Caring for your MeditationRing

How to Care for your MeditationRing

It is actually quite easy to care for your MeditationRing and in order to keep your MeditationRing looking beautiful, bright and brilliant we must first remember that silver is a base metal from the earth which in turn reacts in the environment around it. For example: when oxygen or sulphur, both elements which are around us at all times, come in contact with silver, they chemically bond to its surface and cause the silver to appear dirty or discolored. This process of changing colour is known as tarnishing.

Fortunately, caring for your MeditationRing is extremely simple. Understanding the facts about your MeditationRings composition, and knowing that the change in colour is natural and occurs with all silver items, I’m sure puts your mind at ease. Let’s first learn a few more things about your MeditationRings base metal of .925 Sterling Silver.

Preventative care

We encourage you to wear your MeditationRing as much as possible, not only will the soothing spiritual qualities aid your soul but you can avoid tarnish by wearing your MeditationRing often. The oils in your skin will “clean” the silver and keep it looking shiny as it rubs during wear with your MeditationRing. However, you must also consider that everyone’s’ body is a little different and that Amino Acids in the perspiration from humans contain sulfur or sulfides and the presence of sulfur or sulfides accelerates the rate of tarnish. Changes in hormone balance during adolescence or change of life in women has been known to change the body’s’ chemistry. Medications or chemotherapy can also effect the body chemistry. Some cosmetics and skin lotions can also accelerate tarnishing in silver. All of these factors combined with your body and its natural chemical make-up factor in the way you look after your MeditationRing. Lotions, cosmetics, hair spray and hair products, and perfumes are also “enemies” of silver and will accelerate tarnishing.

A few things about sterling silver

Knowing a few industry terms will help you understand the physical attributes of your MeditationRing and how to care for it. The purity of the metal, for instance, determines how malleable the silver is and how quickly it will tarnish: .950 sterling silver will bend more easily and tarnish more quickly than .925 sterling silver because of its increased purity. That explains why we use .925 sterling silver as we want to ensure our MeditationRings can be worn day in and day out and is strong enough to withstand daily usage without damages ensuing.“Oxidized” is another term used to describe silver that has tarnished. Some of our styles use this process to intentionally allow parts of the jewelry to darken and oxidize, typically intricate details, to make them stand out more. This detailing can be lost, though, with excessive cleaning and polishing. Several of our MeditationRings such as; Believe, Satori, Feel, Strength, Reflections and Harmony all have been purposefully oxidized for accent and depth. Know that the Earth MeditationRing has intentionally been Oxidized to a large degree so excessive cleaning will disrupt its Intentional darkened appearance.  

Cleaning your MeditationRing

First, to remove excess oils, dirt, and perspiration, wipe your MeditationRing down with a silver cleaning cloth. Soft water or detergents are not needed, just dry wipe your MeditationRing. This wiping will help remove excess skin oils or perspiration which will help keep silver jewellery clean and bright longer. You can also refrain from using hand sanitizer while your MeditationRing is on, and to further avoid tarnishing and discoloration, remove your MeditationRing before bathing or swimming, or immersing in any water as the silver will react to the salts and/or other minerals in the environment.

Never clean your MeditationRing with silver jewelry cleanser or cleaning solutions with abrasives or ammonia, as harsh chemicals will remove any intentional blackened or “oxidized” finishes we have deliberately created.

Lastly, after wiping down your MeditationRing with your cleaning cloth, store your MeditationRing in either the satin pouch provided, or a sealed bag to avoid further tarnishing and scratches and store your MeditationRing in a cool, dry place.

Polishing

Simply polishing by rubbing your MeditationRing with a dry microfiber cloth works well when the tarnishing is not too severe. It is also the best method for cleaning your oxidized MeditationRing, as you can stay away from the intentionally tarnished areas.

Silver is soft and can become scratched easily. You can use a special silver cloth to polish your items, but a lint-free flannel, microfiber cloth will do as well. Do not use paper towels or tissues to polish your jewelry as they contain fibers that can scratch the silver.

When polishing, use your microfiber cleaning cloth by wrapping around both the outside and inside of your MeditationRing. Rotate your MeditationRing around as you would do when spinning the bands around the base of the MeditationRing when wearing. This motion mirrors the grain of the silver. Do not rub in circles, as this will magnify any tiny scratches. Also, change to a different section of your cloth frequently to avoid placing tarnish back on the silver. You can use a Q-tip to get into small, detailed areas.

Can you use commercial silver cleaners?

Commercial silver polishes and dips are easy to find and use, but have several serious drawbacks. For one, the vapors from silver polish can cause damage and even be fatal if inhaled in an unventilated room. The powerful solvents in commercial silver cleaners may also require special hazardous waste disposal to avoid contaminating groundwater or causing other environmental harm. Commercial silver cleaners can also actually harm your silver by removing the anti-tarnish coating.

A must note on commercial cleaners is that even though these cleaners might give a temporary shine, the pieces will tarnish much more quickly and have to be cleaned more frequently once you have broken down the surface with the commercial grade cleaners.

Your MeditationRing is ready to shine!

Your MeditationRing can give you many years of pleasure and enjoyment and even become family heirlooms. Remember, your MeditationRing is hand-made out of .925 sterling silver, it is put through rigorous quality control measures to ensure each MeditationRing is perfect for each of their owners. Although tarnishing may occur, with the above simple measures your MeditationRing will look perfect, priceless and ready for you to Spin & Wish for years to come!