Samantha Rogers
Pop into any standard jewelry store and prepare to be astonished by the price of tungsten and titanium men's rings. The market rate around me varies between $200 and $600 depending on complexity of the design and size.I went looking for a wedding band for my husband as a surprise. He's not the sort of man to wear to wear a traditional gold band, and we had trouble finding a design that straddled contemporary and classic tastes. We wanted something not too ostentatious (no laser-etched dragons or tattoo designs) but not the same Celtic braid or single tone that everyone else had. Amazon provided what I needed after weeks scouring jewelry stores and online vendors looking for something that met the criteria, when I was about ready to give up.The tungsten wedding band I ordered came as depicted, with a smooth and polished bevel around the central matte band that has a brushed metal look. The darker interior band handsomely off sets the brighter tungsten. The interior is fully the bright finish for a comfortable fit. Thanks to its two-texture finish, the ring really resists scratching and smudging that can come through regular wear. Nonetheless, my husband wipes down the ring every so often to clean it and removes it whenever he's working with caustic chemicals, sharp edges, and such.Tungsten is considerably more dense and solid than titanium, the other option we considered. A man used to titanium may be surprised how heavy tungsten is. This ring produces a clunk when knocked against other solid surfaces, and its weight is appreciable in the palm of my hand. Its durability is a major selling point, and its ability to resist corrosion, scratches, and dents equally so. Do be aware that this feature makes resizing extremely difficult and, in the event of an accident, removing the ring may require surgical attention in a hospital. But as my husband says, "Any accident that damages the ring probably means I don't have a finger left."We ordered a half size up from my husband's usual size as a precaution, but it proved to be much too loose. We had no problems at all returning the ring and reordering the correct size down. Returns were simple, and the ring was issued in the same week. Resizing at a jewelry store is a very difficult and expensive proposition; some won't even consider doing it given the metal's resistance to making a smooth connection. Tungsten is more brittle and behaves differently from gold or platinum.The man gets compliments all the time from men and women on his wedding band, and few people would ever guessed what we paid for it. The quality matches the much more expensive options for sale in stores, and I frankly think the appearance exceeds much of their offerings. I would buy this again in a heartbeat.
