Multi toned · Black zirconium
Twin groove
From £255
Two tones divided by a V cut around the centre.
A single V groove machined around the band, black on one side of it and bright zirconium on the other. Quieter than it sounds and very legible from across a room.
Made to order · 2 to 3 weeks · posted insured
Before you order, in one place
- What you are buying
- Twin groove, black zirconium, made to order in your size. Widths 4 to 10mm.
- Price
- £255 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, Promise rings, His and hers, Men's rings
About this ring
Twin groove, in detail
One V-shaped groove runs round the middle of the band and divides it into two halves: black zirconium on one side, bright natural zirconium on the other. There is no pattern beyond that single cut. The groove holds a thin line of shadow, so the change from dark to light is sharp and deliberate. On the hand it is more restrained than a two-tone ring sounds, and it reads clearly from a distance, because two flat tones side by side are the simplest contrast a band can make.
How it wears
Each half wears in its own way. The black side is a hard oxide, around Mohs 8, and resists most everyday contact, though a heavy knock can still mark it. The bright side is the zirconium underneath, softer, and it gathers fine marks that the satin finish absorbs into its grain. A pale smudge on the black can be metal transferred from something else rather than a scratch. Zirconium is hypoallergenic, so the ring suits sensitive skin.
Choosing yours
Width changes how the split reads. At 4 or 5mm the two tones sit together as a neat two-colour band; from 8mm each half is broad in its own right and the ring looks bolder. Because the halves run side by side, it can be worn with either tone nearer the hand.
Stepped two tone is drawn to pair with it: the same black and bright, divided by a change in height rather than a cut. Together they give a couple matching colours in two different shapes.
Width by width
| Width | How it reads | Weight, est. | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4mm | Slim, the quietest everyday width | 2.1g | £255 |
| 5mm | Between slim and classic | 2.6g | £255 |
| 6mm | Classic, the usual starting point for a band | 3.2g | £255 |
| 7mm | Classic to broad, more of the pattern shows | 3.7g | £255 |
| 8mm | Broad, a ring that is clearly there | 4.2g | £280 |
| 9mm | Wide and bold, best on a larger hand | 4.7g | £280 |
| 10mm | Wide and bold, best on a larger hand | 5.3g | £280 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Twin groove (this ring) | Two tones divided by a V cut around the centre. | Black zirconium | 4 to 10mm | Mohs 8 | £255 |
| Relieved black | Black cut back to bright metal along both edges. | Black zirconium | 4 to 10mm | Mohs 8 | £255 |
| Brushed centre, polished bevels | Matte through the middle, bright along both edges. | Black zirconium | 4 to 10mm | Mohs 8 | £255 |
| Twin lines, black | Two bright lines through matte black. | Black zirconium | 4 to 10mm | Mohs 8 | £269 |
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 Twin groove
- 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 Twin groove 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 £255, and 8mm, 9mm, 10mm £280, because the wider bands take more metal to make.
- What is closest to the Twin groove in the range?
- Relieved black (black zirconium) and Brushed centre, polished bevels (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.