The specific kind of ceramic that Etienne is designing with is made out of is called zirconia ceramic, mined in an ecologically friendly manner from the relatively abundant zircon sands of Australia. It is an amazing material and a perfect, stylish, low cost alternative to traditional gold and platinum bridal jewelry designs and great for both men and women!
It was developed for use in high-tech industries such as aerospace and now is commonly used in dental and joint implants as well as those nifty ceramic kitchen knives that are common now, not to mention the great watches that Rado has been putting out for two decades already! At 8.7 on the Mohs scale of hardness, it is nearly as hard as sapphire which makes it very versatile and durable–practically scratch and shatterproof.
Ceramique Gem Ceramic Creation Process:
The process begins with the ethical mining of zirconia rich sands in Australia. The zirconia is separated from other elements of the sand, such as silica, etc.
Then the zirconia grains are pulverized into a powder. A small amount of binding and coloring agents are added to the powder and it is pressed in a metal mold under massive pressure.
The product is zirconia ceramic in it’s “green” or unfired form. This material is a fragile, chalky consistency and can still be machined or hand carved using standard tools.
Then it is fired under extreme heat (topping 1,400c) and comes out in its final, extremely hard and durable state, at 8.7 on the Moh’s scale of hardness, or about as hard as sapphire–second in hardness only to diamonds. This process is called sintering, and is much different than casting metal because the material never actually melts. Instead its molecules bond together while still in solid state.
It is at this stage when gold is inlaid into grooves in the ceramic if called for by the design.
This product is then finished to a matte, silk or high polish finish, by hand, using diamond lapidary tools in Etienne’s workshop. At this stage, Etienne will drill tapered holes in the ceramic, again using diamond lapidary tools as they are the only thing that can cut of abraid the ceramic. In these holes he can rivet in 18kt gold or platinum tubes to set diamonds in or gold pegs on which to attach pearls.
Read more about how zirconia ceramic jewelry is made here.
Watch a video about how Kyocera zirconia ceramic knives are made here.
Ceramique gem ceramic FAQ’s:
All designs in Etienne’s Ceramique collection are available in black, white, pink, blue, brown, green and some in gray, with a choice of polished, silk or matte finish (or a combination in some cases). No other colors are currently available. While we strongly believe some of the designs look best in the traditional black, we will make whichever color the customer asks for.
The weight is significantly lighter than traditional precious metal designs of equal volume–less than 1/3 the weight of gold. The lightweight feature is really nice and they are super comfortable to wear–most of Etienne’s rings are comfort fit.
Ceramique rings are available in widths from 2-20mm width chart. The thick bands are basically indestructible, but thinner bands are still extremely durable and practical–all are guaranteed.
Ceramique rings can be personalized with laser engraving on the inside or outside surface (although this may increase delivery time significantly).
These rings can not be re-sized. Etienne is willing to replace Ceramique rings for a new size for little or no charge (other than shipping).
Ceramique is extremely durable. Even thin kitchen knives made of this material, which are much more fragile than sturdy rings, are basically shatterproof. If you drop a knife on its tip or use it to pry things open it can chip, but dropping one on the floor almost never causes it to shatter.
We have tried repeatedly to crack one of Etienne’s Ceramique rings by dropping it on a marble floor and so far we’ve never broken one. Of course this is not recommended for designs inlaid with gold or set with colored diamonds! All fine jewelry should be treated with care and respect and Ceramique is certainly no exception!
Etienne does offer a full guarantee on all his Ceramique designs!
In regards to how to get your Ceramique ring off in an emergency, there are some fairly simple options. The best option is to use a pair of standard vice grips to simply crack the ring off. This can be accomplished right at home without significant difficulty.
Additionally, as the popularity of this material has grown–remember that Rado has been very successfully marketing zirconia ceramic watches for over 20 years!–proper training is now being provided to emergency personnel in order to assure that they will know how to remove these rings as efficiently as possible.
