it down or up and how much up. The larger the size increase the more expensive it will be because more gold must be added to the band. And given the price of labor and gold you can expect to pay a high price for any type of sizing.
Tungsten is an especially tough metal, rivaled by other materials like diamond. Because of this, it cannot be resized.
While tungsten rings can’t be adjusted, their affordability means that if you need to change to a larger or smaller band, you won’t be breaking the bank by acquiring a new, identical model. Replacing a tungsten ring will likely cost less over a lifetime than the cost of maintaining (and possibly resizing) a golden ring.
Gold is a precious metal. This is what makes its price high. But when a gold band is sold there are many extras built into the price. For example, the seller’s rent, employee wages, business taxes, profit and so on must be accounted for. Many people think that when they sell a gold band that they will get almost the price that they paid for it. But this is not what happens. You will end up with a small fraction of what you paid. The buyer must sell it again and make the same calculations as the previous seller.
Tungsten is not a precious metal since there is plenty of supply. So, a tungsten band does not have any resale value.
You will get something back from the sale of a gold ring, but it won’t be close to matching what you paid for it.
While a classic in wedding ceremonies, gold rings are increasingly moving out of style in favor of more sustainable, durable, and practical options.
Furthermore, newlyweds are falling in love with unique rings that showcase their personalities ahead of the traditional, plain look. Tungsten bands are more affordable and offer much more of a variety in options than their counterparts, which makes them tough to beat.
Ultimately, the choice is up to you and what you value most. If you want a unique ring that will stand the test of time, tungsten bands are the way to go – check out the collection at Steven G Designs now!
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