Titanium, tungsten, steel, or ceramic

Many rings on this shelf aren't gold or silver. Here's how the common alternatives wear, which ones can be resized, and what that means when you're buying a ring as a gift.

Titanium

GIA calls titanium strong, lightweight, and resistant to corrosion, wear, and tarnish. It's hypoallergenic, and it can be anodized for color. The catch is sizing: GIA's chart limits resizing to about half a size, and stones are hard to set in it.

Tungsten carbide

Tungsten carbide is very hard, resists scratches, and never needs polishing. It's also heavy and brittle, so GIA warns it can crack or shatter under a hard impact. It can't be soldered, welded, or resized. If the size changes, GIA says you may need to replace the ring.

Stainless steel

Steel is hard and resists scratches and tarnish. GIA notes it's rigid and stiff, so it can be challenging to size, and that some stainless steel is alloyed with nickel. If nickel is a concern, read Jewelry for sensitive skin.

Cobalt

Jewelry cobalt is always alloyed with other metals. GIA describes it as very white, very hard, and scratch resistant, as well as hypoallergenic and magnetic.

Ceramic

Ceramic isn't technically a metal. GIA says it weighs about a third as much as gold and is tough and scratch resistant, but it can chip and break.

If the size might be off

Jewelers Mutual lists titanium, cobalt, tungsten, and stainless steel rings, along with ceramic and plated rings, as difficult or impossible to resize. So with any of these, the first size matters more. Before you buy, check the store's exchange policy. To find a size without asking, read Ring size, without asking.

On this shelf

We use each store's own words for materials. The steel NTAG216 ring and the dual dragon ring are stainless steel NFC rings. The RENPHO Lynx has a titanium exterior, and the Ultrahuman Ring PRO is titanium. The NFC finger ring and the red NFC ring are ceramic. There's no tungsten or cobalt ring here yet.

Sources: GIA 4Cs, Men's Jewelry: Alternative Jewelry Metals and The Best Ring Material for Everyday Wear; Jewelers Mutual, How to resize a ring: bigger or smaller. All read October 21, 2026.

Choosing gold or silver instead? Read Gold plated, gold filled, or solid gold. New to NFC? Read how NFC jewelry works.