Can Tungsten Break?
Many people wonder whether tungsten carbide can scratch, and many people think it’s unbreakable. Though it is resistant to scratching, tungsten carbide does scratch, and it can break. It won’t bend, because it is such a hard metal, but it can crack or break.
I just spoke with a customer who works with his hands all day, and the tungsten carbide in his ring cracked, and a piece broke out! I think of stories like this when I tell people that it isn’t unbreakable. I even found this story online. Check out the crazy picture of a tungsten ring broken in HALF just from falling on it.
Bottom line: Tungsten Carbide rings are brittle, and they can break. Go with a *plain* 14kt gold band, and at least it’s bendable, so if it gets hit, it’ll just bend a little instead of breaking.
Check out this video of us dropping a tungsten ring on concrete!
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i bought one of these tungston rings too , and after falling on the floor a couple of times it juscracked and a little chip came off it, I couldnt beleive it so i droped it a couple more times on purpose after all its meant to be toughest metal around, so what happens next is that it almost breaks clear … :S real disappointment, spoke to the seller and his reply was that it shouldnt be droped no more than 1.2m.
Really?? I have never heard there was a height limit on it! Interesting, but yes, they are brittle.
After further investigation, I found out that if you drop a tungsten ring from too high, it will break, usually right in two. However, our tungsten rings have lifetime guarantees on them.
Tungsten Carbide is a very weak brittle compound in chemistry the formula is WC w=tungsten and C = carbon. on mass industrial scales Tungsten carbide represents 90% of tungsten containing compounds.
It is pure 100% tungsten that is the worlds strongest metal (think of the filament in light bulbs) don’t let companies deceive you… tungsten when in the form of tungsten carbide is very weak and worthless.
You’re correct that Tungsten is a brittle metal. On its own, tungsten is a very strong (scratch-resistant) yet brittle metal. Because it’s so strong, it doesn’t bend, and with all the weight behind it, it will likely break when pressure is applied. There are many different mixtures of metals (alloys) on the market, and they all have differing amounts of tungsten in them. Ours have less than some others, for the reason that it is less brittle the less tungsten there is in the metal. However, remember that all our tungsten bands come with a lifetime warranty, so if they break, you don’t have to worry, because you’re covered!
I recently purchased my tungsten wedding band from ben bridge jewelers and the thing cracked when i dropped in the shower. when i tried to have it fixed they said NO! They offered a new tungsten band, but that’s not the one I was married in?!? plus, it will probably just break again if it’s so “brittle” I’m never going back there.
Tungsten rings cannot be repaired. The are actually not made of a metal that is cast. It is heated and pressed into the form of a ring. We, too, would offer a new one because all our tungsten rings have a lifetime warranty on them. However, like you said, it is not the same ring you took your vows in. That’s why we inform our customers of the pros and cons of all the metals. Gold and platinum, for example, would not break in the same way. They are precious metals hat are strong, durable, and bendable so they don’t break.
In response to your reply . It is my understanding that pure tungsten is the worlds strongest metal and isn’t brittle at all. (there is many videos on the internet thats shows these 100% tungsten rings being smashed into with sledge hammers and not even a dint is present afterwards).
Its the carbon content that weakens the Tungsten-carbide rings. So it is not that alloys containing tungsten are week because of the tungsten content within them. But the content of tungsten “CARBIDE” in them.
However i think that it is a great idea that these rings come with a life time guarantee. As long as people are fully aware of the characteristics of the rings!
I just experienced the same thing. I dropped my Tungsten wedding band last night and the darn thing cracked, chipped and a piece broke off. I would not have bought it if I would have know that could happen.
Yes, that is a common problem–people are not usually informed of the metal’s brittle nature. This seems to be changing, though.