Truly unique · Black zirconium
Tyre tread, black
From £449
A tyre tread, cut around a black zirconium band.
The tread pattern of a road tyre, laser cut into black zirconium at depth so it has grip to the touch as well as to the eye. It is the ring for the person who swore they would never wear one.
Made to order · 2 to 3 weeks · posted insured
Before you order, in one place
- What you are buying
- Tyre tread, 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, Black rings
About this ring
Tyre tread, black, in detail
The tread of a road tyre, laser cut around a black zirconium band. The pattern is cut at depth, so it is felt as much as seen: blocks and channels a thumbnail can run across, just as on the tyre itself. Against black oxide the relief reads in shadow and highlight rather than colour, so the ring looks mechanical and matte rather than decorative. It shares nothing with the knots and scripts elsewhere in the range, and that is the point of it: a wedding ring for someone who never pictured themselves wearing one.
How it wears
Tread is made to take punishment, and this one is cut into a hard surface: black zirconium oxide, typically around Mohs 8, which resists everyday contact well. A hard knock against stone or metal can still expose the lighter metal beneath, and in a cut pattern like this it tends to disappear among the grooves. If a pale mark appears, it may simply be metal transferred from whatever the ring met. Black zirconium is hypoallergenic.
Choosing yours
Width is the whole decision, and this design likes room: at 8 to 10mm the tread has space to look like tread, while at 4 to 6mm it condenses into a ridged texture. Someone who wants presence will go wide; someone who wants the joke kept private will go narrow. It is paired with Plain black zirconium, so a partner can wear the same black without the tread, which keeps a matched set without asking two people to like the same pattern.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyre tread, black (this ring) | 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 |
| Celtic, black | A continuous Celtic knot, cut into black zirconium. | 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 Tyre tread, 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 Tyre tread, 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 Tyre tread, black in the range?
- Claddagh, black (black zirconium) and Celtic, 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.