How to Clean and Care for Meteorite Rings
Did you know three types of meteorite used in jewelry making? While each one is ancient and literally from out of this world, they each have different compositions- iron, stony, and stony iron.
At Chris Ploof Designs, We use Gibeon meteorite, an iron meteorite with trace amounts of nickel, exclusively in our work. Because this material is, in fact, iron, meteorite rings need precision engineering, and a little care to stay looking great.
Keeping your meteorite ring looking it’s best
It’s true, our team have been called wizards and mad scientists, but we aren’t actually magicians or alchemists. Our work still obeys the rules of the natural world, and since meteorite is iron, it can rust, even with careful preparation.
There are a few simple steps to keep your meteorite ring looking great.
The first step is also the simplest – wear the ring! The combination of natural oils from your skin and the light abrasion of day-to-day wear is enough to keep most surface-level corrosion at bay.
However, there are also times when you’re better off stowing the ring away. One example is when you’re performing heavy lifting, You wouldn’t want to put any dents or scratches in the ring that, aside from their outward appearance, can also potentially invite deeper corrosion over time.
More importantly, you’ll want to set the ring aside while swimming. Chlorine and other pool chemicals, not to mention salt water in the ocean, can accelerate the corrosion process and potentially cause discoloration.
Cleaning a meteorite ring
If your meteorite ring begins to develop discoloration, it’s typically a quick and easy fix. Before busting out a cleaning solution, try keeping it on for a few days. As mentioned, the oils in your skin and your fingers’ friction often generate plenty to resolve surface-level discoloration.
For more stubborn issues, clean the ring with CLR — calcium, lime, and rust cleaner. This cleaner is a cheap and highly effective option, available online and at home improvement centers and hardware stores.
If there’s a more pervasive issue you’d like us to advise on, contact us, and we’ll be happy to guide you.
Why our meteorite rings last longer
We have been crafting our meteorite collection for over twenty years and know how to work carefully and confidently with this material.
The first step in keeping a meteorite ring beautiful is thoughtful design. All our meteorite rings have rails and linings of precious metal so that the iron is more protected from the moisture your ring will be exposed to daily. Rings without this protective sleeve will inevitably rust and corrode.
Also of critical importance is using the right meteorite and preparing it properly. As mentioned, we use only Gibeon meteorite. It’s uniquely suited for jewelry because it contains trace amounts of nickel, which helps with corrosion resistance.
Since meteorite is a naturally occurring material, it has variations and inclusions. Not to mention cracks and fractures from its tumble through space and atmosphere to reach us here on earth! We carefully select the material used for each ring, rejecting most of the Gibeon meteorite we see due to defects that will affect the wearability of the finished product. Once we have material that meets our needs and standards, we take further hot and cold working steps to increase corrosion resistance even more.
Every Meteorite ring we produce is designed and crafted with quality that we stand behind. If you have a more specific care and maintenance question with your Meteorite ring, get in touch with us and we’d be happy to help!
