Plain simple black ring

[art925]

A lady came into the shop a few weeks ago asking about a very plain, simple black ring. I thought that building up layers of patination on silver would work, but it soon scratches off and I havn't yet tried a layer of varnish or something similar. I have seen somewhere or read something over Zirconium metal that can be polished to a black finish, can anyone help?

Thanks

[mizgeorge]

I would have thought Alan would be able to help on this one:

http://www.geti.cc/

[Dennis]

Yes Les, If you try to patinate silver to a black colour it will come off in flakes. The best you can do is a dark grey, achieved slowly with diluted Platinol.
Otherwise your customer is best served as George says, with blackened titanium from Geti. How are you these days? Dennis.

[art925]

Thanks George and Dennis, I am well thanks. I have a supplier for simple titanium rings ready to go, I have just read the cooksons info on Platinol and it appears to only work on silver and copper. How would I blacken the ready to go titanium?

[mizgeorge]

I was thinking of Alan's black zirconium rings: http://www.geti.cc/index.php?option=...hk=1&Itemid=12

[Dennis]

Well, George is a lot more au fait than I am. I have just googled 'What is black zirconium' and came up with this http://www.grahamjewelry.net/ask/blkzirc.html.
You live and learn. Dennis.

[geti-titanium]

Well, George is a lot more au fait than I am. I have just googled 'What is black zirconium' and came up with this http://www.grahamjewelry.net/ask/blkzirc.html.
You live and learn. Dennis.

Don't believe everything you read on the internet Dennis :-)

The pure element Zirconium in its natural state is very similar in colour to Titanium. It's a heat treatment process that transforms the surface of the metal to a black oxide layer called Zirconia and is not black all the way through. It's very durable and scratch resistant and is Sapphire hardness.

[geti-titanium]

Thanks George and Dennis, I am well thanks. I have a supplier for simple titanium rings ready to go, I have just read the cooksons info on Platinol and it appears to only work on silver and copper. How would I blacken the ready to go titanium?

Titanium can be blackened by PVD coating with TiAlN (Titanium Aluminium Nitride). It's a hard coating but very thin and not very durable. The cost can be prohibitive as well if you only want one doing - expect to pay a minimum charge of around £50 + VAT and post. There is a manufacturer in the US that claims to have produced a Titanium alloy that is black all the way through but I haven't been able to get my hands on one yet to do a destruction test on it to see if it's true.