The 23-carat fancy vivid blue diamond, set to headline Christie’s May jewelry auction, was expected to sell for as much as $50 million.
Frederick Goldman Licenses Tungsten Carbide to Thorsten Rings
The manufacturer holds the exclusive license to the patented, scratch-resistant compound.

Secaucus, N.J.—Frederick Goldman Inc. has licensed its patented tungsten carbide material to Thorsten Rings LLC, a men’s wedding band wholesaler based in Long Beach, California.
The New Jersey-based jewelry manufacturer holds the exclusive license to the patent for Trent West Tungsten Carbide, a scratch-resistant compound made up of tungsten and carbon.
The compound’s formula consists of 85 percent tungsten carbide and comes in at more than 8.5 on the Mohs hardness scale, a Frederick Goldman spokesperson explained in an email to National Jeweler, making it 10 times harder than 18-karat gold and the hardest material available in bands behind a diamond.
The patent is in effect until August 2023, the company said in a press release about its recent licensing agreement.
The tungsten carbide rings can be viewed on the Thorsten Rings website in a variety of styles.
Frederick Goldman has been building up its patent portfolio over the past decade, holding licenses on various coating and construction processes.
The company has a patent pending on a construction process that results in a seamless combination of contemporary metals, like titanium and stainless steel, with precision-machined 14-karat gold.
The patent application includes the use of tungsten carbide, as well as other precious and contemporary metals in the company’s portfolio.
The manufacturer also has a patent pending on diamond-like carbon (DLC), a coated component in men’s rings that shares some properties with diamonds. The company said the coating helps minimize corrosion and wear while “maintaining a luxurious, heavyweight and comfortable feel.”
The carbon-based coating is often used in luxury watches and in high-end performance tools.
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