Wedding Blog
When Mr. Latte and I started looking at e-rings, I had a pretty good idea of what I liked and disliked. I knew I wanted a round center stone, and to keep it company, some little buddies on the side. 
I thought I was all set… until I started reading posts like this. And this. Wait, what? I have to think about my wedding band sitting flush? I relayed this information to Mr. Latte and gave him some extra things to “consider.” OK, I’ll fess up. I gave him a picture… or two. Maybe more.
(One of the pictures Mr. Latte received.)
Poor Mr. Latte had a hard time finding a ring similar to the one in my picture.
Apparently, some jewelers advised him against this setting because the last mini-stones had the potential to become loose… and I can’t lose any of my buddies! But Mr. Latte is a determined guy, so he pressed on and continued to shop around, comparing all rings to the picture he had uploaded onto his phone. After a month, he was able to work with a jeweler to custom make the setting. It’s perfect and I love my e-ring! I think it’s even more beautiful than the one in the picture! He took my “considerations” very seriously and even got a matching wedding band made to ensure that it will sit flush with the e-ring. He’s good, that Mr. Latte.
(My e-ring, pretty darn close to the picture!)
(My perfectly flush wedding band… sadly sitting alone in her box.)
So when the time came to start thinking about his wedding band, I wanted to make sure that I was as thoughtful and considerate as he was. But honestly, I didn’t think it would be so hard! I knew he wanted a tungsten ring, but who knew there were so many widths, styles, colors and polishes to choose from??? Well, there are. And Mr. Latte was (surprisingly) pretty particular about all of those details. We spent an afternoon looking at bands and he was able to narrow the field down to a couple of top contenders.
(A Tungsten wedding band is forever. heh heh)
But it didn’t stop there. Mr. Latte is a researcher and will happily spend hours on the internet researching anything and everything. So after a little bit of research, he said:
“I’m going to buy my wedding band on eBay for $30, shipping included.”
Uh, wha? $30??? All the bands we had looked at were between $200 and $400… how can this one possibly be $30? He tried to assure me that the sellers were reputable and started throwing in retail lingo like markup and wholesale. I used to be an assistant buyer so I know that all retailers do this, but a 1000% markup? Unheard of! Or… is it?
I was (and still am) a little wary of this seemingly amazing deal and have been holding off on buying his band.
So hive, I turn to you. Any thoughts on buying this band? Have you purchased a wedding band from an eBay or online seller?
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Share this post: $30, Shipping Included
Haven’t gotten that far, but I’d probably have the same reservations you’re feeling for such an important purchase. It always reminds me of the Tiffany’s mesh ring Mr. P gave me, which I always see on eBay and chinatown in NY.
My only word of caution: Isn’t that the type of metal that can’t be cut? So, God forbid Mr. Latte’s in an accident, at the hospital, they’d have to cut off his finger if they needed to get the ring off? Mr. MagPie is adamantly against that type of metal for this reason!
My only word of caution: Isn’t that the type of metal that can’t be cut? So, God forbid Mr. Latte’s in an accident, at the hospital, they’d have to cut off his finger if they needed to get the ring off? Mr. MagPie is adamantly against that type of metal for this reason!
If you are worried about ebay, the ring is only 30 bucks so you can get it and check it out and if it doesn’t work about at least you didn’t loose hundreds of dollars.
I agree - that would definitely make me a little nervous - a huge price discrepancy like that! We haven’t gotten this far but my fiance is like Mr. Latte - he could spend days online researching something. As long as you can return the ring if Mr. Latte (and you) are not satisfied - why not give it a try and save some moolah?
My sister in law bought her husband the EXACT (brand and everything) wedding band for her husband that I got for my husband.. she paid 400… I paid I think around 40. Jewelry stores really mark prices up! And I know my husband’s was the real deal because we had it appraised. I feel bad about how little I spent on his ring but he brags about it! Anything I got a really good deal on he would brag to his buddies at work about how spend savvy his wife was.. and I mean it’s the same ring.. I got an awesome deal!
MagPie, my science-y hubby says that it’s titanium can’t be cut. Tungsten is known for being incredibly difficult to melt… but it can be cut it necessary. 
Is the ring the right size? I think tungstan may be the kind of metal that can’t be re-sized, as MagPie states above.
Oh and also.. men tend to take their bands off when they are doing dirty jobs (changing oil etc) so if he did end up losing it at least it wouldn’t be a huge deal to replace it!
It’s not the price of the ring, but the symbolism of it, right? So, if this is the ring he wants… go for it! But I second all the ladies above…and double check the sizing =)
That looks really similar to the one my husband got. It was about $70. We got it through Amazon, through West Coast Jewelers. It was the best price he could find for a 6 mm brushed one. He’s scratched it up quite a bit (he’s an active guy, what can I say?) but we figure, no big deal, we could always find a replacement.
Yes, I live in St Thomas, a big jewelry place, and I’ve heard that the markup is 1000%
Crazy I know, but I also never pay sticker price at a brick and mortar jeweler, I always haggle, ask for a cash price etc.
Go for it!
Oh my goodness. Your fiance and my fiance think a lot a like!
I wanted to put as much thought, tenderness in my decision and get my man a ring worthy of him.
Instead he has been scouring the internet for deals like your man has found.
Although, I too was a little shocked to think that the meaning and symbolism behind the ring was lost in my mans mind- I felt like I should honor his decision of what he wanted as well (but he still hasn’t found THE RING he would like- like yours has).
So I suppose, if I were you, take comfort in knowing your man is into the whole thing by having even chosen a band to his personal liking. =o)
Miss Latte have you used that website that you posted above (tungstenworld.com) or know anyone that has? Ive been trying to find a tungsten site that has size 13 (yes 13!) and most of the recommendations go up to only 12.5. Let me know because I think I am going to order from them. Thanks!
As a physician that frequently works in the ER, I can definitively say that we’ve gotten through both Tungsten and Titanium. Don’t worry about that as a factor… Yes, it’s strong, but we can outwit (or out-muscle) it!
My ring will not sit flush with a wedding band, either. I got a 7 row Pave diamond band and I will wear it on my left hand.
My fiance chose a titanium ring. It was $80 at a local jewelry store, he loves it because it’s extremely light-weight and said to be very durable.
Hmm, I say give it a try. For $30, what have you got to lose? You could always take it to a jeweler once you get it to make sure it meets all the specs it’s supposed to.
Actually, you can find tungsten and steel and all the materials “in” right now at any artisan fair or any fair for that matter. When sellers ad “rare” to the metal they also add $100 more of what’s worth.
research!
Great find!
30 bucks… seriously what can you lose. i’m interested in tungsten too… better than “cut your finger off” titanium… lol Eke!
I know there are plenty of reputable sellers on ebay. At any rate, it’s only $30 so you could order it, have it checked out, and then return it if it wasn’t what you expected. I say go for it!
Thanks, everyone for the comments…they’re really helpful and I’m feeling better about the ebay option. I’ll make sure he double (no, TRIPLE) checks his ring size before ordering.
@skeeta25: Sorry, haven’t ordered from this site.
@doctorgirl: Thanks for the reassurance! Mr. L did look into and made sure that tungsten was able to be (gulp) “sawed” off.
I saw let him do it. Jewelry mark-ups are RIDICULOUS. If it is what the ad on e-bay says it is, you’ve saved almost $200. If it isn’t…at least it was only $30.
Your ring is really beautiful! I agree with the crowd - go for the $30 ring. Can’t hurt it’s only $30!
And, if it doesn’t work out… Just drink a HUGE glass of wine!
I bought FH’s tungsten bank on tungstendirect.com for $84 with shipping, originally $300 (I got it on Thanksgiving when they were having a super sale). It ended up being too small, so I had to pay $15 to get a bigger size since you can’t resize the ring. Not too bad!
I got to pick out my e-ring and I knew that I wanted something vintage. I found mine wholesale price on Ebay from a great seller. I couldn’t imagine any other ring. It is SO me. I plan on getting a vintage band on ebay too. I’ve seen some for under $100.
I have to admit, my FI got my e-ring at the pawn shop. We live in Vegas, so there are a million great shops, many that specialize in and sell only jewelry. And it was a really great compromise for me, because I didn’t like the idea of the environmental or social harm that can be associated with new diamonds… but I wanted my bling, man! The ring appraised at almost twice what he paid for it and i love, love, love it (which is obviously what really counts). So I would say go for it! 1000 percent markup is probably realistic.
OMG! Were we separated at birth? My e-ring is exactly the same except my center is a heart shaped diamond instead. My wedding band is exactly the same as well. And here is another thing, I got the exact same Tungsten ring from Ebay for my fiance. He works in construction, and it is perfect. His ring looks great, so don’t worry.
Ms. Latte your engagement ring and wedding band are LOVELY! Congratulations on your engagement… how exciting!!!!
As for the buying ANYTHING on Ebay other than vintage comics and the like, DON’T DO IT MR. LATTE!!! It’s your WEDDING BAND!!! Yikes!
Go to a reputable jeweler known for high quality standards and notify them of your budget and style. This is a piece of jewelry you will wear (and cherish) forever! It needs to be treated so!!!
I say, $30 for any sort of wedding-related ring in 2009 is “too good to be true.” You have been warned!!!
(;
We ordered my FH’s tungsten ring from eBay as well. I don’t remember what the seller’s name was, but it was about 30. They also have them on Overstock.com, but eBay had the plain style he wanted, when Overstock didn’t. Tungsten is nice, especially since guys will generally take off rings to work out, but tungsten can’t be scratched very easily, so it doesn’t get all dinged from work or what not.
Some tungsten rings contain cobalt. When worn, these rings can react to your skin and develop spots. Perhaps this is part of the reason for the difference in price?
My boy and I both have tungsten carbide bands. He wears his all the time. I wear mine when I don’t want to worry about damaging my diamond engagement / wedding ring. They are so durable. After months of wear, they look brand new — nice and shiny and without any scratches.
We ordered them online from titanium-jewelry.com Their rings are cobalt free. And they come in a variety of widths including skinnier widths — suitable for my smaller hands. Sizing was a bit tricky. They tend to run large. But we exchanged them without a problem. The replacements came right away. The rings themselves were $99 each and shipping was minimal. A happy medium between high and low? A reasonable price to pay for good rings and good service? (Though I know many of their rings run higher.) Do be aware that tungsten rings may not be as white in person as they appear on screen. Ours are more of a gun metal gray, which we like.
Perhaps, since the price is so low, try ordering the ring from eBay? But then allow time to test drive it before the wedding so you know it won’t spot, is exactly what you want, etc.? Good luck!
I bought my husbands wedding band from Ebay. It is a tungsten ring and looks great! I think I spent about $25 or $30 total with shipping and he couldnt be happier! =) I think you should do it!
totally calling my side diamonds my buddies now…FI is going to be thrilled
My fiancee got a tungsten ring for about $50 from overstock.com! It’s really beautiful. And the myth about tungsten not able to be cut…it’s not true. It’s hard to reize but it can be cut if necessary.
I bought my fiance that EXACT ring from Tungsten Forever! We really like it. The only thing I would caution on for anyone wanting to order from Tungsten Forever is that their sizing runs weird. We had to send the ring back to get the right size. Might want to consider calling to ask if they have their own ring sizing system.
Many ebay jewelry sellers get their stock from a particular auction site that sometimes offers men’s titanium bands. The auction site usually lists “retail price” as $200-400, and depending how carefully people shop the auctions they can easily pick up a ring for $5-10 before shipping. So (though the auction site’s “retail prices” tend to be noticeably overinflated) it wouldn’t surprise me that you could find something for $30 online that ran 10x that in a formal jewelry store. As a few people have said, the jeweler markup is insane!!!
My BIL-to be has had no less than 5 of these rings, each ordered through EBAY. They’re cheap, lovely to look at, and the best part- replaceable if you lose them as often as he does! I say go for it! Good luck!
I got this titanium ring for my husband that he loved and it was less than $30 with shipping on ebay. He was very picky and didn’t want anything fancy. He also has a tendency to lose things, often. So I had no problem with getting him this ring and he loved it. Unfortunately, he lost it recently when he went hunting. Fortunately for me, I only had to shell out $30 to buy the same ring again. I’m thinking about supergluing it to his finger, lol. Just make sure you get the right size because titanium and tungsten cannot be resized but they can be cut off the finger if they need to be. Most ambulances have ring cutters that can cut these off.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27217954@N05/2683657696/in/set-72157606262500053/
Just to piggyback on angee524: my EMT friend and countless reputable online articles make it clear that ALL rings can be cut off (titanium, tungsten, etc.). That whole “you’ll lose a finger!” thing is just a myth.
You can google it if you’re worried, and it should set your mind at ease.
We got all of our rings on ebay…saving about 80% in the process. Everything is legit, so I do believe it can be worth the risk. My husband managed to lose his original band within 6 months, so we went back to ebay for another great deal!
Good luck!
My fiance was looking at that same band!! So, far as e-bay goes, I’ve had nothing but good experiences with them, but I haven’t bought anything like fine jewelry on it. Let me know what you decide to do, and if that works for you. I might follow suite.
my e-ring jeweler dropped the ball bigtime, then also couldn’t find a matching band, so we had great luck using e-weddingbands.com
If you’re still nervous, check out Pricescope. They’re an online jewelry forum and talk about titanium and tungsten rings all the time. I really like the bands at boonerings.com. Their tungsten is expensive, but they have great reviews. It’s all done in the US and has a 2-3 day turnaround. They seem super friendly and I’m considering getting titanium rings from them!
Wow thanks for the feedback and suggestions. I have a LONG list of websites to check out now. I’ll keep you all updated!
My SIL bought my brother’s tungsten ring on ebay for around the same price and they were very happy with it! Like others have said, I think it’s because they can’t be resized, not because they’re ‘too good to be true.’
Sorry I have no feedback on buying on ebay etc.
I just wanted to say we’re practically ring twins Your inspiration ring and mine are the same but my FH also found it somewhere else with much research on settings etc.
we actually bought a tungsten wedding band on overstock.com It cost me about $55. right now they are on special and free shipping!
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Mrs. Latte, Boston/NYC
Age and Occupation: 29, College Admissions Counselor
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Elementary School Teacher
Engagement Date: August 23, 2008
Wedding Date: July 2009
Venue: Stage 6 at Steiner Studios
About Me: I am an East Coast girl marrying a West Coast boy. After 2 years of over 3,000 miles between us, Mr. Latte and I are looking forward to finally living in the same time zone/coast/city/home and living “normal couple” lives. I am a crafter at heart and enjoy dragging my friends into new craft projects. I love my Mac, baking cupcakes, wrapping presents, my BlackBerry, naps, good NY style pizza, Jack Bauer and of course, Mr. Latte. I love him a latte. :)
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