Does your tungsten ring fit properly? Have you gained or lost a bit of weight since the last time you bought your tungsten carbide ring? This article seeks to find out whether you can resize tungsten rings.
So you have had your tungsten carbide ring for many years. Owing to a variety of reasons, including gaining or losing weight, different environments, or various bodily changes, you need to exchange your ring. The ring does not fit like it used to, and you realize the importance of adjusting your ring size appropriately. So, can you resize tungsten rings?
Can you resize tungsten rings?
Tungsten rings are not resizable because of the metal’s physical properties. Tungsten carbide rings are approximately four times harder than titanium metal and ten times harder than 18 karat gold. Tungsten also has a very high melting point of 6170 Fahrenheit. It has a rating of 9.5 on the Mohs scale, while steel is 4.5, and platinum is 3.5.
Due to its high mineral hardness, it is impossible to cut it, unless you use a diamond-embedded device, which is harder than tungsten.
These rings consist of tungsten carbide, a metal alloy of tungsten and carbon. It undergoes atomic bonding, making to act more like a ceramic than a metal alloy. As a result, the carbon and the tungsten metal form covalent or ionic bonds, which are much stronger than metallic bonds. This is why tungsten carbide rings have a high melting point, are less malleable, and very durable, but brittle.
The process of resizing rings involves cutting the metal content to remove/add metal to them; hence, increasing or decreasing their size.
The hard nature and inflexibility of tungsten rings make it quite difficult to cut them as they may break in an unintended direction. As such, the only option left is to buy another ring or exchange it. Consult your jeweler on their exchange and resizing terms.
Can tungsten rings be engraved?
One of the best ways to personalize a ring is by engraving it with a personal message or symbolic picture inside the ring. With several designs of tungsten carbide rings and various forms of engravings, many people are choosing to engrave their rings as a means of differentiating them from the others available in the market.
Fortunately, tungsten rings can be easily engraved with custom engravings. The same extreme hardness of the metal that makes it the most scratch-resistant metal in the world is the same hardness that makes it challenging to engrave these rings traditionally. As such, most jewelers use lasers to engrave tungsten rings.
Laser engravings are just as permanent and smooth to the touch as any other means of engraving. However, you can get grim, and dirt caught up in the engraving. The laser burn the tungsten carbide material, bringing carbon to the surface, which allows a wide array of symbols, designs, and words to be added onto the ring’s surface.
Removing engravings from tungsten rings is quite challenging as it tends to leave porosity and various marks. Make sure you know precisely what you want to be engraved, to avoid making unnecessary mistakes.
Can tungsten rings be cut off?
Contrary to popular belief, tungsten rings can not be cut off in case of emergencies. but it can be cracked with pressure.
Although they consist of the hardest metal on earth, medical practitioners have the necessary tools to ply off any piece of jewelry that causes harm to the wearer, without hurting him/her. The process may cause some discomfort, but it is temporary.
However, instead of cutting tungsten rings, it is best to crack the ring into small pieces.
Cracking bits of the ring helps in dealing with the hardness of the metal. Often, professionals use vice grip pliers or other ring cutting devices as the ordinary wire cutters, and regular hack saw will not even dent the ring.
Usually, you can only damage or scratch tungsten carbide metal by using abrasion from diamonds or corundum. Similarly, a rotary saw with a diamond-coated blade can cut through tungsten carbide rings in seconds.
Conclusion
It is not possible to resize tungsten rings. However, this is not a disadvantage because the labor and actual cost of resizing rings is not worth it.
Resizing a traditional ring may cost more than an actual purchase of a tungsten ring. More so, modern rings often come with a custom fit feature, meaning the jeweler may find it difficult to retain the perfect belly in the inner diameter when resizing.
As a result, you may find it more beneficial to exchange your tungsten ring rather than look for ways to resize it.
For more tungsten rings info, read here or visit our home page for more.
Tiger is a fashion&jewelry lover. He is also a fashion jewelry manufacturer that help thousands of small business to grow and also do business with some big fashion jewelry brands. He is a truly metal expert and he will share some information you are looking for.