Ring nuts look great right away! BUT MAKE SURE THEY ARE ADJUSTED/TIGHTENED BY HAND (not with a pneumatic wrench) IF YOU GO TO A TIRE SHOP TO WEAR THEM! I assembled all mine myself and managed to scrape off some of the paint (and I've been careful from the start). I've found that applying a damp paper towel to the jam nut (which creates a barrier between the contact points) before tightening is very helpful in preventing scratches.