Tungsten Carbide (chemical formula: WC) is an exceptionally hard, dense material prized for its durability and wear resistance. In jewelry, tungsten carbide is combined with a small amount of metallic binder and formed into what is known as a cemented carbide.
Once polished, it produces a brilliant, durable finish that is remarkably resistant to scratching, corrosion and tarnishing. It’s also heavy—roughly twice the density of stainless steel—which is one of the characteristics that makes our rings feel so different from conventional jewelry.
Density
Pure tungsten carbide has a density of about 15.6 g/cm³. Finished cemented tungsten carbide varies somewhat depending on its binder and composition, but it remains an extraordinarily dense material—roughly twice as dense as stainless steel and approaching the heft of precious metals such as gold.
It’s heavy enough, in fact, that tungsten has occasionally turned up inside counterfeit gold bars.
For King Rings, that density isn’t an obscure materials-science fact. The weight is part of the appeal.
Hardness
Tungsten carbide is extremely hard and commonly ranks around 8.5–9 on the Mohs scale, compared with roughly 4–5 for many steels.
That hardness gives WC its outstanding resistance to scratches and wear. It also comes with a tradeoff: tungsten carbide doesn’t bend or stretch like conventional jewelry metals. Under enough force, it can fracture.
That’s also why tungsten carbide rings can’t simply be resized by a jeweler. Get the size right the first time. We can help with that.
How It’s Made
Making a tungsten carbide ring is quite different from casting a conventional metal ring.
Tungsten carbide powder is combined with a metallic binder, compacted under pressure and heated in a process called sintering. The result is an extremely hard solid blank consisting of tungsten carbide particles held together by the binder.
Those blanks are then precision ground, shaped and polished using equipment and abrasives capable of working such a hard material. Depending on the design, we can then add inlays, engraving, faceting and other finishes.
What About the Binder?
Tungsten carbide used for jewelry isn’t simply a solid chunk of pure WC. A metallic binder is necessary to hold the carbide particles together and give the finished material an appropriate balance of hardness and toughness.
Our tungsten carbide rings use nickel as the binder. Nickel-bonded tungsten carbide is well suited to jewelry because it combines the exceptional hardness and wear resistance of tungsten carbide with good toughness and corrosion resistance.
Once compacted and sintered, the result is the dense, extremely hard material from which our rings are made.
Is Tungsten Carbide Hypoallergenic?
Tungsten carbide is widely regarded as a hypoallergenic jewelry material, making it a popular alternative for people who are sensitive to more traditional jewelry metals.
As with any material worn against the skin, individual sensitivities can vary. Our tungsten carbide is a cemented carbide, meaning the WC is combined with a small amount of metallic binder to produce the finished material.
If you have a known metal allergy or sensitivity, contact us before ordering and we’ll be happy to tell you what we know about the materials used in a particular ring.
What Else Is Tungsten Carbide Used For?
The same hardness and wear resistance that make tungsten carbide interesting for jewelry make it enormously useful in industry. Cemented carbides are used for cutting and drilling tools, mining equipment, dies, wear components and other applications where ordinary metals simply don’t last long enough.
We found another use for it.
Why Use Tungsten Carbide for Jewelry?
Because it makes one hell of a ring.
Tungsten carbide can take a brilliant polish and hold that appearance remarkably well. It resists the scratches, dents and everyday wear that quickly leave their mark on softer jewelry metals.
And then there’s the weight.
For an ordinary finger ring, that heft is interesting. At the scale of a King Ring, it becomes something else entirely.
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