Show and Tell Round 1

For our Materials and Processes class, we were asked to pick an object and investigate the materials used to make it and the technology used to form it. I chose my Tungsten Carbide ring coated in 18 K Gold with Freshwater Pearl Inlay, and here is what I found out about it.

The ring could not be made with a base of Tungsten alone, because Tungsten on its own is too fragile. The base, therefore, is a Tungsten Carbide alloy which is ground up into powder using a pulverizer, and then compression molded (high pressure molding) into the shape of the ring. This mold is fired at that point in a 6000 degree, oxygen free furnace.

This ring base is dipped in gold after cooling, and the gold is bonded to the base using electrical currents and hand polished with a diamond compound for "shine".

A laser cutter cuts out the shape for the inlay in the ring, as well as the shape of the inlay itself, and the freshwater pearl pieces are attached using adhesive.

If engraving is requested (it's on a customer need basis in some cases), a laser engraver is used.

Cloud9Tungsten is the designer and producer of my particular ring.

Enjoy! 

-RM