Are wooden rings durable?

Are Wooden Rings Durable?

The answer is a resounding yes. Taking good care of your ring doesn’t require any more effort than taking care of a regular metal ring. By keeping your ring safe, not unnecessarily exposing it to overly-harsh conditions, and performing regular ring maintenance, your wooden ring is sure to last a lifetime -- or a few. Here's how you can make sure your wood wedding ring stands the test of time.

It Starts with Quality Craftsmanship

The toughest and most durable wooden wedding rings are made using bentwood. This is the process we use at Rustic and Main. Making bentwood rings involves wrapping multiple thin layers of wood around each other, with the wood grain running in the same direction. The result is a wood wedding ring that is incredibly strong. 

The types of wood used to make the ring also help determine strength and durability. We source woods that have been known to stand the test of time, such as old-growth heartwoods and hardwoods. Rings can be finished using anything from beeswax to epoxy, but we use cyanoacrylate glue, commonly called CA glue. We use a medical grade CA which gives the rings a strong finish with a beautiful sheen.

Taking Care of Your Ring

Wooden rings don't require much active care. We recommend gently cleaning it every now and then with a soft, dry microfiber cloth to keep the ring looking shiny. Other than that, the most important thing you can do to keep your ring in good shape is to avoid exposing it to potential damage in the first place.

• Water. Wooden rings finished with CA glue are water resistant, so you don't have to worry about taking your ring off every time you wash your hands. However, like virtually all jewelry, it is generally not recommended to expose your ring to saltwater more than is necessary.
  
  
• Impact. Bentwood rings are strong and one of the best things about them is that they flex before they break. Obviously you don’t want to try hitting it with a hammer, but wooden rings are highly resilient to the normal wear-and-tear of daily life. You should also take off your ring before you do any high-impact activity, like going rock climbing or taking apart your car engine, but this has more to do with personal safety than the actual durability of the ring.
  
  
• Chemicals. A variety of chemicals, including chemicals found in some household cleaning products, can break down the finish on your ring. It's best to wear rubber gloves when working with these products anyway, but you should also take your ring off, just to be safe.

If, after years of wear, your ring has become scratched, or you notice the finish has lost a bit of its luster, you can always send it back to us to be refinished. Most scratches are only surface-level, and our ring craftsmen are experienced in bringing older rings back to their original shine. Contact us today to learn more about caring for your wooden wedding ring.