Multi toned · Black zirconium with solid gold inlay
Three tone
From £595
Bright edges, black shoulders, a gold line down the middle.
Three genuinely different surfaces on one band: natural zirconium at the edges, black oxide across the shoulders, and solid gold in the centre. Everything here is a real material rather than a finish, which is the whole difference.
Made to order · 2 to 3 weeks · posted insured
Before you order, in one place
- What you are buying
- Three tone, precious inlay, made to order in your size. Widths 4 to 10mm.
- Price
- £595 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 with solid gold inlay
- InlaySolid 9ct gold, flush set
- Surface hardnessMohs 8
- Density6.5 g/cm³ base metal
- ResizableSlightly larger
- HallmarkedYes, Birmingham Assay Office
- 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, Black rings
About this ring
Three tone, in detail
Three genuinely different surfaces sit side by side: natural zirconium at the edges, black oxide across the shoulders, and a solid gold line down the middle in 9ct yellow or 9ct rose. None of them is a coating. The bright edges draw the outline, the black gives the ring depth, and the gold pulls the eye to the centre. It shares its layered construction with Rose on relieved black, and adds the choice of gold colour, so the centre line can be cool and bright or warm and soft.
How it wears
This band asks nothing unusual of its owner. The black oxide resists most daily contact at around Mohs 8. The bright zirconium edges are softer and take on fine marks gradually, and the satin finish keeps them unobtrusive; the gold line wears as gold does. A hard impact can mark the black, and a pale scuff there may be metal from the other object rather than a scratch. Everything in the ring is hypoallergenic, and zirconium gives it a settled weight.
Choosing yours
Yellow gold makes the centre the strongest of the three tones and gives a classic black and gold look inside a bright frame. Rose is warmer and sits more gently against the black. Wider bands give each tone more space, so 7mm and up shows the structure best, while 4 and 5mm make a finer, busier ring.
For a partner who prefers less contrast but the same gold, Gold line, titanium keeps just the centre line on a pale ground.
Width by width
| Width | How it reads | Weight, est. | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4mm | Slim, the quietest everyday width | 2.1g | £595 |
| 5mm | Between slim and classic | 2.6g | £595 |
| 6mm | Classic, the usual starting point for a band | 3.2g | £595 |
| 7mm | Classic to broad, more of the pattern shows | 3.7g | £595 |
| 8mm | Broad, a ring that is clearly there | 4.2g | £620 |
| 9mm | Wide and bold, best on a larger hand | 4.7g | £620 |
| 10mm | Wide and bold, best on a larger hand | 5.3g | £620 |
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. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Three tone (this ring) | Bright edges, black shoulders, a gold line down the middle. | Black zirconium with gold inlay | 4 to 10mm | Mohs 8 | £595 |
| Rose on relieved black | Three tones: bright edges, black shoulders, rose gold centre. | Black zirconium with gold inlay | 4 to 10mm | Mohs 8 | £595 |
| Offset gold line, black | A 1.5mm line of 9ct gold set off centre in black zirconium. | Black zirconium with gold inlay | 6 to 10mm | Mohs 8 | £595 |
| Gold line, black dome | A grooved line of 9ct gold around the centre of a domed black band. | Black zirconium with gold inlay | 6 to 10mm | Mohs 8 | £595 |
There are 22 black zirconium bands in the range, from £385 to £795. 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 Three tone
- 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.
- 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 Three tone 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 £595, and 8mm, 9mm, 10mm £620, because the wider bands take more metal to make.
- What is closest to the Three tone in the range?
- Rose on relieved black (black zirconium with gold inlay) and Offset gold line, black (black zirconium with gold inlay). 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.