Truly unique · Black zirconium
Roman numeral
From £329
Your date, cut around the whole band in numerals.
The date runs the full circumference in Roman numerals, machined through black oxide so the bright metal beneath forms the characters. It is personalised without being sentimental about it, which is why it sells.
Made to order · 2 to 3 weeks · posted insured
Before you order, in one place
- What you are buying
- Roman numeral, black zirconium, made to order in your size. Widths 4 to 10mm.
- Price
- £329 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
- It is made with your date, so it is yours alone and cannot come back for a change of mind. If it arrives faulty or is not what you ordered, we put it right, return postage paid. 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
- ResizableNot usually
- HallmarkedNot applicable, non precious
- MadeTo order, in your size
- Delivery2 to 3 weeks, insured
- ReturnsFaults only, as it is personalised
- EngravingOptional, included, inside the band
Also in: Wedding rings, Promise rings, His and hers, Men's rings
About this ring
Roman numeral, in detail
A date, set down the way a monument would carry it. The numerals run the full way round a satin black zirconium band, machined through the dark oxide so that every character is the bright metal underneath. The result is two colours from one material: a soft charcoal ground and lettering that catches the light as the hand turns. From a distance it reads as a fine run of strokes; up close it is a day you chose. Because the date wraps the whole circumference there is no front to the ring, and whichever way it turns, some part of the inscription is showing.
How it wears
Black zirconium takes its colour from an oxide grown out of the metal itself, not a coating laid on top, and that oxide is hard, typically around Mohs 8. It resists the small knocks of ordinary days well. A heavy blow against something rough can still expose the paler metal beneath, and on this ring that matters less than on a plain black band, because bright metal is already part of the design. The satin finish softens fine wear, and the metal is hypoallergenic.
Choosing yours
Widths run from 4 to 10mm, and here the choice is really about the numerals. On a narrower band the characters are necessarily smaller and read almost as texture, which suits someone who wants the date to be private. On a wider band they gain height and become legible at a glance. A wedding date is the natural inscription, though any date that matters to the two of you cuts the same way. The design pairs with itself, so both bands can carry the same date, each at the width that suits its hand.
Width by width
| Width | How it reads | Weight, est. | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4mm | Slim, the quietest everyday width | 2.1g | £329 |
| 5mm | Between slim and classic | 2.6g | £329 |
| 6mm | Classic, the usual starting point for a band | 3.2g | £329 |
| 7mm | Classic to broad, more of the pattern shows | 3.7g | £329 |
| 8mm | Broad, a ring that is clearly there | 4.2g | £355 |
| 9mm | Wide and bold, best on a larger hand | 4.7g | £355 |
| 10mm | Wide and bold, best on a larger hand | 5.3g | £355 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roman numeral (this ring) | Your date, cut around the whole band in numerals. | Black zirconium | 4 to 10mm | Mohs 8 | £329 |
| Scattered set | Diamonds flush set at irregular intervals, not in a line. | Black zirconium | 4 to 10mm | Mohs 8 | £349 |
| Waves, relieved black | Waves cut through black to bright metal. | Black zirconium | 4 to 10mm | Mohs 8 | £365 |
| Knurled, black | A knurled centre, like the grip of a tool, between bright edges. | Black zirconium | 4 to 10mm | Mohs 8 | £365 |
There are 25 black zirconium bands in the range, from £199 to £1,525. 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 Roman numeral
- Can this ring be resized?
- Not in the usual way. The black is grown into the surface of the metal, so cutting or machining the band would show bright metal underneath. That is why the size is settled before the ring is made, and every ring is made to that measurement.
- 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.
- How much does the Roman numeral 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 £329, and 8mm, 9mm, 10mm £355, because the wider bands take more metal to make.
- What is closest to the Roman numeral in the range?
- Scattered set (black zirconium) and Waves, relieved 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?
- Settle the size before it is made, because a ring made with your date cannot come back for a change of mind. Use the free ring size finder, or choose I do not know yet and we confirm the size with you before anything is made. If the ring arrives in a size other than the one you ordered, we put it right.