Caring for a gold ashes ring
A celebration of the life of someone you shared a special connection with, as well as a loving tribute to the time you spent together, a cremation ring made from ashes is one of your most treasured possessions. While tattoos will fade and plants will wither, a beautiful ring made from genuine gold will never disappear — as long as you take good care of it.
To help make sure your unique cremation ring stands the test of time, here’s a simple guide to take care of it in the best way possible. Follow our advice on how to wear, store and clean it and your ring will look just as beautiful in 100 years as it did the day you received it.
Different types of gold
Cremation rings made from human and pet ashes come in a variety of different types of gold. At Heart In Diamond, we offer the following:
- 9k yellow gold
- 18k yellow gold
- 9k white gold
- 18k white gold
Each type of gold is slightly different and because of this, you’ll need to take a marginally different approach to look after it.
The primary difference between yellow gold and white gold is the metal mixture used to make them. Yellow gold is a combination of gold and copper, while white gold is a blend of gold, nickel and zinc. Because of this, white gold is slightly stronger and more durable than yellow gold. This is true for both women and men’s cremation rings.
Gold’s karat number indicates its purity. For example a 9k gold ring is made up of 9 parts gold and 15 parts alloy, while an 18k gold ring is made up of 18 parts gold and 6 parts alloy. A pure gold ring is 24 karat gold.
The higher the gold karat, the softer and more susceptible to scratching a ring is. This makes an 18k gold ring the weakest out of the gold cremation rings we offer and more likely to scratch, while a 9k white gold ring the strongest and more likely to remain in perfect condition the longest.
Wearing
When you first receive your cremation ring, you’ll probably never want to take it off. But to ensure your precious gift stays looking it’s finest, there are some times when you should remove it in everyday life. These include when you:
- Engage in exercise using your hands
- Swim in a pool, sea or other natural body of water
- Clean your home
- Prepare and cook food
- Shower
Although the above are mostly common daily activities, they can be incredibly damaging for your ring. You can easily lose your ring forever when swimming or showering, while exercising, cleaning and cooking can physically damage it, causing dents and scratches.
Storing
Storing your gold ashes ring properly is just as important as remembering to take it off when you’re doing things which could potentially harm it. The best place to store your jewellery is always inside a clean fabric-lined jewellery box. This way you reduce the risk of scratches and you’ll always know where you ring is when you’re not wearing it.
If you don’t have a jewellery box, the second best thing to do is to wrap your ring up in a small piece of soft cloth. The cleaning cloths used for mobile phone screens and sunglasses are perfect. Wrap your ring and place it somewhere safe where it won’t get lost.
However you decide to store your ring, remember to store it separately from all your other pieces of jewellery. Gold is a soft metal susceptible to scratches and dents. Putting it away on its own stops it from getting damaged.
Cleaning
Whenever your gold ashes ring looks a bit dull, you can clean it at home to revitalise its sparkle. To safely clean your ring at home, add a small amount of washing up liquid into a bowl of warm (not hot or boiling) water. Leave your ring to soak for around 30 minutes.
After the time is up, use a soft toothbrush to scrub the dirt off your ring. Pay extra attention to places where dirt may be hidden. Be particularly careful with prongs holding diamonds and gemstones, as they can be delicate.
Rinse your ring in warm water before blotting it dry with a piece of kitchen roll or a soft towel. Leave it to air dry fully before storing it safely or wearing it.
If the above steps don’t improve the appearance of your ring, it’s time to seek the help of a professional jeweller. Search online or ask your local jewellery shop for their guidance. They’ll be able to recommend professional cleaning products or can polish any scratches which have appeared over the years.
Take proper care of your cremation ring
A gold ashes ring is something incredibly precious which needs to be taken care of. Although regularly removing your ring, storing it safely and cleaning it every now and then might sound a hassle, it’s a small price to pay to keep the memory of your loved one alive for years after they’ve passed.
As long as you look after it properly, your meaningful ring will live on for centuries, providing you and multiple generations of your family with a connection to the person you lost so long ago.