Tungsten Cube · 99.95% pure
Density,
as an object.
“Something about metal shapes that are heavier than they look just.. makes you feel alive.”
A precision-machined cube of 99.95% pure tungsten. At 19.3 grams per cubic centimetre, nearly twice the density of lead, it does not sit on your desk so much as anchor it.
Two and a half times heavier than your brain predicts.
Steel is the density everyone is calibrated on, because steel is what most heavy objects you have handled are made of. Tungsten is 2.5 times denser, which is a large enough error to register as wrong.
- Density
- 19.3g/cm³
- Melting point
- 3,422°C
- Purity
- 99.95%
- Atomic number
- 74
The range
Four sizes. One material.
Mass scales with the cube of the edge length, which is why doubling the size multiplies the weight by eight.
Reviews
Don’t just take our word for it
52 reviews
Customer photo5 out of 5Great conversation starter
Keep it on the coffee table. Nobody gets through a visit without picking it up and saying whoa.
Customer photo5 out of 5Just. Do. It.
I had this majestical block in my cart for nearly a year before I decided to buy it, I am sad I waited so long. This cube has changed my life, I wake up in the morning with joy seeing it on my desk. This cube is the thing you need to fill your empty soul. buy one.
Customer photo5 out of 5It's a cube and it's pretty cool
I mean, I got this for my boyfriend. It's heavy. Makes your palm feel good. Small and heavy little cube. I didn't understand wanting these metal shapes till my bf asked me for a copper ball. Idk how why he wanted it so bad but I bought it.. and I understood. Few months later I bought him this little cube. Something about metal shapes that are heavier than they look just.. makes you feel alive. Get the cube. Live a little
Customer photo5 out of 5Heavier than it looks
Way heavier than it looks. Everyone who picks it up says the same thing. Good desk piece.
Customer photo5 out of 5wow.
Exactly what you expect
Customer photo5 out of 5No complaints here
Exactly what I hoped for.
Customer photo5 out of 5No more, no less.
A cube of tungsten with measurement as described.
Customer photo5 out of 5Perfect gift for a science friend
Got this as a gift for my science major friend. Super cool and comes with a display stand!
Customer photo5 out of 5Engineer approved
Good machinist quality according to my mechanical engineer boyfriend who I gifted this to! The only thing is I wish it came with some sort of little stand.
The material
Why tungsten?
It sits there. It is heavy. You are happy.
Tungsten is element 74. It carries the highest melting point of any pure metal at 3,422°C, the lowest coefficient of thermal expansion of any pure metal, and a density of 19.3 grams per cubic centimetre, nearly identical to gold and almost twice that of lead.
That density is the entire story. Hold a 1.5-inch tungsten cube and your brain misreads the information it is receiving. Objects this size are not supposed to weigh this much.
Tungsten is also extraordinarily difficult to machine. Its hardness and extreme melting point demand specialised tooling and feed rates slow enough to destroy standard carbide cutters.
It has no practical use on a desk. That is the point. It exists to demonstrate one of the most remarkable properties in the physical world: that something this small can have this much mass.
FAQ
Common questions
Everything worth knowing about tungsten cubes: weight, cost, material and where to buy.
How heavy is a tungsten cube?
It depends entirely on the edge length, because mass scales with the cube of the side. A 1-inch tungsten cube weighs about 316 grams. A 1.5-inch cube weighs about 1.07 kilograms. A 2-inch cube weighs about 2.53 kilograms, and a 3-inch cube about 8.54 kilograms. All of those follow from tungsten's density of 19.3 grams per cubic centimetre, nearly twice that of lead.
What is a tungsten cube?
A tungsten cube is a precision-machined cube of pure tungsten metal. Tungsten is element 74, one of the densest naturally occurring elements, with a density close to that of gold. Tungsten cubes are sold as collector's items, desk objects and scientific curiosities, prized for a weight-to-size ratio unlike any other object of comparable dimensions.
How much does a tungsten cube cost?
Our cubes run from $109 for the 1-inch to $1,599 for the 3-inch, all machined from 99.95% pure tungsten with a precision brushed finish. Prices across the market vary with size, purity and finish quality. Every order ships free within the US with a 30-day return window.
Why are tungsten cubes so expensive?
Tungsten is costly to source and exceptionally difficult to machine. It has the highest melting point of any pure metal at 3,422°C, so standard machining practice does not apply: cutting it to tight tolerances needs specialised tooling and feed rates slow enough to ruin ordinary carbide. Material cost plus that machining difficulty is what sets the price.
What is a tungsten cube used for?
In cube form, nothing industrial. They are collector's objects and desk pieces, bought for the physical experience of holding something that weighs far more than it looks like it should. Engineers, physicists and collectors are the most common buyers.
Is tungsten denser than gold?
Almost exactly as dense, but slightly less. Tungsten is 19.3 grams per cubic centimetre and gold is 19.32. The difference is small enough that a tungsten cube and a gold cube of the same size feel effectively identical in the hand, which is precisely why tungsten has a long history as a gold counterfeit substrate.
Where can I buy a tungsten cube?
Directly from The Tungsten Cube at thetungstencube.com, with free shipping on every US order. Cubes are also sold by marketplace and specialty metal retailers, though purity and finish quality vary considerably. Ours are 99.95% pure with a precision brushed finish and a 30-day return policy.