How did you first hear of tungsten? Maybe a friend or a co-worker swore by their tungsten wedding bands and their durability. Or your significant other asked for tungsten rings specifically as their wedding band. You might have even seen a nice pair of carbon fiber tungsten cufflinks at a meeting in the office.

In the wedding and jewelry industries, tungsten has garnered a reputation as the most durable alternative metal. Tungsten is now synonymous with forever wedding bands. But you might be surprised at how many other things tungsten has been utilized in, and for quite some time! Don't forget, tungsten has been a known element for over 200 years.

The History of Tungsten

Here are a few things you may not know that have benefited from the use of tungsten:

- Light Bulb
Light Bulbs: When Thomas Edison developed the light bulb, he went through many types of filaments before settling on tungsten as the longest lasting for his new invention. Many bulbs today still use tungsten filaments over 100 years later.

- Tungsten Iridium Sunglasses
Sunglasses: Yup, your shades could have tungsten in the lenses. Sunglass experts like Oakley have been using tungsten iridium lenses to perfect the polarized lenses in sunglasses. Need a pair to cut down the glare of your tungsten wedding rings' high polish shine? Try these tungsten iridium lenses.

- Tungsten Drill Bits
Tungsten Drill Bits: Builders have been using tungsten in their drill bits for years. The hardness of tungsten is simply unparalleled and great for all kinds of practical uses on the job site.

- NASCAR
Race Car Ballast: NASCAR and Formula One have both used tungsten as weight and balance for their high performance vehicles. Now you can tell your friends with confidence that your tungsten ring is a high performance wedding band.