What is Zirconium and why use it in Jewellery and Alternative Rings?

Zirconium rings and the facts you need to know in its use for making cheaper alternative rings.

Diamond Set Black Rings and Mens Rings

Visitors to our website will notice that there are not only titanium rings in our titanium rings section but also zirconium. At first glance this looks very odd to the casual observer and we often get asked why don't you just feature a separate section for the zirconium rings. Well simply put zirconium virtually has the same properties as titanium so we thought it best not to make too big an issue of this. In its basic form it is grey in colour and very light and strong and its industrial uses include its ability to aid in the cooling systems for nuclear reactors. It can be worked exactly like titanium to match the same design styles featured in titanium on this website. We tend to find men prefer the zirconium range as it comes in black. When set with a diamond zirconium makes great mens diamond rings.

Unusual Wedding Rings made from Zirconium

However it has one other very peculiar trait that titanium doesn't in that it reacts and changes colour to temperature. Almost any colour can be created using this heat treatment including the most popular colour of all - black. Making a coloured zirconium ring is similar in technique to making a titanium one. To begin with the ring is machined from a tubular blank and then heated in special ovens to create its colour. Finally a finishing process is applied. With this in mind why not consider zirconium as a choice for your wedding ring. Its far cheaper than gold making it a real option if you find yourselves looking for cheap wedding rings but don't want to compromise on quality.

Zirconum Wedding Rings

When the baking process is complete you are left with a thick coloured surface. It is so hard that it compares to sapphire so therefore the ring can put up with a certain amount of everyday wear and tear. We sometimes hear from customers that the surface has come away but this is in fact the reverse. Its the surface of the item that the ring has come in contact with that has adhered itself to the surface of the ring. Don't worry our after sales service can help you out if you ever need a ring refinished at some stage.

Consider Something Different When Choosing Your Wedding or Engagement Ring

Zirconium also has an almost magical ability to heal its surface when it is marked lightly - simply polish it with a jewellers cloth and hey presto the mark is gone. However we must stress that deeper scratches caused by negligence would damage the surface and would require refinishing. With this in mind do look after your ring as you would any other type of jewellery - it is only a metal after all - its just some are tougher than others if coming into contact with stone etc. However zirconium and titanium will stand up to far more abuse than traditional precious metals such as silver or gold. Zirconium is an excellent choice for handmade wedding rings or cheap engagement rings as a diamond can be set into the surface cleanly and very securely.

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