Tungsten Carbide Discover the amazing look and durability of tungsten rings. In an extraordinary process, Tungsten and Carbide powders are forged together at 2,400 degrees Fahrenheit to form rings that are virtually indestructible and scratch proof. Then they are polished with a diamond compound, resulting in a polish and shine that will last forever. Tungsten rings offer the perfect combination of unbelievable strength with style and comfort. It has a hardness of between 8.5 to 9.5 on the Moh’s hardness scale. Sapphire is rated at 9 whilst the hardest substance known to man, diamond is rated at 10. Tungsten carbide can only be damaged by extremes, such as being struck with a hammer. Many tungsten carbide rings have Cobalt in them. The alloy containing Cobalt is easier to procure and rings containing Cobalt are being commonly sold. However, rings containing Cobalt will develop a reaction to your skin. After a short time period the ring will develop oxidation spots that cannot be removed or polished out. A Nickel binder is used in our tungsten rings which although is more expensive is chemically inert so that a chemical reaction does not take place. This will result in a tungsten carbide ring that will retain its finish and not suffer the same fate as a cheaper cobalt ring. Although nickel is used in the manufacture it is within the tolerance of current EU legislation and is completely hypoallergenic. For more information on the EU nickel directive please visit http://www.dti.gov.uk/files/file23045.pdf Emergency Removal of Tungsten Rings Rings made of extremely hard materials, like tungsten carbide or ceramic, can only be removed by cracking them into pieces with standard vice grip style locking pliers. Standard ring cutters will not work. Place vice grip style locking pliers over ring and adjust the jaws to clamp lightly. Release and adjust tightener one-third turn and then clamp again. Repeat until a crack is heard, and then continue clamping in different positions until the hard material breaks away. Take care not to slide or rotate the cracked ring on the finger. If the ring contains an inlay of gold, the exposed gold can then be cut or clipped in the usual fashion.