III (ASX) jewellery demand to boost titanium tungsten

http://www.indiainfoline.com/Markets/News/Jewellery-demand-to-boost-titanium-tungsten/4942275723

India Infoline News Service / 09:09 , Sep 27, 2010

According to several jewellery industry surveys for the last several years young couples aged 25 34 years have been overwhelmingly choosing tungsten rings for the man s wedding band more than any other material

The new trend among couples and men of going for tungsten and titanium jewellery has been considered by the market watchers a boost for the two metals in the global arena. In a recent survey conducted by various online jewellery portals has found that the current trend of couples is that they more frequently choose wedding bands with precious metal inlay or diamonds. According to several jewellery industry surveys for the last several years young couples aged 25 34 years have been overwhelmingly choosing tungsten rings for the man s wedding band more than any other material. Initially most tungsten rings were of solid tungsten with little variance between styles.

More recently however style and fashion conscious couples are opting for more elaborate tungsten rings featuring an inlay of a precious metal such as gold silver or platinum or a tungsten ring featuring diamonds. During the past year the price of plain tungsten rings has dropped significantly. The reason is that many plain tungsten rings are now being manufactured in China and being sold by lower end mass merchandisers. Due to this scenario several wedding band designers have risen to the occasion and begun creating more attractive and higher end tungsten rings that stand out from the crowd. The affordable prices on all of the most popular body jewelry make titanium a favourite with men and women. To boost value several companies adopt magnets germanium and other materials that give off negative ions and far infrared rays. Releases are marketed as beneficial to health because they are said to promote blood circulation and reduce fatigue.

China hosts at least 500 suppliers of tungsten carbide and titanium necklaces pendants bracelets and rings. Factories are mostly located in Zhuzhou Hunan province and Shenzhen and Dongguan Guangdong province. Such products make up about 5 percent of the country s annual jewelry exports. The US Europe and South Asia are the major overseas destinations. Models are generally upscale because the metal utilized is costlier than other kinds. Tungsten carbide is known to retain its polish for at least 50 years while titanium is lightweight and hypoallergenic. Besides having high ductile strength both types are popular for being scratch dent and bend resistant.