// BLOG
Are Tungsten Rings A Good Choice In Alternative Metals?
April 8, 2012
This sleek tungsten ring design by Triton features high polished beveled edges and ultra modern carbon fiber inlay with a diamond center stone. WOW!
Many prospective buyers of tungsten rings, choose this alternative metal, because they are looking for a contemporary style that distances themselves from the traditional look of yellow gold. There are of course other metals that can do that. For instance…
White Gold
Pros: If you want a lighter colored metal, white gold is an option. While natural gold is yellow, white gold is created by combining the natural gold with other elements, usually nickel, manganese or palladium. The finished product is then most often coated, or plated with rhodium (sometimes known as flashing) .
Cons: To keep the white gold from yellowing, the “flashing” process will have to be repeated at least once a year, so as to keep its white appearance. White gold is extremely soft and will easily scratch or lose its shine, so regular maintenance and polishing is often required to keep its showroom appearance.
Platinum
Pros: A dense and durable precious metal that is twice as hard to chip or scratch as white gold. Platinum has a beautiful lustrous white shine.
Cons: Only half as hard as mens tungsten wedding bands. Over time platinum will inevitably scratch and need professional polishing and attention to retain showroom shine. additionally, platinum is definitely one of the higher priced choices of metal.
Titanium
Pros: This metal has the highest ratio between strength and density of all metallic materials and is extremely light weight. Its gunmetal gray appearance makes it highly desirable to contemporary jewelry lovers.
Cons: Due to its lightweight feel, if the fit has loosened, some wearers have lost their ring without knowing. Due to the extreme density of the metal, re-sizing can also be very difficult/impossible. However many reputable retailers have a reasonable re-sizing exchange policy if your ring size should ever change. Be sure to ask ahead of time.
Tungsten
Pros: Tungsten is the only rare and exotic metal (with the exception of cobalt chrome) that can be permanently polished. With gold, platinum and even titanium rings you will get varying degrees of scratching and acquired imperfections. Tungsten is so highly scratch resistant, this will never happen, it maintains its showroom appearance for the life of the ring. Tungsten is also highly affordable, with some styles beginning at only $99.
Cons: Due to tungsten wedding bands hardness, re-sizing is not an option, however many reputable tungsten retailers have a reasonable re-sizing exchange policy if your ring size should ever change, so be sure to ask ahead of time. Unlike the lightness of titanium, tungsten is heavy and some who are unaccustomed to wearing jewelry may need time to adjust to the weighty feel.
Hope This Helps
Tungsten wedding bands are a great choice for the working man who wants an affordable ring, that will maintain its showroom sheen without much maintenance. Clean your ring with a mild soap and warm water, and your tungsten band will shine as bright as the day you bought it.
Survey Results Are Back: Are You One Of The 17%
April 8, 2012
What style would you choose in tungsten bands for your mangagement?
According to the fifth annual co-branded proposal and engagement survey, conducted by TheKnot.com and Mens Health, and reported on by businesswire.com, 17% of the men surveyed declared without hesitation that they would absolutely wear, what has come to be known as a mangagement band.
This development is not surprising, for multiple reasons. One, men are becoming more open and comfortable expressing their emotions. Two, many engagements have become long standing, while finances are put in order or college is finished, or by some other nuptial hindering event and in the mean time men as well as their ladies would like a visible sign out there, that he is officially off the market.
The affordability and variety of styles in mens tungsten rings make them a perfect option for the fashion forward man who is not afraid to tell the world that he has been claimed. So are you one of the 17% who admit you would wear a mangagement ? Or are you in the remaining 83% who secretly wish you had one?
Have You Ever Shopped Mens Tungsten Wedding Bands By Video?
March 31, 2012
Study the 3D effect that the carbon fiber has next to the smoky tungsten band as it circles around the screen in this video.
They say that pictures are worth a thousand words. If that’s true, then I believe when it comes to shopping online, especially jewelry, and in this case mens tungsten wedding bands, that a video’s worth a million. Its hard to get a real depth of the pattern, lighting, and sparkle of tungsten ringsfrom a simple photo, but when you are shopping online, you often do not have many choices about that. There are reputable online retailers however that want to make sure their customers are completely enamored and excited about their purchases, by putting video of various tungsten ring creations on their sites. This is an invaluable shopping tool for jewelry lovers, and gives us the added 360 degree vantage point before we buy.
Next time you shop for tungsten wedding bands online, make sure to click the video portion and get the full splendor of your favorite pieces of jewelry from the most desired designers of contemporary metals.
Make Your Statement With Mens Tungsten Wedding Bands
March 31, 2012
Nothing traditional about ArtCarved's black ceramic and tungsten band "Renato". The braided features give this mens tungsten wedding band a flair and style all it's own!
Traditionally, at least since men started wearing wedding rings, round about the time of WII, wedding bands have been made of some form of gold, whether white or yellow, or some other metal considered “precious”. However, that does not mean that we have no choice as to what we decide to wear when it come to our wedding jewelry. Modern Jeweler reported that 1/3 of all mens rings today were made of contemporary metals and that nearly 20% of that number were mens tungsten wedding bands. This has been a real advantage to the working man. Tungsten rings are excessively hard, they will not scratch and leave marks of wear on the band, the way that gold, platinum or silver does. So it’s obvious that many grooms breaking with tradition have been glad to do so once they get the not only less expensive but also more modern look of contemporary metals on their hands.
Non-Traditional Rogues of History
There are quite a few people of note who broke with tradition, and while it was a hot topic of the day, eventually others saw that they liked it. Take Mary, Queen of Scots, for instance. When she married her first husband the dauphin of France in 1558, most royal brides of the day wore a silver or blue wedding dress. It was absolutely unheard of for a blushing bride to wear white, that was the color of death and mourning. Nonetheless, Mary only 15 years old at the time, was quite the fashionista and felt that she looked ravishing in white and insisted upon a white wedding dress.
This unique look in tungsten rings is a squared creation of designer DIANA CLASSIC. This mens tungsten band features a gorgeously ornate 24k gold inlay running the entirety of the band.
300 years later, the trend was picked up again, this time by Queen Victoria when she married her Prince Albert. She wore a pure white wedding gown trimmed in orange blossoms. This time the trend stuck and all her subjects from there on out decided to imitate the look and the traditional white wedding gown was adopted into modern culture.
Be A Tungsten Rogue
These women chose what they liked regardless of public opinion, and eventually the public decided they were on board for it. Fortunately the contemporary metal movement has not been such a tough row to hoe, and many top designers have been consistently adding fabulous new creations to their lines. So take a look at ArtCarved, Heavy Stone Rings, Triton, and J.R.Yates, to name just a few of the greats and get the tungsten bands that are just perfect for you!
Tungsten Bands Grow More Modern With Advanced Technology
March 25, 2012
This 8mm has a beveled edge & comfort fit, showing off a fabulously unbroken band of carbon fiber the full length of the Tungsten band.
Tungsten rings have never been considered old fashioned. Even so, top designers have been finding new ways to increase the durability and appeal to those of us who want only top notch when it comes to choosing the best among mens tungsten wedding bands for either ourselves, or our significant other.
The latest trend I’ve observed is designers, such as Triton for instance, adding more tungsten rings with carbon fiber inlay to their already full lines of tungsten bands. Yes, this is the same carbon fiber used on cars, space shuttles and countless other objects that require a sleek look combined with a phenomenal weight to strength ratio, which under some conditions, according to dragonplate.com, is 18% greater than aluminum and 14% greater than steel.
Carbon fiber is not a metal, it’s just what it claims to be, a fiber consisting of carbon atoms, linked together to form a long chain. Carbon fiber comes in a variety of building blocks including weaves and braids, such as you see used in the most modern of tungsten wedding bands. Take a look at the variety of styles, and discover the most fabulously decorative uses of carbon fiber, in jewelry. What appeals most to you? It’s sleekness or the plain and simple un-matchable strength?
This new look from Triton features rolled step edges and a comfort fit. Not to mention the fine inlay of carbon fiber following the full circumference of the Tungsten band.
Why stop with just a Tungsten band? Add two other of the hardest materials known to man. Carbon Fiber & A Diamond.
Tungsten Rings Answer The Call Of The Wild!
March 25, 2012
The intricate metal looks so fine, its as if an artist painted it with a fine brush!
If you are looking for a whole lot of flair, and want to grab some attention wearing your tungsten rings, then I’ve found just the look for you. Mens tungsten wedding bands designer, Jewelry Innovations has created more than one bold look, using the centuries old technique, Mokume Gane to dress up their styles.
Mokume Gane was originally used in fashioning and individualizing the swords of the Samurai. In a highly abbreviated nutshell, it’s created by choosing the desired metals, often gold, copper, or silver, then heating these metals just enough that they do not completely mix together. Once that happens, the metals are pressed and folded repeatedly until they create one solid piece, yet still maintaining the color and brilliance of each individual metal. I have no doubt that any skilled artisan of this difficult craft would roll over in their grave at my simplistic and incomplete description of this fabulous process, but for the sake of time and the laymen among us, that is my synopsis. If you want to know more details, definitely google it, and see the fabulous pieces that masters of the trade have forged using this technique.
The combination of tungsten rings with the Mokume Gane inlay is absolutely genius. The strength and modern appeal of tungsten, side by side with a metal as rich in tradition and heritage as Mokume Gane is simply the perfect collaboration of past and present. Some of these tungsten bands feature an in your face, impossible to ignore, type of boldness for the man who will never settle for being one of the crowd. Others have a subtle strength that will be gently pleasing for the strong yet silent type. Which type are you?
This Tungsten band has a softer side. Mokume Gane inlay created with 14k gold & Palladium. Gorgeously refined for a man with impeccable taste!
This 8mm Mokume Gane & Tungsten band is aptly named Bengal. Give you just one guess why?
Have You Witnessed The Beauty Of Tritons Tungsten Rings?
March 17, 2012
This is a gloriously unique tungten ring, while most grooves are in block style, this one features a diagonal pattern
For me personally, and maybe it’s just my generation of growing up with “The Little Mermaid” or watching old movies like Clash of The Titans, (oh wait, I think that was actually Poseidon?) whatever the reason, I hear the name Triton and I see a picture strength and power, at least according to mythology.
The contemporary metal designers Triton have just that, strength, power, and throw in some amazing artistic flair. The stunning creations they have fashioned within their lines of mens tungsten wedding bands for instance, truly shows they live up their creed of hand designing each piece with uncompromising attention to detail.
When you are shopping online for mens tungsten rings, if your like me you want to see variation in styles, so let me take a moment to show you some of your options through the many diverse designs of Triton. Like many other high quality designers of contemporary metals, Triton does not sell directly to the public, so choose a trusted and reputable authorized dealer to make these fabulous treasures your very own.
The contemporary lines of this tungsten band, combined with it's carbon fiber inlay and diamond setting is completely divine. A real stunner!
I'm absolutely in love with the detailed etching on this 8mm tungsten band. The longer you look, the more distinguished it becomes!
What Makes Them Specifically, Mens Tungsten Rings?
March 17, 2012
This high polished flat tungsten band by J.R. Yates, comes in 4mm, 6mm, and 8mm widths
A Band Is A Band, Is A Band, Isn’t It?
If bands are bands, then what makes them specifically mens tungsten wedding bands? It seems at first, kind of a silly question, you would think that the answer is obvious, men wear mens rings and women wear womens rings. Right? Well, sort of, until you decide to take a closer look. Many women also prefer to wear wedding bands and times rather than a large solitaire or multi-gemmed bauble. So what specifically make the difference between mens and womens wedding bands?
Obviously taste and preference have a lot to do with it, and although there may be definite occasions when a retailer might classify a band as being a “his” or “hers”, for the most part you will not see exclusively gender specific items. Due to differences in likes and opinion, there is thankfully, no set rules as to who is allowed to wear what style, or size of, for instance, tungsten rings. There are however some guidelines you might be able to use, if your shopping online, that can make your selection a bit easier on yourself.
This chunky 8mm tungsten and diamond band bears the trademark of masculinity while still retaining style and elegance
What about Style?
Some men are more fashion conscious than others and want a contemporary metal or a style that’s more trendy among mens rings. Popular contemporary metals among men include tungsten, titanium, black titanium, and cobalt. Tungsten is a strong, and heavy metal, cobalt is also strong but much lighter weight, while titanium has the widest ratio of strength to lightness in weight among the three metals. The selection among men may have a large bearing on the type of work they do, perhaps preferring a metal with some bite to it. These are all usually factors predominately among mens rings. Where as in women’s bands, they are traditionally of a more malleable precious metal such as gold, silver or platinum.
Does The Build Of The Man Or Woman Make A Difference?
Absolutely it does. A taller or heavier framed man may prefer a wider width ring (7-10 mm range) while a slimmer or smaller framed man may feel comfortable wearing a smaller millimeter width (3-6 mm range) and it looks natural and perfectly masculine due to his frame. On the same note, a taller or more voluptuous woman might choose a wider width of band and it looks dazzlingly feminine, while the petite woman might feel that a wider band enveloped her.
What About the Stones?
Gemstones such as diamonds, and now due to their ever growing popularity, black diamonds are appearing in a large number of tungsten rings being marketed predominately to men as a rule, due to their style and the differences between what most men and woman typically prefer. Naturally though these are general preferences, and if some of the ladies were to find a band in these categories that suited their style, by all means she should wear them.
So even though most tungsten rings may be styled and suited with men in mind, today’s emerging trends include chunky baubles for both men and women. So use your your tastes to decide the look that is best for you.
How Can I Be Sure I’m Ordering The Right Size Tungsten Rings?
March 12, 2012
Once you get your favorite tungsten rings, you want to be able wear them right away! Am I right?
One of the biggest questions people ask when ordering tungsten rings online is, “How do I know I am getting the right size, if I haven’t tried it on?” It’s understandable, especially when you have not bought jewelry in a while, or don’t often buy online.
Mens tungsten wedding bands by nature are scratch resistant, maintain a permanent shine and are the hardest of the contemporary metals used in jewelry. Because of this, they cannot be re-sized, so you want to make sure you get your most accurate and comfortable fit right from the start. Of course if you order the wrong size, naturally you can return the ring following your online jewelers return policy and get the correct size in exchange, but that can be a real hassle. So when it comes down to it, you really do have a few options in picking your correct size.
A comfort fit, like on this tungsten band can loosen your ring up to half a size! So order accordingly!
1. You can guess, based upon what your ring size was in high school when you chose your class ring. (Not recommended) Probably not your best option, and one that might be even a little disappointing if you like most others have “filled out” a bit since your senior year.
2. You can go to a local jeweler have them size your finger for you. This is not a bad option since you have someone else doing it for you, and usually jewelers are happy to size you, free of charge. The downside however it does take time to go in, and most likely the whole reason your ordering online is that you don’t have the time or interest in going to a brick and mortar store, or dealing with salesmen.
Use your sizer several times during the day to get your most correct sizing. Your finger can fluctuate up to 1 whole size!
3. You can download a free ring-sizer online. I found a site that has a paper ring-sizer you can download and print to help you with your ring size for free. One thing about using the paper sizer however is you don’t want to pull it too tight or leave it too loose. Believe it or not, most people that order online with ring-sizer’s order their tungsten bands too loose. Many retailers of tungsten wedding bands carry designs that feature the comfort fit, and these will often make a size fit more loosely than non-comfort fit bands by about 1/2 a size.
4. My personal opinion is that your best choice is to order a ring-sizer from the online retailer you wish to purchase from. It usually arrives in a matter of days and you can be assured of getting the right size. One such sizer is only $2.99 and the retailer offers free shipping. On top of that it comes with a coupon for $25. Not bad for having peace of mind when you order.
Another thing to keep in mind is that your ring size can actually fluctuate a full size depending on water retention, or simply what you ate for dinner last night. Chinese food anyone? Make sure that you take an average, by trying the sizer a few different times during the day and see which one consistently fits the best.
Titanium-Jewelry.com has great sizing tips so you get the perfect fit for your online purchase. Hope this helps make your ordering easier. Now start shopping for your favorite tungsten rings!
Men…The Time’s Come For You To Be Pleasing In Pink
March 9, 2012
A cream vest with pink embroidered flowers by Neal & Palmer is fabulous for the wedding day!
When exactly did pink become defined as solely a color for the ladies? I’m so glad that trends are changing, but it’s entirely possible that some men may be shuddering. So in order to help change the tide of old worn out opinions, lets spend some time looking at completely masculine styles and are built around this now universally accepted color, shall we?
PLATINI by Triton is a sleek look in tungsten rings for the ultra-modern and forward thinking groom.
Lets start in a place that most men are willing to make concessions. The wedding day.
I love the pink tie and delicately embroidered vest in contrast with the black tuxedo pants. It’s absolutely stunning and fits perfectly in a spring wedding.
DENOBI is a great example of how mens tungsten wedding bands incorporated rose gold to a strikingly dapper effect.
Let loose your more eccentric side with this eye catcher from Mr.Porter
Dressy, But A Little More Casual
Moving on to less formal occasions, but ones that still may encourage the use of a necktie, check out this free spirited plaid number by Drake’s.
So it’s a little slow in the take off, and perhaps for the best, most men venture into pink on predominately more formal occasions, but I like it. So be willing to explore the possibility of showing your softer side and perhaps you will become one of the trend setters!