The Ultimate Guide to Ceramic Channel Rings

Our ceramic channel rings are made for people who work hard and play hard! We use aerospace-grade, durable zirconium dioxide to give a comfortable fitting ring for your loved ones’ inclusions or birthstone. Tree of Opals owner Nikki, who teaches keepsake and memorial jewellery making on her supply company Keepsaker Supplies shares her favourite things about ceramic rings here.

What Are They?

Found just below diamond on the Mohs hardness scale, this material is tough, strong and almost completely scratch-proof. The charcoal black colour of our black ceramic rings gives a rugged, industrial or gothic aesthetic. Size inclusive, available in almost every UK size and US full and half sizes. It is nickel-free and metal-free, corrosion and tarnish-free and completely hypoallergenic, making it safe for even the most sensitive skin. They’re also temperature stable, they don’t get hot in the sun or super cold in the winter like metal rings. They’re very hard to engrave, but luckily, we have our very own MOPA fiber laser in-house so we can engrave text and images like handwriting or fingerprints inside your ring.

What are High-Tech Black Ceramic Channel Rings?

When you hear ceramic, you might think “pottery” and worry it would be fragile. We use Zirconium Ceramic which is an aerospace-grade material. Discovered by the German chemist Martin Heinrich Klaproth in 1789, it was originally developed for heat shields and Formula 1 brake systems. It is created by heating zirconium powder to really high temperatures (over 2000°F) until it crystallises into a material that is almost as hard as diamonds.

• • Material Name: High-Tech Black Ceramic (Zirconia-based)

  • Chemical Composition: Zirconium Dioxide ZrO₂, Yttria-stabilized Y₂O₃ to prevent brittleness

  • Color: Solid Black throughout, not plated or coated

  • Total Band Width: 6mm chunky with a 4mm channel, 2mm deep

  • Profile: Gently Beveled Edge

  • Interior Fit: Comfort Fit (Domed interior surface)

  • Hardness: ~8.5 – 9.0 on Mohs Scale (Harder than Titanium, Steel, and Gold; similar to Sapphire)

  • Vickers Hardness: ~1200–1300 HV

  • Melting Point: ~2700°C (Extremely heat resistant)

  • Electrical Conductivity: Non-conductive (Dielectric)

  • Magnetism: Non-magnetic

  • Density: ~6.0 g/cm³ (Heavier than titanium, lighter than tungsten)

Why We Choose Black Ceramic for Inlay Rings?

When you are keeping a memory with keepsake jewellery, the jewellery needs to be permanent.

1. It is NOT Metal: Black Ceramic Rings are 100% non-metallic. They are hypoallergenic (safe for people with nickel allergies) and non-conductive (safe for electricians and mechanics who forget to take them off)

2. The Colour is Permanent: Many black rings on the market are made of  black rhodium plated silver, or steel and tungsten that has been plated black. Over time, that plating scratches off, revealing the silver coloured metal underneath. Black ceramic will always be a solid charcoal black all the way through. If you were to somehow scratch it, which is almost impossible, the scratch would still be black.

3. Scratch Resistance: Zirconium dioxide is a 9 out of 10 on the Mohs hardness scale. The only things that could scratch your ring would be diamonds and sapphires! You could drag it across concrete, work with tools, or lift weights, and it will retain its mirror-like polish. However, please remember that we use resin to hold your inclusions in place so please don’t try this at home.

4. The Ideal Holder: This deep, shiny black color provides the best contrast for lighter inclusions like opals, natural cremation ashes and breastmilk, making the details of the inlay stand out.

   

Ceramic vs. Other Precious Metal Alternatives: A Quick Comparison

We also offer solid silver and solid hallmarked gold channel rings, but their prices are high and colours limited to silver, yellow and pink. We wanted a more affordable option that’s available in black

Word of note: If you drop a ceramic ring onto a tile floor from standing height, it can shatter. We offer a repair slot for size exchange, breakage or loss. This warranty comes with a small fee because the material cannot be resized or repaired, only replaced. There is a discount if you only need a repair of the resin, a top coat for example.

The channel rings make wonderful wedding rings, rings for couples and keepsake and memorial rings. They’re designed as inclusion rings, and we can include any combination of keepsakes such as cremains or hair and fur, along with sparkles, gold leaf and any colour of crushed opal.

Birthstones

We have a range of birthstone colour crushed opals for a Black Ceramic Birthstone Ring. These can be combined, so a ring can be half March and half May, or even colours blended for multiple family members. Held inside the band with highest-quality Japanese Padico UV resin, we usually give a shiny and slightly domed finish. Just ask when you order if you’d like a satin and sea glass effect finish.

Blood

A unique way to wear a drop of your loved one’s blood or even your own! Channel rings with blood are our signature product here at Tree of Opals, meaning we’re the experts. Whether you choose a flat colour base with the blood flecks sprinkled on top, or our traditional sparkle mixes and other inclusions like opals, the Black Ceramic Blood Ring will be 100% unique to you. Other liquids can also be included, please get in touch for a judgement-free design consultation for couples’ jewellery inclusions and remember we’re happy to engrave pretty much anything.

Cremation Ashes

Your Black Ceramic Ashes Ring can hold a small portion of your loved ones’ cremains within its protective channel. The deep, glossy black of the ceramic creates a stunning contrast against the natural grey, white and sometimes even pink and green tones of the cremation ashes. We turn a precious memory into a beautiful, wearable tribute with hair or fur, birthstone or rainbow opals inclusions.

Hair and Fur

Whether it is a baby’s first curl, your grandparent’s lock of hair, fur from a beloved pet or even hair from a horse (mane or tail), this Black Ceramic Hair Ring preserves a physical connection to them. You can watch Nikki’s YouTube tutorials and see how the team lay the strands in the channel with high quality UV Japanese resin. Our rings are size inclusive and you can request any colour and precious metal leaf, such as platinum, to be included for no extra charge.

Breastmilk

Breastfeeding a beautiful bond with us and our babies and whether we do one feed or they nurse for years, every drop counts. So many of us want a lasting connection to those precious little creamy drops and breastmilk jewellery is a tangiable reminder of that journey. A black ceramic breastmilk ring is a down to earth, hardwearing and sleek option for any parent.

Umbilical Cord and Placenta

Keep part of your baby close with the black ceramic cord ring and you can add baby’s first curl with vernix still attached. Perfect gift for a new dad and we only need a small amount of the cord or half a capsule of placenta powder.

Other Inclusions

Pregnancy Test / Fabric / Lace / Clothing / Flowers / Botanicals / Sand / Soil / Earth
Pregnancy tests are popular incusions for memorial and keepsake jewellery, just send us scrapings from the test or we can make special arrangements to receive the whole thing.

From a piece of wedding dress lace to a piece of a favorite tie or your baby’s first outfit, we can turn sentimental fabric into a permanent accessory. Any flowers, petals and other plants can be included so long as they’re sent dry. Sometimes they’re crushed and sprinkled in, at other times we can include full petals. We can also add grave earth and keepsake sand (honeymoon sand is very popular) in any of our pieces. Wear a piece of “home” or a memory of a special place wherever you go.

Just order the Black Ceramic Hair Ring and let us know what inclusion you’d like to send instead so we can give you the right sending instructions.

How It Works

1. Order: Select your preferred colour and choose “please send a ring sizer” from the dropdown list, add any engraving and leave a comment for birthstones, alternative colour/sparkle requests etc. Pay for your ring on the checkout during which you’ll create an account

2. Collection: We will send you a specialised inclusion sending kit with instructions on how to safely package and ship your additions to us in Bath, United Kingdom. We update your account regularly so you can log in any time to track progress

3. Creation: Your ring is engraved in-house including any handwriting or fingerprints. Our artists will respectfully prepare your inclusion, placing it into the channel and sealing it with the world’s highest quality UV resin from Japan

4. Delivery: Your custom channel ring is polished to a shine and shipped back to you, ready to be cherished. We provide care instructions for the materials inside and offer a lifetime warrenty.

Order Today

Please feel free to get in touch below if you have any questions and order our channel rings here. Thank you so much for supporting Nikki’s small business. We are diverse and inclusive so please tell us any special requsts you might have for your jewellery.
Thanks
Nikki & The Team