tips + tricks | REBLACKEN YOUR RINGS
In this new normal, we're all doing our best taking care of our health. We're washing our hands with more intensity and cleaning and disinfecting like champs - while protecting us, it is also wreaking havoc on our hands and our rings. Especially jewelry with a blackened hand stamped message. While I may not be able to help much with dry skin - I do have some tips on keeping your jewelry looking like new.
How to Blacken Metal Jewelry
How we blacken the hand stamped letters on the piece is with a lacquer finish - it is the very last step in the jewelry making process before your piece is shipped off to you!
Blackening is only a surface treatment and will wear off over time - especially when washing hands and when hand sanitizer comes into play.
Be aware that the silver polish will take the blackening out of the letters on the ring.
In this post, I will walk you through how to avoid your letters fading at a rapid pace, how to blacken metal jewelry if you want to refresh your piece yourself, and other reblackening options we provide:
REMOVE YOUR RINGS
- One big change since we started making our inspiRINGs is the increased use of hand sanitizer. The alcohol in hand sanitizer will remove the black surface treatment in the letters. While we know it is annoying, please remove your rings before applying hand sanitizer.
- Take off your rings before putting on hand lotions. Lotions can build-up on your rings and leave them dirty and no longer sparkly. Many lotions also have fragrance which can cause oxidation (blackening) on silver rings.
- ALWAYS remove rings when using products like Clorox and other harsh cleaning products. These chemicals can scratch or eat into the metal of your rings.
- If your rings have blackened letters, this is a surface treatment that is like a lacquer and will wear away with frequent handwashing.
- having trouble remembering to take off your rings? keep a cute ring dish next to your sink to remind you to take them off
REBLACKEN YOUR RINGS
- the tools : an oil-based paint pen (we love the sharpie brand one), a wet wipe (these are our favorites)
- We now sell a Blackening Kit for only $8 on our website.
- Swipe the paint pen over the surface you wish to reblacken
- Before the "paint" dries, wipe off with the wet wipe (sometimes it will take a couple swipes to remove the paint)
- Voila! your ring is reblackened!
- Be sure to watch our re-blackening demo on Instagram: Watch Now!
SEND IT IN
If you don't want to bother or are hesitant to do it yourself, you can definitely send it in to us and we will give it a professional cleaning and reblackening. Just shoot us an email and we will be happy to get the process going for you!
If your ring is badly scratched, tarnished, or broken, I do recommend sending it back to us as we will get your cleaned up and reblackened for you and it will look good as brand new! You can email us for any of those concerns as well.