Can Tungsten Rings Be Scratched? This is the question that has been circulating on the web for the last few years as tungsten jewelry has become more popular & available to people in search of tough, modern wedding rings.

This article & the accompanying video that a knowledgeable tungsten rings company has agreed to let us use will address the question “Do Tungsten Rings Scratch?” with background information & a practical test.

The easy answer to whether or not tungsten rings can be scratched is that Scratching Tungsten Rings, although possible, is not at all easy. Tungsten carbide is the hardest metal alloy used in jewelry & 1 of the hardest produced, & it ranks only below diamonds on the Mohs hardness scale. Just to give you some frame of reference, diamonds rank a 10 on the Mohs hardness scale, titanium ranks a 6, & gold, a very soft metal, ranks a 2. Tungsten carbide ranks a nine, so to scratch a tungsten ring would require abrading the surface with something as hard or harder than a natural diamond. In fact, diamonds, 1 of the only materials hard enough to make tungsten rings scratch, are actually used to polish tungsten carbide rings during the manufacturing process. Very few other compounds could damage tungsten rings or even noticeably dull the shine.

In the video test of the rings, the person demonstrating that tungsten rings are scratch resistant is attempting to file the ring with a metal file. Files of this type are routinely used to cut through steel & iron, & they even cut titanium which is known for being a very strong metal itself. As you will see, they do not manage to scratch a tungsten ring with the file. Even after some solid attempts to abrade the tungsten ring with this very strong file, the ring is still completely shiny & looks as sleek & new as ever.

If you ever notice what appear to be scratches on a tungsten ring, what you may actually be seeing are small amounts of other metals that have come into contact with your ring & formed weak chemical bonds with the tungsten carbide due to its unique electrochemical properties. Before you worry that your tungsten ring scratched, try washing it with soap & warm water & a soft cloth. This is the best way to clean them.

So, are tungsten rings scratch proof? Not 1 hundred percent. Are tungsten rings scratch resistant? Absolutely! Tungsten rings have become more & more popular in the last ten years among athletes, artisans, & laborers due to their durability, because even the daily demands of an occupation or hobby that are harder than usual on the average gold or platinum ring will leave a tungsten wedding band unscathed. Of course life is unpredictable & though ninenine% of the time your ring will hold up perfectly, it’s possible that you may scratch tungsten rings in unusual circumstances. That being the case, it is recommended that you buy your scratch resistant tungsten rings from a retailer that offers some type of plan to provide replacements in the event of damage or simply a change in size.