Tungsten Ring Shopping and just what You Need to Know
Exceptional for permanent polish and resilience to utilize and tear, tungsten rings have gained immense popularity recently, especially among men, and is one the fastest types of wedding bands selling online today. But with the huge numbers of retailers who've caught on to this trend now flooding the market industry, how should the savvy online shopper pick which one to choose from? Let's just say, not every tungsten carbide rings are equal. Here are several things you need to know to turn your online tungsten ring purchase into the best one ever.
Tungsten ring
Trade secrets to navigate the online tungsten carbide ring market
1. Look for a retailer where "Free" is actually Free
One of the main reasons for tungsten carbide rings' exploding popularity, besides their extreme hardness and shine, is all the "free" offers that come with its purchase making it a great deal. But don't be so easily fooled, its not all "free" offers are truly free.
Free freight - Free shipping is free of charge, only if you keep the ring. If you want to return it, shipping cost might be deducted from your refund.
30 day money back guarantee/refund - Comes with a sizable re-stocking or processing fee.
Free Lifetime Warranty/Sizing - Includes a hefty "deductible" fee sometimes approximately $50-75.
Of course, there are retailers that offer truly free sizing and warrantee without any hidden fees. These stores which can be willing to offer quality services uphold the quality in their rings and they are confident that their rings is not going to fail.
2. These C's of tungsten rings - Comfort, Content, Craftsmanship
Though pictures from different websites may look exactly the same, the actual ring you get may not look as well as its picture. There exists a huge variation from the quality of rings out there, differences you cannot discern with no the ring inside your hand. These are a few to be sure you are acquiring the highest quality ring you deserve.
Comfort - is determined by the Thickness in the ring, weight, width, etc.
The comfortable sense of wearing a ring is greatly determined by its thickness. While many retailers proudly boast they feature "comfort fit" rings, they are less eager to declare their actual thickness. Most of the time of tungsten rings, they are usually too thick to get comfortable. After all, a thin halo of metal around your finger feels a lot better than a bolt, and looks better. For example, most gold rings average 1.8 mm - 2.0 mm maximum thick. Poor quality tungsten rings can be as thick as 2.5 mm and there are many of them out there. There's a difference in the properties of gold and tungsten as metals. Tungsten wedding rings will be on average thicker than gold ones since they need to be a certain thickness in order to avoid breaking. But as long since this threshold is achieved, they must be as thin as you can, and this depends on how the tungsten ring is made. Top quality tungsten rings should have a maximum thickness of 2.3 +/- 0.1 mm. Also, you should know that the ring's thickness should change with regards to the size. A size 12 ring might be 2.3 mm thick while a size 6 ring must only be 1.8 mm thick to get most comfortable. Determine the best thickness for your size to acquire a truly high quality ring. Try to find listed specifications of a ring's thickness, width, weight, etc. Also ensure that the edges of your tungsten ring don't feel sharp or ragged simply because this has been seen in many inferior rings. A truly well made "comfort fit" ring should have no sharp edges.
Content - Percentage of Tungsten Carbide Purity
Most tungsten ring websites know to say that high quality tungsten bands have trace levels of nickel in the composition in the rings while inferior ones use cobalt, or that quality tungsten rings are constructed of tungsten carbide; but the actual percentage of tungsten carbide in the ring is really a lesser known fact. Many retailers don't really understand the actual facts or details and they are less likely to offer real excellent tungsten wedding bands. Like gold jewelry, made of 58.3% gold (14 karat) or 75% gold (18 karat), the tungsten ring is the most suitable at a certain percentage of purity (Gold jewelry is almost never 100% - 24 karat- given it would be too soft and lose form easily). When there is too little tungsten carbide, the rings are not as hard and scratch-resistant as they could be; with a lot of tungsten carbide, the rings are far too brittle and crack easily. An alloy with a purity of 85% Tungsten Carbide is the current standard for creating the best quality rings. Ask your retailer prior to buying, and they should be able to answer this question without hesitation.
Craftsmanship - Symmetry of the Final Finish and Style
Tungsten carbide rings are each individually created, the same style ring won't be exactly perfectly alike, there may be a huge difference inside the final look and symmetry from the ring. Symmetry ensures that one side of the ring need to look the same as the other side, or as near as possible. For example, if your tungsten ring is supposed to have beveled edges, the bevel on one hand should be equally as wide because other bevel. If a tungsten ring stood a brushed center stripe, help it become not off center, unless it is intentionally designed doing this. A satin or brushed finish also need to be as even and precise as is possible. If a brushed finish meets a elegant finish, see if there exists a straight line all over the ring where the two finishes meet. Inconsistent finishes and obvious asymmetry in tungsten rings reflect poor craftsmanship and insufficient good quality control.
Best Test to discover the Highest Quality Tungsten Ring
In case you are willing to spend a little bit more time, it can be worthwhile to take advantage of the free shipping and 30 day money back guarantees to purchase tungsten rings from many online retailer. Compared side by side in your hand, you might be able to see whether you are truly obtaining the highest quality tungsten ring you desire.
3. Pricing
With tungsten rings, higher prices really do somewhat reflect good quality. Tungsten rings are unique because they're made in a different fashion from most yellow metal rings. Due to the pricey gold and platinum, for example, individual molds are made for each ring style after which molten metal flows into the molds. When the metal cools and hardens, it's nearly finished, requiring only minimal polishing work and finished. This leads to less material waste and labor spent polishing and grinding the ring into the desired shape. Tungsten rings, alternatively, cannot be made with molds as a consequence of tungsten's unique extreme hardness. Instead, each ring begins from a rough cast that appears exactly the same. Through intense labor and machining, the ring acquires its final distinctive finished design, much like a statue that is chiseled beyond a solid block of rock. Therefore, additional time, labor, and work will probably produce higher quality rings, plus equates with higher costs. Rings that retail at under $100 reflect lower costs, truly translate to lower quality.