Last week, I found a very interesting question on a fashion jewelry forum: Why my tungsten carbide ring turning Grey? Here is the story.
A guy bought a tungsten carbide band on a website. 3 months later, his tungsten ring is turning Grey. So, he asked this kind of question online forum.
As a fashion jewelry manufacturer, I know the ins and outs of making a tungsten ring.
From my experience, there are main 2 reasons
Your tungsten carbide ring is made of cobalt.
This might be the main reason for this problem.
Why?
Before I tell you the reason, let me tell you guys more about tungsten
Pure tungsten is a very durable gunmetal Grey metal. Tungsten is not a pure metal in nature.
It is combined as an alloy metal with other elements(85% tungsten and 15% superior nickel blinder). Its high scratch resistance and durability make it a perfect choice for rings, especially tungsten wedding bands.
Here is the thing:
If your tungsten carbide ring is alloyed with cobalt, your tungsten ring will tarnish and turn Grey. like this picture
Why?
The tungsten carbide rings made with cobalt will react with your body’s natural secretions. It will tarnish and change color, turn your ring to a Grey and some green stain on your finger.
The tungsten ring made with cobalt is also called industrious tungsten ring. So, you really should avoid buying these cheap tungsten rings. Instead, spend more on jewelry grade tungsten rings. I will explain what is jewelry grade tungsten rings in the next part. Here I write a very helpful post: how to tell if tungsten ring has cobalt?
If your tungsten carbide ring is alloyed with superior nickel, your ring will not be turning Grey.
This tungsten ring made with nickel is called jewelry grade tungsten ring. Jewelry grade tungsten ring will not tarnish or change color. If you want to know more about jewelry grade tungsten rings, please read my post here, you will learn more about jewelry grade tungsten ring and where to buy authentic tungsten rings.
The electroplating is not very good. ( Poor coating Technology)
What is electroplating? Let’s the pro answer from ibretexts.org
“Electroplating is the process of plating one metal onto another by hydrolysis, most commonly for decorative purposes or to prevent corrosion of a metal. There are also specific types of electroplating such as copper plating, silver plating, and chromium plating. Electroplating allows manufacturers to use inexpensive metals such as steel or zinc for the majority of the product and then apply different metals on the outside to account for appearance, protection, and other properties desired for the product. The surface can be a metal or even plastic.”–libretexts.org
So, if you buy a cheap tungsten ring with bad electroplating, its plating color will be fading soon or later. As you know, the tungsten color is gunmetal color. Gunmetal color is a Dark Grey color. If the plating on the surface is fading, your ring will be turning Grey.
See this ring for example
Scuffs very easily. A customer received his ring a few days ago and already have scuff marks. He works in an office environment and he did not do anything strenuous outside of work. Poor quality coating.
You guys can see more reviews here.
My suggestion is: avoid buying poor quality coating tungsten rings.
Conclusion:
Here are the two main reasons that your tungsten rings turning Grey. Try not to buy tungsten rings made with cobalt or poor quality coating tungsten rings. Pay more money for better quality and services.
You guys can read my post here: the main difference between cheap and expensive tungsten rings. you will know more about tungsten ring and how to buy a tungsten rings
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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.