The Pros and Cons of Buying a Tantalum Ring | Wedding KnowHow | CHURINGA WEDDING RINGS

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Contents

• Facts About
  Tantalum
• Pros of
  Tantalum – Reasons to Get a Tantalum Wedding Ring
  • 1- Versatility
  • 2- Durability
  • 3- Maintenance
  • 4- Price
  • 5- Hypoallergenic
  • 6- Resizing
• Cons of
  Tantalum – Reasons Not to Get a Tantalum Wedding Ring
  • 1- Limited Designs for Women
  • 2- Conflict Resource
  • 3- Inexpensive
• Should I Buy a Tantalum Wedding Band?

Alternative metals for men’s wedding rings
have been increasing in popularity as more young couples choose non-traditional
options. Tantalum is one such metal that’s recently entered the wedding band
arena.

There are pros and cons to choosing tantalum
for your wedding ring but generally, most people agree that the pros outweigh
the cons.

But before we go into that, let’s first learn
a little about this intriguing metal.

Facts About
Tantalum

High polish tantalum wedding ring. Find it here.

If you know nothing about tantalum, here’s a
quick overview:

1. Much of the tantalum mined
   comes from Australia and South America, although you can find smaller deposits
   in other parts of the world too.
2. Tantalum has a gray color
   with a touch of blue. It’s typically found alongside nobium as well as thorium
   and uranium (two radioactive elements). Don’t worry though – tantalum isn’t
   radioactive.
3. It’s extremely rare and it’s
   believed that there’s only about 50 years’ worth of tantalum left. Like
   tanzanite, this is a resource that’s going to run out in our lifetimes, unless
   new deposits are found.
4. Although tantalum was
   discovered in 1802, it’s only recently that the metal began to be used in
   jewelry. It’s mainly used to make tantalum capacitors for electronic equipment.
5. The name tantalum comes from
   the Greek mythical character, Tantalus, doomed for all eternity to stand in
   water with fruit hanging just out of his reach. Tantalum, like the character
   it’s named after, doesn’t get negatively impacted by being immersed in liquids,
   notably acids.

Pros of
Tantalum – Reasons to Get a Tantalum Wedding Ring

Now that we know a little more about tantalum, let’s get right to it.
Here’s a list of the advantages of this metal, reasons to support buying a
tantalum wedding ring.

1- Versatility

Hammered tantalum by The Wooden Circle Co. See it here.

Tantalum is highly versatile and comes in a
range of shades, finishes and textures.

The typical color for tantalum rings is gray
but it comes in (maybe 50?) shades of gray, ranging from very light gray to
almost-black shades.

In terms of finishes, the metal can be crafted
into popular ring finishes such as matte, satin, brushed and high polish.

The metal can also be textured, featuring styles like hammered, bark, volcanic rock and even more unique styles like this lunar surface ring. 

Tantalum is also popularly set with inlays
or paired with different metals to add contrast and visual texture to the
wedding ring.

The style of the ring highlights tantalum’s
color and luster and showcases its characteristics.

2- Durability

Tantalum is a hard and durable metal. Find this here.

For a wedding ring, you’d be looking for a
tough, durable metal that won’t scratch or damage easily. Tantalum is one such
metal.

What’s more, it also doesn’t tarnish, corrode
or shatter, making it perfect for people who use their hands a lot for work, or
deal with chemicals.

Note that if tantalum comes into contact with
hydrofluoric acid, it will start to rust, but how often do you think that would
happen anyway?

Here are a few more benefits of tantalum –
it’s an inert metal so it doesn’t react to other metals (e.g. no magnetism),
it’s one of the most acid-resistant metals (with the sole exception of
hydrofluoric acid), and it doesn’t conduct heat.

3- Maintenance

Like many of the tough industrial metals used for wedding rings today,
tantalum also doesn’t need any special care to keep it lustrous and clean.
Sometimes, tantalum can develop a patina that comes from exposure and scratches
but this can be professionally polished off.

Follow common sense cleaning steps to keep your tantalum wedding ring
clean like avoiding harsh chemicals and using mild soaps and a soft brush.

4- Price

Tantalum is extremely rare as I’ve mentioned
above and experts believe that this metal will run out in the future. For such
a rare metal, tantalum is priced reasonably.  

However, unlike other industrial metals like
ceramic, titanium, tungsten or cobalt, tantalum is much pricier. It’s not as
expensive as gold or platinum, but it’s not exactly cheap either.

To put it into perspective, compare these very
similar tantalum and titanium rings. There’s a difference of over $200 in
price.

Tantalum wedding band. Find it here.

Similar titanium wedding band. Find it here.

The ring design and other embellishments
add to the overall cost of the piece. Sometimes, a well-crafted tantalum ring
can be as costly as rings made out of precious metals.

5- Hypoallergenic

This is a big one for people with metal
allergies. Luckily, tantalum is hypoallergenic and bio-compatible. This
characteristic is why tantalum is often used in the medical and dental
industries to create equipment.

6- Resizing

Most industrial metals, like tungsten,
titanium, carbon fiber or ceramic, can’t be resized easily. This means that as
your finger size changes, you would have to change the ring too.

Tantalum is easy to work with and easily
resized. In this respect, it’s similar to gold or platinum. It bends rather
than shatters and can be easily cut out in an emergency.

Cons of
Tantalum – Reasons Not to Get a Tantalum Wedding Ring

With all these pros, you might be wondering if
there can be any downsides to buying tantalum. Unfortunately, there’s always
two sides to any coin – in this case, ring.

1- Limited Designs for Women

Tantalum wedding ring by Anthony Alferev Rings. See it here.

If you’re after a delicate, feminine tantalum
ring, you might have to search for a long time. There aren’t many ring styles
for women coming in tantalum, which can be frustrating for a woman who wants
something different for her wedding ring. On the flip side, there’s a wide
range of men’s tantalum rings and you could always request a more feminine band
to be custom made.

2- Conflict Resource

One controversial feature of tantalum is that
it’s listed as a conflict resource in the Congo. The sale of tantalum was used
to fund wars and conflicts in this region.

Another point is that mining tantalum has
ethical and sustainability issues, in terms of environmental impact.

However, approximately 99% of tantalum comes
from other regions, like Australia, where it’s mined more responsibly. The
amount of tantalum that comes from these conflict zones is very low.

3- Inexpensive

For people who want a precious metal, tantalum
won’t be a good choice because it’s still classed as an industrial or
alternative metal. It’s a counter-culture wedding band metal and not suitable
for someone who loves tradition.

Also, there’s the worry that tantalum could
simply be a trendy metal and not one that will turn into a classic. Unlike gold
or platinum, which have been tried and tested, tantalum is still new. How will
it perform years down the track?

Should I Buy a Tantalum Wedding Band?

Tantalum ring with white gold inner lining. See it here.

The decision to buy a wedding ring is
highly personal and choosing the style of ring depends on a range of factors,
including budget, appearance and personal values.

A tantalum ring offers a lot in terms of
durability, wearability and ring designs. While it might not be the most
popular or classic wedding ring metal, it has a neutral look and color that’s
bound to be in style.

It’s also an excellent choice for someone
intrigued by science and technology but may not be ideal if environmental
issues are a priority for you.

If you’re looking for a tantalum ring, we
recommend checking out the following shops, which have small but excellent
tantalum rings on offer.

1. James Allen – 360-degree video shows you the ring from all angles, as well as excellent customer service, facilitated shopping experience and great after sales policies.
2. Blue Nile – offers great prices, excellent after sales policies and high-quality products
3. Etsy – for a wide variety, from the classic to the whimsical, there’s a wide range of tantalum rings here to suit all budgets.

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