Care of Tungsten and Ceramic Rings

Purchasing a new tungsten or ceramic ring is exciting. Whether it is for an engagement band, anniversary ring or a promise ring you are just waiting for the dramatic moment of opening the gift box and finding that breathtaking ring. But one crucial thing to consider when purchasing or receiving a tungsten or ceramic ring is how you care for it.

No matter which of the two types of rings you have there will be some maintenance required. Without proper cleaning and storing your ring won't have the same look as it once did. 

Thankfully, with proper care, your tungsten or ceramic ring will look great for many years to come. Follow this guide to caring for your ring and you can care for your beloved symbol of love with confidence. 

Maintenance Required for Rings

Because you wear tungsten and ceramic rings on your hand, they come in contact with everything you touch as well. So, while these rings are durable and resilient, they can still collect household germs or be caked in hand lotion. And when you hit your hand on another object or firmly grasp rough materials, tungsten and ceramic rings get the full force as well.

This is why regular cleaning of your ring is a must. Of course, dirt and physical forces can damage the appearance of your jewelry. Additionally, just as you regularly wash your hands to get rid of germs, you want to ensure that your ceramic and tungsten rings aren't a breeding ground for unwelcome bacteria. 

Here are some signs that your tungsten or ceramic ring is due for a cleaning:

• Visible dirt on the ring
• It has come in contact with harsh chemicals
• It's been about a month since the last cleaning after frequently wearing the ring

Cleaning

If you wear your ceramic or tungsten ring every day, you'll need to clean it more frequently than those who leave it stored away. That's because the ring comes in contact with dirt, germs and bacteria regularly. However, regular cleaning is recommended even for jewelry stored away, as any dust or dirt from the air can still get on the ring. 

Luckily, they are very simple to clean. Here's what you'll need:

• A mild soap
• A bowl of water
• A cloth (preferably cotton)
• A toothbrush

And here's a simple guide to cleaning your jewelry:

• Put the soap in the bowl of water to create a cleaning solution.
• Wet the cloth and place the ring inside of the cloth.
• Scrub vigorously. Use the toothbrush for any stubborn dirt spots or hard to get ridges. You can even leave your ring soaking in the mild solution for tough stains like grease.

Once it's clean enough to your liking, rinse it off, dry it with a dry cloth, and it's ready to go. 

Polishing

Often, a good cleaning is enough to make your tungsten or ceramic ring to shine. But if soap and water aren't doing the trick, it's time for polish. While tungsten and ceramic rings are strong materials, this doesn't mean they are invincible to scratches. Remember, these rings are scratch resistant, not scratch proof! Which means, they can scratch but not easily.

If you've noticed some minor scratches to your ceramic or tungsten ring, at-home polishing could help somewhat. First, gather these supplies:

• Polishing compound
• A non-abrasive cloth (no paper towels, tissues, or toilet paper)

Spread out some of the polishing compound on the cloth. Then take the cloth and rub it around the ring using a little pressure. As you polish continue applying the pressure until the portion of the ring is as clean as you can get it. Now move on to the next area. 

Use a towel to remove the used paste and inspect the area. If the area isn't clean to your standards, reapply the compound and continue polishing. These materials are extremely hard material so they might take some added pressure. Also, a mark on them might be too deep for it to be removed.

Polishing is ideal when you see more than just dirt on your ring. For example, tiny scratches or marks from handling are good causes for polishing. 

Properly Storing Your Jewelry

For those who use their ceramic or tungsten rings as wedding rings, you may find yourself always wearing this jewelry. There seems no need to have a proper storing place when it's always on your finger. 

However, having adequate storage solutions is essential if you have a tungsten or ceramic ring that often finds itself in a drawer or on a counter waiting for its next use. 

We often think that damage occurs to our jewelry in our everyday life when we're wearing it. And, of course, that's often the case. Whether we handle chemicals that are too harsh on the jewelry or hit it again another material that cause scratches or marks, there are many ways that you can harm even the strongest tungsten rings. 

But even when sitting unused in our bedrooms or bathrooms rings should be protected. Of course, jewelry boxes are the classic solution. This is because these boxes safeguard any type of jewelry from outside factors, such as, the sun, room temperature, low humidity, contact and rubbing against other materials and so on. At Steven G Designs we recommend storing your ring in the gift box we provide when you receive your ring.

Dos and Don'ts of Storing Jewelry

Not sure if your current storage solution is enough to keep your jewelry safe? Here's what you need to know for all types of jewelry in general (not specifically tungsten and ceramic rings):

• Do keep your jewelry out of sunlight. It may be nice to look at your jewelry, but if the sun can see it too, it will tarnish the colors (notably silver jewelry), leaving you with damaged pieces.
• Don't store your jewelry in plastic bags. Some plastic bags actually emit vapors. These vapors inside the closed bag interact with your pieces and cause discoloration. It's hard to know which plastic bags are better than others, so avoid plastic entirely to eliminate the problem.
• Do clean your jewelry before putting it away. As we saw before, the cleaning process is relatively easy. Just some soap and water! So to avoid having dirt sit with your pieces while in storage, clean it out before it goes into storage.
• Don't put wet pieces in storage. Moisture is an enemy of some types of jewelry, especially costume jewelry. So, while cleaning is an important step, ensure that every piece is dry before putting it away.
• Do dust regularly. When we think of dust and bacteria on rings, we often think of what we touch in the world. But dust could be enough to bring germs even inside a box. A quick, monthly dusting should be good enough.
• Don't store all your accessories together. You know which pieces are more refined and which are just costume jewelry, so keep the two separate. The costume jewelry metals can tarnish your finer pieces, leaving damage.
• Do separate jewelry by metal. It's great to keep your finer pieces in one section and your costume jewelry in another. However, the best practice is to separate by metal. Keep your tungsten rings in one box, your ceramics in another, your gold in another, and so on. Box dividers are ideal for this.

Keep Your Jewelry Looking Great

Whether your tungsten or ceramic ring marks an engagement, wedding, a promise, or is just a beautiful addition to your jewelry collection, you want it to look its best. That's why proper care is so essential to avoid problems with your rings. 

Thankfully, with proper cleaning, polishing, and storage, your ceramic and tungsten rings will shine long after you receive them. 

Keep our tips in mind for storing, polishing, and cleaning, and you'll prolong the life of your jewelry by decades.

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