Truly unique · Black zirconium
Celtic, black
From £449
A continuous Celtic knot, cut into black zirconium.
The same knotwork as the titanium Celtic, cut into black oxide so the pattern reads as matte black on black until the light catches the relief. The hard oxide helps the detail resist fine scratches, but harsh contact can still mark the surface. Drawn to pair with the titanium Celtic.
Made to order · 2 to 3 weeks · posted insured
Before you order, in one place
- What you are buying
- Celtic, black, black zirconium, made to order in your size. Widths 4 to 10mm.
- Price
- £449 total. UK delivery and engraving are included and nothing is added at checkout.
- When it arrives
- 2 to 3 weeks to make, then one working day insured and signed for. Delivery in full
- Changing your mind
- 30 days from delivery, return postage paid, unless you have it engraved. The cancellation right
- Who you are contracting with
- Trothe Ltd, registered in England and Wales, company number 17431230, Lytchett House, 13 Freeland Park, Wareham Road, Poole, Dorset, BH16 6FA. Questions and complaints to hello@trothe.co.uk.
- MaterialBlack zirconium
- Surface hardnessMohs 8
- Density6.5 g/cm³
- ResizableSpecialist assessment
- HallmarkedNot applicable, non precious
- MadeTo order, in your size
- Delivery2 to 3 weeks, insured
- Returns30 days, unengraved
- EngravingOptional, included, inside the band
Also in: Wedding rings, His and hers, Men's rings, Women's rings
About this ring
Celtic, black, in detail
A single Celtic knot runs unbroken around the band, its strands passing over and under one another with no start and no finish. Cut into black zirconium, the knot becomes black on black: a matte satin field with the pattern held in relief inside it. Indoors the ring can look almost plain. Turn the hand towards a window and the relief comes up, each crossing throwing its own small shadow. The knotwork is the same as on the titanium Celtic. What changes is the light: the titanium shows the knot in grey, while this version keeps it in reserve until the angle is right.
How it wears
The black is a ceramic oxide grown out of the zirconium, around 8 on the Mohs scale, so the brushes of an ordinary day tend to pass over it. A knotted relief also breaks the surface up, and a fine mark is far harder to find in it than on a flat face. A hard knock against stone or steel can still mark the oxide and show the lighter metal beneath. The metal is hypoallergenic, and it carries a little more weight on the hand than titanium does.
Choosing yours
Knotwork needs room to read, so the wider bands give this pattern its full sweep: at 8 to 10mm the crossings are large enough to follow from a little distance, while 6 or 7mm keeps the knot clear. At 4 and 5mm the knot turns into a fine texture rather than a picture. It was drawn to sit beside the Celtic in titanium, the same knot in grey and in black, which suits a couple who want matching rings that are not identical. There is one finish, satin, so the only real decision is width.
Width by width
| Width | How it reads | Weight, est. | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4mm | Slim, the quietest everyday width | 2.1g | £449 |
| 5mm | Between slim and classic | 2.6g | £449 |
| 6mm | Classic, the usual starting point for a band | 3.2g | £449 |
| 7mm | Classic to broad, more of the pattern shows | 3.7g | £449 |
| 8mm | Broad, a ring that is clearly there | 4.2g | £475 |
| 9mm | Wide and bold, best on a larger hand | 4.7g | £475 |
| 10mm | Wide and bold, best on a larger hand | 5.3g | £475 |
Weights are estimates for a plain band of the same width in black zirconium at UK size N with a 1.6mm wall, from the model in our ring weight calculator. A pattern cut into the surface removes a little metal, so the finished ring is slightly lighter. The price steps up at the widths that take more metal to make.
How it compares with the rings nearest it
| Ring | What sets it apart | Metal | Widths | Surface hardness | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Celtic, black (this ring) | A continuous Celtic knot, cut into black zirconium. | Black zirconium | 4 to 10mm | Mohs 8 | £449 |
| Tyre tread, black | A tyre tread, cut around a black zirconium band. | Black zirconium | 4 to 10mm | Mohs 8 | £449 |
| Claddagh, black | The claddagh, hands, heart and crown, cut into black. | Black zirconium | 4 to 10mm | Mohs 8 | £449 |
| One diamond, black | A single ten point diamond, flush set into black. | Black zirconium | 4 to 10mm | Mohs 8 | £475 |
There are 17 black zirconium bands in the range, from £199 to £625. All about black zirconium.
The metal, in brief
Heating zirconium forms a black ceramic oxide at its surface. The colour comes from that oxide, rather than applied black plating. It is a hard surface over a softer metal core, so scratch resistance does not mean the whole ring is black or immune to damage.
Surface hardness Mohs 8, density 6.5 g/cm³, and hypoallergenic, so it is a sound choice for skin that reacts to nickel. It is not a precious metal, so it carries no hallmark.
Compared side by side: Anodised zirconium or black zirconium, Black zirconium or titanium, Black zirconium or sterling silver. Or read the full black zirconium guide.
Work it out before you order
About Celtic, black
- Can this ring be resized?
- Black zirconium needs specialist assessment. GETi describes resizing as difficult and time consuming, rather than completely impossible. The oxide surface, construction and requested size change need consideration. Do not assume a local jeweller can alter it or that a replacement is automatic. Ask whether the proposed solution alters the original band or supplies a remake, and confirm the finish, engraving, cost and timing.
- Is engraving included?
- Yes, and it is optional. Leave the box blank and the ring is made plain. If you do want one it is laser cut inside the band where the ring is made, rather than sent out to a third party, and there is no charge and no extra wait.
- How long will it take?
- 2 to 3 weeks. It is made in your size after you order, not picked off a shelf, and that is the reason the widths and finishes are open choices.
- Can I return it if I have it engraved?
- Not for a change of mind. An engraving makes the ring clearly personalised, which puts it outside the statutory right to cancel, and it cannot be resold. Every ring shop draws the line here. Order it plain and you keep the full 30 days. Either way, a ring that arrives faulty or is not what you ordered is covered by the Consumer Rights Act, which nothing waives.
- How much does the Celtic, black ring weigh?
- About 2.1g at 4mm, 3.2g at 6mm, 5.3g at 10mm, estimated for a plain band in black zirconium at UK size N. Larger sizes and wider bands weigh more. It is a light ring by any standard: 18ct gold of the same size is more than twice the weight.
- What widths does it come in, and do they cost the same?
- 4 to 10mm. 4mm, 5mm, 6mm, 7mm are £449, and 8mm, 9mm, 10mm £475, because the wider bands take more metal to make.
- What is closest to the Celtic, black in the range?
- Tyre tread, black (black zirconium) and Claddagh, black (black zirconium). The comparison table on this page sets them side by side on metal, width, hardness and price.
- What if I get the size wrong?
- If it is unengraved, return it inside 30 days and we refund it, and we pay the postage. Use the free ring size finder first if you are unsure, and if the ring is a surprise, ask us and we will talk you through the ways to find out without asking them.