Material Information

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Materials and Care

We feel that the decision on what materials to get for a piece of jewelry should be made in the context of jewelry and not of that of hardware. Precious metals are beautiful, sizable, have a good feel, have stood the test of time and also have and will retain a basic material value. No other material has an equal track record of desirability in human history and we love it. We offer sterling silver, 10k, 14k 18k yellow and white gold, palladium, platinum. If you wanted another variation of gold (rose gold, palladium white gold, and green gold) then let us know and we can give you a quote. For non-precious metals we have cobalt. Read about cobalt below to see why we love it so much. 

The importance of the option to size a ring

It is common that people may need to adjust their ring size at some point in their life due to weight loss/ gain or lifestyle change. Fingers have some give so minor changes won’t require any change in a ring but for other changes an adjustment may be necessary.  All of our Tire Rings® have the ability to be sized about a half a size up or down. This covers most adjustment ranges that one would need. We feel that this is an important feature one should always consider when purchasing a ring. We size rings for $15 plus the cost of shipping and handling. It is likely something you can also have done locally by a reputable jeweler.  If a tungsten carbide or ceramic ring becomes tight or loose then the only option is to leave it off or get a new one.

Recommended cleaning

Any silver cleaner will clean these products adequately. You could also use a mild soap (dish soap) and a soft bristled brush (old toothbrush) to clean recessed areas. The abrasive side of a dual purpose kitchen sponge will also assist in returning the original satin finish. Don’t attack the recessed areas as the black could fade.

COBALT 

We feel cobalt to be a great material for our products and the best non-precious metal option available on the market. Cobalt is actually cobalt chrome for jewelry purposes and it is extremely durable and highly scratch resistant (more scratch resistant than titanium) but without being brittle like tungsten or ceramic. Its hypoallergenic qualities make it a useful material in medical applications. It has a very desirable silver/platinum color that can be finished to long lasting polish if desired and it will not tarnish. Cobalt has a comfortable weight, similar to sterling silver and unlike titanium which is lightweight like aluminum. It is somewhat malleable making it slightly sizable unlike brittle materials. A note of caution on cobalt: if you ever need to remove a cobalt ring due to swelling or injury, it will require a diamond blade on a ring removal tool. Two cuts will need to be made because it is too hard to bend.

Cobalt Tire Rings® are the most durable rings we offer. They feel great and are priced less than gold, palladium or platinum making it a very affordable option in today’s precious metal market. I really like this material.

GOLD 

We offer 10k, 14k and 18k yellow and white gold. Gold is mixed with other metals like silver, copper, nickel and zinc for various purposes.  Other metals add strength, adjust color or reduce cost. 24 karat gold (24 out of 24 parts gold) is pure gold and not suitable for most jewelry applications. Lower karat gold like 14 karat (14K) would be 14 out of 24 parts gold etc.

The yellow gold varieties increase in richness of color as the karat goes up.

The white gold varieties tend to be less white as the karat goes up due to the increase of gold which is a rich yellow (14k white gold is whiter than 18k white gold). In many cases white gold jewelry is rhodium plated to make the white gold whiter. We do not plate our white gold because we like its natural color and we don’t want our customers to have to re-plate our rings. We offer two other white metal alternatives, palladium and platinum. If you wanted another variation of gold (rose gold, palladium white gold, and green gold) then let us know and we can give you a quote.

Palladium 

Palladium Is a platinum family metal, 95% pure with a white color. It is very durable and has no yellow tinge and a similar density to 14k gold. It is hypo-allergenic, nickel free and non-tarnishing.

Platinum

Is a very hard dense non tarnishing white metal. Marked “Plat”, the platinum we use is the industry standard 95% platinum. Platinum is close to twice the weight of sterling silver. Platinum will resist wear better than all the other precious metals.

Sterling silver

 Sterling silver Is 92.5% silver. The remaining 7.5% is copper. The addition of copper makes the silver more durable. It is however the softest of the materials we offer. Stamped “.925”, “sterling silver”, “sterling” or “ster”, sterling silver has a warm look that will burnish over time giving it a pleasant weathered character. If stored or exposed to certain chemicals and or moisture sterling silver can tarnish.

Discoloration of the skin or tarnishing of the ring, although rare is possible with any sterling silver. Some people can have a reaction with the small amount of copper or they can come in contact with a chemical that reacts with the copper. This is even more pronounced with someone with more moisture in their skin. Exposure to certain chemicals especially sulphur compounds will cause this reaction. Dust from the final finishing of the ring could also be trapped in the treads or the logo stamp.