those tungston carbide (sp?) and titanium mens wedding bands?

Question

ok, i have heard that the tungston carbide ones have to be cut off if they ever get stuck on a man's finger, so presumably you cant engrave them, right? can you engrave them? what about titanium ones? would they have to be cut off and can you engrave them? my fiance works in a steel mill so obviously his ring will take a beating (no he doesnt wear it while working, but taking it off and throwing it in lockers etc, it gets beaten) so i dont want to get white gold. if tungston and titanium are not able to be engraved, can someone tell me about a knockoff or some other harder metal ring that CAN be engraved? no gold, white gold, silver, or platinum please. thanks!

thanks so far! what about a metal thats not AS hard as tungsten or titanium (they sound like a pain to get engraved so far!), and not as soft as gold, but will still look nice and be engraveable?

Answer 1

I think tungsten carbide rings can be engraved. It is done by a laser. (Tungsten carbide can be scratched by diamonds. Also, most people don't know the technology is not new. It has been around for a very long time. )

A very good version of tungsten carbide's market cost is around $4.00 an ounce or around $65 a pound. That version contains boron which makes it even stronger.

"If your ring has existing engraving, we will also re-engrave for no additional fee (unless it is not our standard engraving) for a shipping handling fee of $25.00."
http://www.tungstenpride.com/

"Engraved Tungsten rings will be charged a refurbishing fee of $40.00 if you wish to return or exchange the ring."
http://titaniumstyle.com/information.htm

"Free engraving on all tungsten bands!"
http://www.nextag.com/tungsten-wave-wedding-bands/search-html

"Do you engrave tungsten rings?
A. YES, We offer laser engraving. The fee is $50.00. Engrave up to 25 characters. Please note that engraved rings are non-returnable, non-refundable. For this reason, we recommend you purchase the ring first to ensure proper fit and satisfaction, then you may send it to us for engraving. Because Tungsten Carbide is one of the world's hardest metals, special machinery is required to engrave on it. Not only must the machine be able to penetrate the metal, but it must do it in a way that isn't so deep as to harm the integrity of the ring. Please note: because engraving is permanent and creates a heirloom, we cannot accept returns on engraved items.
"http://www.joyjewelers.com/faqs/tungsten_rings_faq.php

Answer 2

I used to sell Tungsten Carbide rings so I know that they can be engraved but only by the manufacture of the ring As they are sooo hard. So they will have to go back to their workshops. They are very very hard metal and the wont scratch or tarnish in coulour. One down point to them is you can not re-size the rings. So if he gets a little bit plumber in the future then you have to get a whole new ring.
Pladium is a metal that is not really recognized at the moment ( it comes from the platinum family) and is 12.5% harder than platinum, is 60% lighter and natural white in coulour there for the price is around the same as a 9ct white gold ring.
Most high street stores wont have heard of it yet as the assay office is still trying to work out a hall mark for it. But try Fraser Hart shops they have them in stock.
Good Luck

Answer 3

I don't know about the carbide, but titanium can be engraved. But you have to find someone willing to do it and it costs a pretty penny because it is such a hard metal.

Answer 4

titanium can be engraved...not sure about tungsten. my dad got his gold wedding band stuck on his finger and they had to cut it off. so it's not just titanium or tungsten. ask your jeweler if the tungsten can be engraved.

Answer 5

I think you need more information - 10K yellow gold is really strong and endurable.