Comparison
Anodised zirconium or Precious inlay?
Choose anodised zirconium if you want colour grown into the metal itself, not painted or plated on. Choose precious inlay if you want real hallmarked gold on the ring without paying for a solid gold one.
- Harder surface: about the same (Mohs 8.5 and 8.5)
- From: anodised zirconium £269, precious inlay £385
- Resizing: anodised zirconium, not usually; precious inlay, slightly larger
Checked .
| Side by side | Anodised zirconium | Precious inlay |
|---|---|---|
| Surface | Colour grown into the metal | Two metals in one band |
| Hardness (Mohs) | 8.5 | 8.5 |
| Density | 6.5 g/cm³ reference | Varies by design |
| Resizing | Not usually | Slightly larger |
| Hallmarked | No, not a precious metal | Yes, by law above the exemption weight |
| Our rings from | £269 | £385 |
Which is heavier, anodised zirconium or precious inlay?
An inlay ring weighs what its titanium or zirconium base weighs plus a little for the gold line, so it sits much closer to the base metal than to solid gold. Every ring page gives the weight of that band.
Is anodised zirconium more expensive than precious inlay?
Anodised zirconium costs less: anodised zirconium rings start at £269 and precious inlay rings at £385 in our range. An inlay ring carries a line of solid gold set into the band, which is why it starts higher than plain anodised zirconium.
Every ring is made to order in your size, and engraving is free on every ring whose page offers it.
Which is harder wearing?
They are close in hardness (Mohs 8.5 and 8.5), so they mark at much the same rate with daily wear.
Anodised zirconium. The colour is an oxide film grown on the zirconium by electric current, not paint, dye or plating, so there is nothing to peel or flake. Like any surface finish it wears first where a ring rubs hardest, which is why many designs keep the colour in recessed channels where it is protected. Wash it with warm soapy water and a soft cloth rather than buffing it: a dull patch is usually residue, and it rinses away.
Precious inlay. Solid gold set flush into a titanium or zirconium band and hallmarked at Birmingham. The two metals wear at different rates, so the gold picks up marks first, and it polishes back. The inlay is a few millimetres of gold, not a gold ring, and we give the weight on every product page.
Can anodised zirconium and precious inlay rings be resized?
Anodised zirconium: Not in the usual way. The colour is a fine layer grown on the surface, and resizing the band would break through it. So the size is the part to get right, and the free ring size finder makes that a two minute job.
Precious inlay: Often, a little larger. On a titanium base the inside of the band can be machined to make it slightly bigger, though not smaller, and it is never stretched, so the inlay stays exactly as it was made. On a black zirconium base the colour is grown into the surface, so the size is settled when you order and the ring is made to it.
Either way, getting the size right first is the easy part: the free ring size finder measures it at home in a couple of minutes, and the resizing guide explains the differences between metals.
Sensitive skin and hallmarks
Anodised zirconium is hypoallergenic and a common choice for sensitive skin. Precious inlay is hypoallergenic and a common choice for sensitive skin. The metal allergy guide explains what causes a rash under a ring.
Titanium and zirconium are not precious metals, so there is no hallmark and none is required. Where a ring carries a solid gold inlay, that gold is hallmarked at Birmingham. Gold, silver, platinum and palladium are hallmarked by law above the exemption weights. The marks go inside the band, where you can read the fineness for yourself. The UK hallmarking guide explains each mark.
Our verdict
Anodised zirconium if you want colour grown into the metal itself, not painted or plated on. Precious inlay if you want real hallmarked gold on the ring without paying for a solid gold one.
Not sure on width? The band width guide shows what each width looks like and weighs, and the metal chooser weighs the metals up against how you will wear the ring.
In these materials
Rings to look at
Rings made in, or available in, the two materials above, each with its current price, widths and finishes on its own page.
Anodised channel
A band of real colour, set between natural metal edges.
Gold line, titanium
Solid gold inlaid down the centre of brushed titanium.
Anodised bevels
Colour on the edges instead of down the middle.
Explore the fit and weight
Common questions
- Is anodised zirconium or precious inlay harder wearing?
- They are close in hardness (Mohs 8.5 and 8.5), so they mark at much the same rate with daily wear.
- Is anodised zirconium heavier than precious inlay?
- An inlay ring weighs what its titanium or zirconium base weighs plus a little for the gold line, so it sits much closer to the base metal than to solid gold. Every ring page gives the weight of that band.
- Is anodised zirconium more expensive than precious inlay?
- Anodised zirconium costs less: anodised zirconium rings start at £269 and precious inlay rings at £385 in our range. An inlay ring carries a line of solid gold set into the band, which is why it starts higher than plain anodised zirconium.
- Can both be resized?
- Not in the usual way. The colour is a fine layer grown on the surface, and resizing the band would break through it. So the size is the part to get right, and the free ring size finder makes that a two minute job. Often, a little larger. On a titanium base the inside of the band can be machined to make it slightly bigger, though not smaller, and it is never stretched, so the inlay stays exactly as it was made. On a black zirconium base the colour is grown into the surface, so the size is settled when you order and the ring is made to it.
- Are both hallmarked?
- Titanium and zirconium are not precious metals, so there is no hallmark and none is required. Where a ring carries a solid gold inlay, that gold is hallmarked at Birmingham. Gold, silver, platinum and palladium are hallmarked by law above the exemption weights. The marks go inside the band, where you can read the fineness for yourself.