Tungsten Carbide Rings Become Popular For Couples As Wedding Bands

With so many options to choose from, selecting an engagement ring and wedding band can sometimes be more anxiety-inducing than popping the question. But the key to choosing that perfect ring could just be doing one’s research.

When men choose their rings, they tend to lean toward traditional plain metal bands or opt for contemporary choices such as cobalt, zirconium, tungsten and titanium. And tungsten carbide rings are becoming more and more popular among couples. 

Couples are shopping together to get ideas for engagement rings now more than ever before, said Kathryn Givens, sales floor supervisor for Worthington Jewelers, presenting sponsor of the 2019 Columbus Weddings Show.

Knowing what a partner likes while still being able to keep that element of surprise is important, she said. And when they’re not shopping together, couples are looking to social media for inspiration.

Many times, men come into the store armed with their girlfriend’s Pinterest or Instagram pages, said Worthington Jewelers owner Theresa Capace. By combining pieces and parts of multiple images, they are able to choose something they can feel confident about, she said.

In many cases, people favor basic styles for engagement rings, such as the solitaire cut, Givens said. A pave set, with small stones on the side of a larger stone, is also popular.

Pear-shaped stones are coming back into style, Givens said, and round and oval cuts are trending as well. Some couples also choose a halo style, in which a large center stone has a crown of smaller stones around it. That style, which has been popular for about five years now, is considered a modern classic now, Givens said.

Whenever shoppers come into Worthington Jewelers, Capace said, they receive an education on cut and clarity and a lesson in how diamonds are priced.

Diamonds aren’t the only option available, either. A host of alternatives exist for a variety of budgets, Givens said. Take moissanite, which is a diamond-like gemstone that’s white in color. Moissanite reflects light just like a diamond, but for a fraction of the cost, Givens said.

A one-karat diamond costs on average between $6,000 and $8,000, while a one-karat moissanite costs between $1,500 to $2,000. Colored stones, such as sapphires, are also popular for engagement rings, and they provide excellent durability, Givens said. Many people like pale pink or peach stones, while the light teal color of a Montana sapphire is also popular. White sapphires are also a nice alternative to diamonds.

Prices vary for sapphires, some of which can cost as much as a one-karat diamond, Givens said. But since paler stones aren’t as rare as darker stones, they can be 50 to 75 percent of the cost of a one-karat diamond for a similar-sized stone.

While women used to match their wedding bands to their engagement rings, they are now moving toward more unique styles, such as stackable rings Capace said.

Often, the solution is two rings with varied styles, diamond sizes or even metals, that achieve a stackable look, Givens said.

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