How to care for gold, tungsten, titanium, ceramic and cobalt chrome bands

Most of our rings are built on one of five band materials. All of them clean the same way: mild soap, warm water, a soft cloth. The differences are in how they wear.

Tungsten

Heavy, hypoallergenic and highly scratch-resistant. A tungsten band keeps its polish longer than any other metal we offer. The trade-off is that it's hard rather than tough: a very sharp knock against a hard surface can crack it instead of denting it, so take it off for heavy work.

Black ceramic

Light on the hand and highly scratch-resistant, with a color that goes all the way through, so it never wears off. Like tungsten, it's hard rather than bendable, so treat a sharp impact as the thing to avoid.

Titanium

Very light, very strong and hypoallergenic, which is why we use it for our widest rings. It can pick up fine surface scratches over the years; a jewelry polishing cloth evens them out.

Cobalt chrome

Bright white, hypoallergenic and highly scratch-resistant, with more give than tungsten so it resists cracking. It stays white without plating.

Solid gold

Gold is the softest of the five. It will take on fine scratches with wear; many people like that, and a jeweler can polish it back to new in minutes. Take it off for anything abrasive, and keep it away from chlorine, which can discolor gold over time. Our faceted gold rings are cut by hand, so they hide everyday marks well.

Gold-finished bands

A band "finished in 24K gold" is tungsten with a bonded gold layer (PVD). It's far harder than solid gold, but the finish is thin, so avoid abrasive cleaners and polishing compounds, which can wear through it.

Questions? Email support@artifactdesigncompany.com.