Tungsten VS. Ceramic Wedding Bands

I think silicone bands are what protect against the "lose your finger" events. My BIL has one and loves it. FH is considering. I think a few people on here know more about alternative ring materials though.

Interesting. I've not heard of silicone or ceramic. Following.

Is silicone super durable?

So "ring avulsion" is an event where your ring gets caught on something and comes off (taking your finger with it). Don't look it up. It happens because the metal is stronger than your finger. It's more common among men, epically those who work with their hands. The stronger the material (tungsten being one of the hardest) the more likely ring avulsion will occur when you snag your ring. So how do you avoid it? Most people who don't work with their hands or exercise wearing their ring have nothing to worry about. For everyone else, a silicone band is an option. Silicone bands come in all colors and styles. But because it's such a flexible material, ring avulsion is not going to happen.

It comes down to a personal choice. How often do you use your hands? How often do you want to take off your ring? Is the metal or appearance important to you? Those are the questions to ask.

He's a pilot, but he hunts and fishes maybe even just as much as he works haha Hunting and fishing in Alaska is a lot more extreme up there than I ever knew it could be! Like...he climbs cliffs and stuff AND halibut fishing can be crazy intense, especially when you get a halibut that's more than 60 pound, which is pretty typical

@Kristen - Silicone is not nearly as durable as metals. They are also rubber, so most concerns with metal (shininess, scratches, etc.) aren't even a thing. They make up for it by being safe and extremely cheap (on average 1/5 the cost of a normal men's band).

Thank you so much!! I'll definitely talk to him about silicone rings then!

One option is to get a tungsten band but then a separate silicone band to wear when you're active - my friend wears her silicone band when she's at the hospital but her formal wedding band when she's going out etc. Most people don't like the look of silicone bands though which is why they're not as common.

Happy to help! You can always get a metal band for the pretty pictures, everyday wear, and sentimentality, but buy a cheap silicone one to wear on his adventures

Our jeweler recommend ceramic for my FH because if it does get caught or smashed it will shatter and save his finger. I think that's the route we will take. They have some that look really cool. FH us a machinist and plans to take it off while at work but we want to be safe.

FH wants tungsten or ceramic, but I will be getting him a silicone ring because he hunts/fishes/ is a firefighter and dont want him to lose/break/hurt himself on his ring

This is my husband's wedding band, it's tungsten carbide. He wanted a tungsten carbide ring so it would shatter instead of crushing his finger, and I'm glad he insisted on it. I don't have any knowledge of other types of rings, just can verify tungsten carbide will shatter!

FH has tungsten and a silicone ring! On our honeymoon, we both wore our Qalo (Silicone) rings the entire week and it was super great.

But, FH is a computer engineer so for day to day, he's fine just having a metal band. What's awesome about these rings is that they are so cheap, you can buy BOTH of them and still not spend a ridiculous amount.

We are doing tungsten for the formal ring, and silicone for the everyday ring. My FH is a lineman and can only wear a silicone ring to work. So instead of worrying about taking it on and off all the time he will 99.9% of he time be wearing that one. I ordered some off of amazon came in a 3 pack for $20. Yes they are less durable and may be easier to lose, but for under 7 dollars a piece it's worth it to me for his safety.

My husband got a nice tungsten ring, which he can't wear to work, so we got a Qalo silicone ring for him to wear as well. He actually prefers the silicone band.

Tungsten does break FYI. On HM the guy in front of me looked down to see a huge chunk missing. Also keep in mind, tungsten can't be resized. just and FYI.

My DH has a tungsten band. It took forever for it to come in when we ordered the right size. And it still wasn't the right size. But that is beside the point. DH chose the tungsten because of its ability to shatter of compressed. He is a government analyst so he doesn't work with his hands. Thankfully his ring isn't a risk! Tungsten is supposed to shatter. My brother, on the other hand, works in the water department and he cannot wear a gold band. He has a tungsten band but he takes it off if he is working with machinery or is doing something that would risk him losing a finger.

Just a side note for shattering rings: they do shatter when compressed; they don't shatter when stripped from your finger. You can still have ring avulsion with a ring that shatters. Ceramic and carbide are durable, shattering rings. That does not mean they can't cause injury. The only option that can save a finger in all circumstances is silicone.

I know someone said don't Google ring avulsion, but I did. Lord,help!!!

@Kristen - NOOOO!!!! It's one of those things that you NEVER want to see. Even graphic interpretations of it lol "Lose your finger" is as much as anyone needs to know.