A mood ring is just that, a ring that mimics the wearer’s changing emotions and moods.
The color of the stone on the ring changes and reflects the mood of the wearer, and so, because these rings form a critical part of the wearer’s look, they are a popular choice for a special occasions, weddings, and everyday wear.
Unfortunately, when the ring comes in contact with water for a long time, it gets damaged.
In the next sections of this article, we’ll guide you on how to repair or fix your water-damaged mood ring, or rather, let you know if the damage is temporary or permanent.
But first, a little information about mood rings.
History of Mood Rings
You may not know this, but mood rings have been around for quite some time, having been invented back in 1975 by two enterprising New Yorkers, Josy Reynolds and Maris Ambats, who came up with the excellent idea to bond liquid crystals with quartz, creating a stone with color-changing properties.
Reynolds is considered the brains behind the whole concept, and it is interesting to note that he came up with the idea while working a high-stress job on Wall Street.
At the time, he was very much fascinated by biofeedback, a theory that proposes and encourages the use of instruments to have a better understanding of one’s body, for better control of the body’s internal systems and how they work.
And the mood ring was one such instrument. Reynolds also theorized that the mood stone would allow people to have a higher level of control for their feelings, mainly through meditation.
Materials used to make mood rings
Note that mood rings are made of different materials, and the most common material used is silver, although there are inexpensive mood rings set on a cheaper base metal.
The mood part of the ring is then made using a special type of crystal that is thermochromic, meaning that the crystals should show color changes.
The mood rings are often made of different types of crystals, which, as you know, aren’t made of single stones but multiple types of liquid crystals.
The crystals are held in materials like quartz or glass, meant to protect the crystals from excess heat and moisture. They come in different shapes and sizes and last long in perfect condition.
So, how does the color change happen? Well, with temperature changes, the crystals encased on the glass or quartz will twist, and light passes through the crystals; differently, they absorb and refract light differently in different sections of the color spectrum, which means that the eyes notice different colors.
They are often calibrated to respond to slight temperature changes easily, and you can read the mood ring by looking at the color-mood chart with the ring.
Can you fix water-damaged mood rings?
Despite all the work that goes into making the ring, these rings are not indestructible, and water may seep into the crystals over time, damaging the ring. The good news is that even when this happens, you might still be able to fix the damage.
That said, it is important to keep in mind that after some time, all kinds of jewelry will wear out, and the mood rings are not spared. And this means that even if you care for the ring with everything you’ve got, the damage may be permanent.
You also need to remember that after some time, the crystals that make up the mood ring will wear out, and with the presence of water in the mood ring, there will be too much damage to fix the mood ring.
Note that water introduced into the crystals of the mood ring will change its thermochromic properties and will no longer work as it should. In most cases, therefore, water damage means that the mood ring is damaged permanently, and it isn’t much you can do to fix it.
Ultimately, the biggest challenge around mood rings is the fact that they are completely damaged when exposed to moisture. And you can tell the ring is water-damaged when it no longer changes color.
As mentioned above, the presence of moisture in and around the crystals that make up the mood ring will disrupt the crystals’ function, so it will stop working.
Often, you can tell moisture-damaged mood rings by black specks and sections of the mood ring. Alternatively, the ring may remain unchanged despite the changes in temperature and your mood.
To avoid water damage to the mood ring, you should take it off before washing your hands.
That said, you should also know that there is a risk of your mood ring being damaged when it is exposed to very high temperatures, meaning that you must not get the ring resized, and also, you shouldn’t leave it next to a heater, the dashboard of your car, or the window.
Conclusion
Water will permanently damage your mood ring, and the only recourse after the damage will be buying a new ring.
Also, keep an open mind because the ring will not last forever, even with care and great attention. The ring will last between 2-5 years, but it becomes unresponsive over time.
However, some people note that you could restore its function by wrapping it in a paper towel and putting it in the freezer for about 2 minutes. And if you must clean it, wipe it down carefully using a soft, dry cloth.
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Stephanie is a jewelry lover when she was a teenager. Her major was fashion design when she was in college. She is a jewelry designer at SOQ Jewelry and other design companies. Now she is also a writer for our website. She writes a lot of designs&brands posts with very actionable tips.