| Tungsten rings, tungsten wedding rings. |
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| Tungsten Information What is tungsten? Tungsten is a natural element which has many unique properties. Tunsgten has the highest melting point of all non-alloyed metals, and is extremely hard - approximately four times harder than titanium. Tungsten is most well known for its virtually scratchproof qualities. Even in high impact environments, tungsten will not scratch. Why are your rings "tungsten carbide" and not just tungsten? Tungsten in its purest form is very brittle. A pure tungsten ring - if dropped - can quite easily shatter. To prevent this, our rings contain carbon. This provides all of the greatest qualities of tungsten, without any of the drawbacks. Is tungsten hypoallergenic? Tungsten carbide is 100% hypoallergenic and allergy free and will not produce skin irritation or discoloration. Tungsten does not react to sunlight, salt water, chlorine or anything that the body emits. We use solid tungsten carbide with confidence knowing that anyone can wear it without the concern of an adverse reaction to your body. Tungsten carbide rings require other metals to be used as a "binder", with cobalt and nickel being the two most common. While cobalt is cheaper, it will cause the tungsten to oxidize over time, and cause spots to appear on the metal that cannot be removed. This is why we only use nickel as a binder. Tungsten - like titanium - actually bonds to the nickel molecules, preventing them from leeching into the skin. This is why tungsten is hypoallergenic. I have heard that tungsten carbide rings cannot be removed in an emergency? This is not true. We have confirmed with government ambulance service paramedics that they can indeed remove tungsten carbide rings when required. Hospital ring cutting tools are actually made from tungsten carbide! Did you know...? Tungsten is (W) on the periodic table of elements. The "W" stands for "Wolfram", which is the name of the mineral that tungsten is derived from. Tungsten is the hardest metal on earth, and is second only to Diamond as the hardest material on earth. This is why tungsten can only be scratched with a Diamond. Tungsten has the highest melting point of any metal at 3422 degress celsius! Not realising the importance of tungsten carbide, the British sold its tungsten "scrap" to Germany at the start of World War One. Germany used this to develop armour piercing rounds with tungsten carbide cores, that proved devastating to British tanks. After World War One, Germany used Japan to secretly purchase as much of the world's tungsten stock as possible. The United States then quickly bought as much tungsten as their ships could carry (from China, the world's largest producer of tungsten). Japan then chased these ships with their warships, but were unable to catch them. This was just prior to their attack on Pearl Harbour. Strategically, tungsten is considered one of, if not the most valuable of metals in the world today. Nickel Allergy / Allergic Contact Dermatitis Many people know that some metals can produce reactions on a person’s skin, including rashes and even blistering. This fact sheet will endeavour to explain why this occurs, and provide other resources and updates. Nickel is without doubt the primary reason people experience skin reactions when wearing jewellery. The following quotes are excerpts from the Queensland Department of Health’s fact sheet on nickel in jewellery: “The most common adverse health effect associated with wearing jewellery that contains nickel is a type of skin irritation called allergic contact dermatitis. A person can develop an allergy to nickel following repeated contact with nickel found in jewellery. Sweat from the skin acts as a corrosive to metals, which allows nickel in jewellery to be in direct contact with the skin. Once a person is sensitised to nickel, any further contact with nickel will cause an allergic reaction. Nickel sensitivity is usually persistent for life. All of our products are 100% hypoallergenic. They are suitable for those with allergic contact dermatitis, and for those who wish to prevent it.  |
