Choosing A Ring Material

So you are in the market for a ring and you are struggling to decide which metal to go for, the following may help to clear up some of the questions you have.

Zirconia Ceramic Rings

- Solid colour
- High scratch resistance
- More natural than other metals

When you think of the word ceramic you might think of that tea cup you dropped and watched shatter into hundreds of pieces, this material is much the opposite. In my opinion this is the most interesting of materials, and hence why I am starting this article with it. Zirconia ceramic is very hard material, harder than titanium but not quite as hard as tungsten carbide. This makes it more scratch restistant than most other rings on the market behind tungsten. The main reason I decided to pursue this material is due to one of the main drawbacks of the other metals, you may have seen I stock a few black titanium and tungsten carbide rings. They are certainly beautiful pieces, but the problem is the black colour is merely a coating on the surface which is susceptible to scratches revealing the silver coloured metal underneath. Zirconia ceramic rings have the huge benefit of being completely solid black or white in colour, there is no surface that may eventually scratch off. This, along with their extreme scratch resistance makes them the perfect ring for people who want an everlasting coloured ring.

Titanium Rings

- They're cheaper
- They're lightweight
- They're well known

Titanium has a wide appeal because you hear of it being used in medical implants, the aerospace industry and it's just a cool word to say, after all it was named after the Titans of Greek mythology. Titanium is a great material, but it has downsides like everything else, for example titanium is not indestructible like some may believe. It will still scratch, dent and lose its shine from daily wear; I have had some customers surprised that this has happened as they believed titanium was a super strong metal. They are right, but it is strong for the wrong reasons, titanium has a fantastic strength to weight ratio, but for it to maintain this strength it has to be flexible otherwise pressure on the metal would cause it to snap, much in the same way skyscrapers and bridges are designed to bend in the wind. If they were designed to be rock solid they would crack under the pressure and eventually collapse. This means titanium is strong, but flexible, which makes it susceptible to scratches and scuffs. Of course proper care of your ring will limit the wear and tear, although some find the worn and torn look more attractive than a brand new ring.

Tungsten Carbide Rings

- They're scratch proof
- They will keep their shine permanently
- They weigh more

Tungsten carbide is a special blend of tungsten and carbon which produces a super hard metal, one of the hardest known to man. Tungsten carbide is rated a 9 on the Mohs Hardness Scale, just under diamond which is rated 10. This is the ring that will not scratch, scuff or dent from daily wear. It will keep its shine permanently and will probably outlast its owner. This is due to the metal's hardness, it is so hard that it is extremely difficult to scratch, but the trade-off is it is more brittle than titanium, meaning if you threw this at a brick wall it can shatter, but obviously that is something that isn't going to occur during average daily wear.

This metal also weighs quite a bit more than titanium so it is more noticeable while wearing. In the end it all comes down to personal preference, if you want a ring that will stay new looking for a very long time, go for tungsten carbide. If you want a lightweight ring that may take on a more used appearance in time then go for the titanium. Regardless of what you choose, you can take comfort in the fact that they both have their charm and they will both look fantastic.

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