7 Reasons Why You Should Rock a Tantalum Wedding Band

Wedding Tips
5 minute read

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The Marlowe Tantalum Wedding Ring

As the fiancé, you have already spent a lot of time looking for your fiancée’s engagement ring. From the time spent on that task alone, you’re likely tired of wedding rings altogether. But before you get too overwhelmed, it is important to figure out what kind of ring will work best for you and your lifestyle.

There are many factors to consider. Are you a man who cares more about appearance, or do you need a ring that can withstand a day spent in the workshop? Or do you want the best of both worlds? A combination of these needs could be answered with one of our tantalum wedding bands. But what is this magical material, and why is it perfect? Consider us your fairy godmother with all the answers you need.

What Is Tantalum?

It might sound like the name of an off-brand Pokémon, but tantalum is a rare metal first discovered in 1802. While it’s extremely popular in electronics, tantalum has recently gained popularity in the world of men’s jewelry and rings. Why? Because it’s a dense, shiny metal with a high melting point and is highly resistant to heat and natural damage.

These characteristics make it perfect for creating men’s wedding bands. It has a strong, attractive look similar to silver or platinum but with a darker, gunmetal color. It’s heavier than tungsten while having similar durability properties. Here are seven reasons you need to rock a tantalum wedding band.

Why Tantalum Wedding Bands Are So Cool

1. Comfort

People usually wear their wedding rings all the time, so they need to be comfortable. Whether you’re a man on the go or someone who works with your hands every day, you need a ring that won’t hold you back. Tantalum is perfect because it doesn’t conduct heat or react to other metals. It’s highly durable, meaning it won’t get damaged when in contact with corrosive materials. Your tantalum wedding band will let you work, exercise, and play without worry.

2. Durability

Tantalum is highly durable and resistant to breakage. It won’t shatter if dropped. For men who work with machinery daily, a tantalum wedding band is ideal as it can withstand an active lifestyle with ease. Best of all, minor scratches can easily be polished out, maintaining your ring’s smooth luster.

3. Color

Tantalum has a deep, rich, natural color that is purely masculine. Whether polished or dirty, tantalum maintains a gunmetal quality with a natural luster that is stylish and sleek. It will shine brightly in daylight, catching the eye of any passerby.

4. Price

Price might not be your first concern when shopping for a wedding ring as it testifies to love that will last forever, but some couples still shop within a budget. Tantalum, while rare, is less expensive than precious metals like platinum, making it an affordable option between industrial and precious metals. If you’re looking for a beautiful ring that won’t break its budget, a tantalum wedding band is the way to go.

5. Upkeep

Unlike some other jewelry, tantalum does not require special care. An occasional polish will keep it looking new by removing minor buffs. Cleaning it with basic soap and water will suffice. Just store it in a safe place if you take it off for any particularly rough activities. While scratch-resistant, it's not scratch-proof.

6. Skin Irritation

Tantalum is commonly used in medical applications because it is biocompatible and hypoallergenic, meaning it won’t irritate your skin or cause allergic reactions.

7. Resizing and Customization

Unlike some metals that are difficult to engrave or resize, tantalum poses no problem. Like gold, it is highly malleable and can be resized, engraved, etched, and repaired as needed. Don't worry if your ring needs to be cut off in the event of a hand injury; a jeweler can make it look new again.

Tantalize 'Em with Our Tantalum Wedding Bands

At Manly Bands, we’re committed to providing men with wedding rings that look great while meeting practical needs. Check out our available tantalum rings and find out why they’d make the perfect ring for you.

Tantalum is a strong, durable metal increasingly used in wedding bands, particularly men’s wedding bands, for its masculine look and long lifespan.

Metals like tantalum aren’t as well-known as gold and silver, but they should be!

Men wearing wedding rings or bands has steadily become the norm since it became mainstream in the mid-1900s. This trend has increased alongside technological advances and the introduction of new metal options beyond the standard gold or silver.

One of those new options is, of course, the tantalum wedding band.

But is tantalum a good ring material? We’d say so! But it’s best to be fully informed before deciding on a lifelong piece of jewelry.

That’s why we’ve prepared this guide to break down everything you need to know about tantalum rings, how they compare to other metals like tungsten or titanium, and what factors to consider before choosing a tantalum ring.

Before we get into the rings, let’s go over what tantalum is exactly.

What is Tantalum?

Tantalum is a rare element and metal formerly known as “tantalium.”

Swedish chemist Anders Gustav Ekeberg first discovered tantalum in 1802, naming it after the Greek mythological villain Tantalus because dissolving it in acids was a “tantalizing” issue. If you don’t know, Tantalus was punished by always being just out of reach of food and water, which is how the word "tantalize" came to be.

Chemically, tantalum is very similar to niobium, and they’re often found together. In fact, the two weren’t officially identified as different elements until German chemist Heinrich Rose separated them in 1846. Pure tantalum wouldn’t be produced until 1903.

Besides being used in jewelry, tantalum has many industrial applications. NASA used tantalum on the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 ships to protect the spacecraft from radiation.

Tantalum is one of the refractory metals, meaning it has a high melting point, density, and resistance to heat.

Here’s a quick breakdown of tantalum’s properties:

• Color: Dark blue-gray or silver-gray

• Melting Point: 3290 K (3017 °C, 5463 °F)

• Density: 16.69; 15 when liquid

• Mohs Hardness: 6.5

• Refractive Index: 1.72

• Highly resistant to corrosion

• Resistant to all acids (at room temperature) except hydrofluoric acid

With those properties in mind, let’s look at how tantalum compares to similar metals used in rings.

Tantalum vs. Similar Metals

When you’re browsing for durable, nontraditional ring metals, you’ll see a few different options. Tantalum rings often compete with titanium or tungsten rings, so it’s important to know how they compare.

Let’s start with one you’ve probably heard of: titanium.

Tantalum vs. Titanium

Titanium is a fairly abundant and versatile metal used in jewelry because it’s lightweight, stylish, and durable.

But what is stronger: titanium or tantalum? Both are quite resistant to scratches — tantalum is only slightly more scratch-resistant — and won’t dent easily, so their strength is comparable.

Color-wise, the two look similar, but titanium is usually a lighter silver while tantalum is a darker gray.

The main difference between titanium and tantalum is weight. Tantalum is denser than titanium, so tantalum rings will be heavier. Of course, ring heaviness may be a matter of preference.

Additionally, and possibly more importantly, titanium rings are more affordable than tantalum, usually 60 to 75 percent of the price of tantalum rings (all other factors being equal).

Tantalum vs. Tungsten

Tungsten is a rare, dense metal almost always found in compounds (combined with other elements). Tantalum and tungsten are both dense, but tantalum is denser.

Is tantalum stronger than tungsten? In terms of scratch-resistance (hardness), no; tungsten is one of the hardest metals available. In fact, tungsten is four times harder than titanium.

However, tantalum is shatterproof, while tungsten is only shatter-resistant, so a tungsten ring may crack or break if you smash it against a hard surface. Tungsten is also brittle, so tungsten rings can’t be resized.

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Color-wise, tungsten is more silver while tantalum is more gray with a blue undertone. Both are available in black, however.

What about the cost? Tungsten is considerably more affordable, often 30 to 50 percent of the price of a tantalum ring (all other factors being equal).

Tantalum vs. Platinum

Platinum is another dense, corrosion-resistant metal like tungsten and tantalum. The rarity and density of platinum is very similar to that of tantalum. However, platinum is the only precious metal listed here (besides gold, silver, and palladium).

Looking at hardness, tantalum is considerably more scratch-resistant than platinum. Both metals are similarly ductile, making either resizable as rings.

Color-wise, platinum is a lighter, silver to grayish-white color while tantalum is a darker gray-blue to gray color.

Lastly, the price of platinum rings is higher than tantalum rings. In fact, platinum rings are typically two to four times the price of gold rings.

Now that we’ve compared similar metals to tantalum, let’s compare the main pros and cons of tantalum rings.

Tantalum Rings: Pros and Cons

Like any metal jewelry, tantalum rings have advantages and disadvantages to consider before making a lifelong choice for a wedding ring.

Pros of Tantalum Rings

Here are the major benefits of tantalum wedding rings:

• Durable: Tantalum rings are shatterproof, corrosion-resistant, tarnish-resistant, and highly scratch-resistant. This means you can wear a tantalum wedding ring even in rugged, hands-on jobs without worrying about harming it.

• Hypoallergenic: Tantalum rings use the purest form of tantalum, which doesn’t contain nickel, making it great for those with nickel allergies or sensitive skin.

• Attractive: Though you can choose a polished or matte finish, tantalum has a naturally high luster, giving it a beautiful shine.

• Easily Maintained: You can easily clean and polish tantalum rings at home without paying for professional cleaning.

• Resizable: Tantalum is very ductile — meaning it can be stretched without breaking — so you can have tantalum rings resized as needed. Tungsten or titanium rings are near-impossible to resize.

In a similar vein to resizing, can tantalum rings be cut off? Yes, the metal’s ductility means tantalum rings can easily be cut off if necessary.

Cons of Tantalum Rings

Before we go over the cons, let’s first answer: are tantalum rings dangerous?

As jewelry, tantalum is not dangerous. Tantalum is only dangerous if you’re exposed to (in other words, inhale) a certain amount of tantalum powder, which isn’t a concern when it comes to jewelry items like tantalum rings.

With that settled, let’s go over some downsides to consider if you’re thinking about getting a tantalum wedding ring:

• Rarity: Tantalum is the rarest stable metal on Earth, so this can affect availability and potentially mean higher prices if sources are depleted.

• Price: Related to its rarity, tantalum’s price can be somewhat steep. It usually falls between precious metals like platinum and industrial metals like titanium.

On that note, let’s dive deeper into what prices to expect for tantalum rings next.

Tantalum Ring Price

Although tantalum is rare, tantalum rings are less expensive than you might think.

Tantalum rings are much more affordable than gold or platinum rings. But they are more expensive than titanium, tungsten, ceramic, or cobalt rings.

Most tantalum wedding bands cost around $300 to $500.

Additions that can raise the price of a tantalum ring or wedding band include:

• Other metals (like a gold inlay)

• Carvings or embossing

• Gemstones (especially diamonds)

Wedding bands reflect your everlasting commitment, so let’s see if tantalum rings last a lifetime as well.

Tantalum Ring Durability & Longevity

First, is tantalum easy to break? No, tantalum is shatterproof. That means slamming it against a hard surface won’t crack or break it.

Do tantalum rings fade? Natural tantalum rings won’t fade. The only exception is if you have a black tantalum ring with an outer plating, which can break down over time.

Quick note before the next section: “corrosion” refers to metals deteriorating from water or moisture, while “oxidation” refers to metals reacting with air (oxygen). Sometimes oxidation is considered a type of corrosion and vice versa.

Does tantalum oxidize? No, tantalum rings will not oxidize or tarnish, unlike copper or silver jewelry.

Can tantalum corrode? In extreme (and we mean extreme) conditions, yes, but tantalum is one of the most corrosion-resistant metals available. The only acids tantalum is not resistant to are hydrofluoric acid, acid solutions containing fluoride ions, and free sulfur trioxide.

Translated to longevity, tantalum rings will typically last a lifetime.

Though tantalum may get scratched by harder materials, re-polishing will erase those scratches and make it good as new.

Re-polishing is just one aspect of proper tantalum maintenance.

How Do You Take Care of a Tantalum Ring?

Luckily, tantalum’s durability makes tantalum rings easy to take care of.

Can I shower with a tantalum ring? In most cases, yes, showering won’t damage your ring. Exceptions are tantalum rings with inlays of other metals like gold less than 24K or gemstones that react with water like malachite.

If your tantalum ring gets scratched, you can take it to a jeweler for re-polishing or polish it at home with a cream metal polish, nylon pad, or soft cloth followed by rinsing.

Here’s how to clean tantalum rings:

1. In a plastic bowl, mix 1 cup of water with ⅓ cup of mild soap (like dish soap).

2. Place your tantalum ring