Discussion
OK this is the 'watches' section and not the 'general jewellery' section, but I've had a look at the forums and this is the place most suited to this thread, primarily because of the number of watch enthusiasts who just *may* be able to help me with this.
Of course you all know me as a watch nut because I post on this forum frequently. I've always been of the opinion that a watch is the only item of jewellery a gentleman should wear. As you know from the watches in my collection, I'm pretty utilitarian and value mechanical elegance and beauty more than gold and diamonds - you could even stretch to calling me a movement snob.
However, a few years ago my girlfriend insisted that I wore a ring. We've been together 15 years now, and been informally 'engaged' for most of that, even though due to both our families divorcing and my atheist beliefs I don't attach any value to getting married. I've made my vows, love the girl (even after her latest outburst which was more or less unacceptable) and will stay with her as long as she stays with me. We've been through a LOT of bad times together too. Anyway, enough about the relationship, on to the topic. Becky wanted me to wear a ring, presumably to inform all those predatory women in the City doing fixed income analytics systems that I'm taken (if you know the business, you'll know why I'm being sarcastic). I'm no looker and I'm not even that rich to make up for it, so don't think there's any risk of women seeing my ring-less fingers and trying to steal me away
But it was a reasonable request, so I got thinking about jewellery in general. What do I like? Well I'm a science geek as well as a watch geek, Mac geek, car geek, finance geek, etc. I like extremes. I like to be subtle and elegant. I like being *different* above all else. One of my little hobbies is element collecting i.e acquiring samples of pure chemical elements. I've only got ones that you can handle pure in satisfying amounts - a touchy, feely hobby (after all, the internet has fantastic 'multimedia' resources on chemistry) where I can feel what, for example, a chunk of magnesium is like compared to tungsten, and how you can easily bite into pure indium without trashing your teeth, that sort of thing.
So the ring had to be made of an *interesting* element, but it had to be available quickly. I settled on tungsten - an extreme in melting point (highest of the metals - this ring will survive fire like Tolkien's Ring
) and also nicely dense. It's not pure though, as it's got carbon in the matrix - the carbon atoms must fit perfectly in the normal tungsten lattice because tungsten carbide isn't much less dense than pure tungsten. This also makes it damn near unscratchable, so it's one hard ring 
I really like it, however it wasn't my first choice metallic element - it was, however, available commercially nice and easily.
Density is the extreme I'm looking for in a ring. All my mates have platinum rings and I agree, platinum is satisfyingly weighty. But it's also very common (the 'being different' thing is strong in this one) and it's not an *extreme*. The extreme, i.e. the most dense metallic element, and in fact the most dense element (non-metals don't tend to be as dense as metals anyway) is either iridium or osmium. Vague, but the top spot keeps changing hands as they're *very* close and researchers find new crystalline structures that increase density, etc. I think osmium has it at the moment, making iridium a very close second. A quick google says that osmium is *definitely* the top dog now, but it's close as hell - 22.59 g/cm^3 for osmium and 22.56 g/cm^3 for iridium.
However there's no choice in the matter when it comes to jewellery. Osmium is problematic because it oxidises to osmium tetroxide, which is toxic, stains the skin black and sublimes at room temperature... basically rather unsuitable as jewellery, especially for a piece which is meant to signify an eternal bond. It'd corrode and vaporise, making me very ill in the process!
Iridium, however, is a typically unreactive platinum-group metal - it's the most corrosion-resistant of all metals. It's shiny like platinum - but has a lovely blue-ish sheen to the polished metal. No acid will react with it, and it has a very high melting point too - making it similarly 'forever' to tungsten on the 'I will not be destroyed' scale
Basically I want an exact copy of my tungsten ring, but made in as pure iridium as possible. Tungsten is as dense as gold and my ring is chunky, so it's heavy (14.4 grams, just weighed it). This is *good* and the iridium ring would be even heavier. As the very-nearly-densest element, it'd also be fun to show off, as people are always surprised how heavy my tungsten ring is, and iridium would be 20% or so heavier. It'd be shinier than the tungsten ring, and if the polished metal has the blue tint that a set of iridium plated cufflinks I own have, then it will look awesome. It will also own a bunch of chemical 'extremes', and be very different to everyone else.
The question is - where the hell do I go to get one of these made? I'm not *too* worried about cost - the metal itself isn't cheap but it's not mega money because it's produced as a 'byproduct' of the platinum industry - platinum is more sought after. And this ring will last forever so I'm prepared to spend a chunk on it. It will be special. Does anyone know a jeweller who'd have a go at this? I know it's difficult to work with, so it'd have to be someone who has special tools and specialist expertise. I have hope that it's possible, simply by looking at what's already on my finger... making a tungsten / carbide ring isn't easy like gold jewellery - hell, tungsten melts even higher than iridium, and it's hardly malleable. Perhaps the same techniques used for this tungsten ring could be used for iridium?
How could it be made? Who could do it for me? Would it be so stupidly expensive as to be unfeasible? I've been after this for years now, and am completely serious about commissioning one. As far as I know, these aren't available regularly, and I will still have something 'special' and different for quite some time - haven't seen pure iridium jewellery being sold yet. But I am not 'into' jewellery so I don't know what's happening in the industry. As watches are usually sold alongside jewellery, I was hoping that a watch fan or someone in the industry here would have some inside lines, or some tips. Even better would be if someone here could actually make one for me! Open to the experts
Of course you all know me as a watch nut because I post on this forum frequently. I've always been of the opinion that a watch is the only item of jewellery a gentleman should wear. As you know from the watches in my collection, I'm pretty utilitarian and value mechanical elegance and beauty more than gold and diamonds - you could even stretch to calling me a movement snob.
However, a few years ago my girlfriend insisted that I wore a ring. We've been together 15 years now, and been informally 'engaged' for most of that, even though due to both our families divorcing and my atheist beliefs I don't attach any value to getting married. I've made my vows, love the girl (even after her latest outburst which was more or less unacceptable) and will stay with her as long as she stays with me. We've been through a LOT of bad times together too. Anyway, enough about the relationship, on to the topic. Becky wanted me to wear a ring, presumably to inform all those predatory women in the City doing fixed income analytics systems that I'm taken (if you know the business, you'll know why I'm being sarcastic). I'm no looker and I'm not even that rich to make up for it, so don't think there's any risk of women seeing my ring-less fingers and trying to steal me away
But it was a reasonable request, so I got thinking about jewellery in general. What do I like? Well I'm a science geek as well as a watch geek, Mac geek, car geek, finance geek, etc. I like extremes. I like to be subtle and elegant. I like being *different* above all else. One of my little hobbies is element collecting i.e acquiring samples of pure chemical elements. I've only got ones that you can handle pure in satisfying amounts - a touchy, feely hobby (after all, the internet has fantastic 'multimedia' resources on chemistry) where I can feel what, for example, a chunk of magnesium is like compared to tungsten, and how you can easily bite into pure indium without trashing your teeth, that sort of thing.
So the ring had to be made of an *interesting* element, but it had to be available quickly. I settled on tungsten - an extreme in melting point (highest of the metals - this ring will survive fire like Tolkien's Ring
) and also nicely dense. It's not pure though, as it's got carbon in the matrix - the carbon atoms must fit perfectly in the normal tungsten lattice because tungsten carbide isn't much less dense than pure tungsten. This also makes it damn near unscratchable, so it's one hard ring I really like it, however it wasn't my first choice metallic element - it was, however, available commercially nice and easily.Density is the extreme I'm looking for in a ring. All my mates have platinum rings and I agree, platinum is satisfyingly weighty. But it's also very common (the 'being different' thing is strong in this one) and it's not an *extreme*. The extreme, i.e. the most dense metallic element, and in fact the most dense element (non-metals don't tend to be as dense as metals anyway) is either iridium or osmium. Vague, but the top spot keeps changing hands as they're *very* close and researchers find new crystalline structures that increase density, etc. I think osmium has it at the moment, making iridium a very close second. A quick google says that osmium is *definitely* the top dog now, but it's close as hell - 22.59 g/cm^3 for osmium and 22.56 g/cm^3 for iridium.
However there's no choice in the matter when it comes to jewellery. Osmium is problematic because it oxidises to osmium tetroxide, which is toxic, stains the skin black and sublimes at room temperature... basically rather unsuitable as jewellery, especially for a piece which is meant to signify an eternal bond. It'd corrode and vaporise, making me very ill in the process!
Iridium, however, is a typically unreactive platinum-group metal - it's the most corrosion-resistant of all metals. It's shiny like platinum - but has a lovely blue-ish sheen to the polished metal. No acid will react with it, and it has a very high melting point too - making it similarly 'forever' to tungsten on the 'I will not be destroyed' scale
Basically I want an exact copy of my tungsten ring, but made in as pure iridium as possible. Tungsten is as dense as gold and my ring is chunky, so it's heavy (14.4 grams, just weighed it). This is *good* and the iridium ring would be even heavier. As the very-nearly-densest element, it'd also be fun to show off, as people are always surprised how heavy my tungsten ring is, and iridium would be 20% or so heavier. It'd be shinier than the tungsten ring, and if the polished metal has the blue tint that a set of iridium plated cufflinks I own have, then it will look awesome. It will also own a bunch of chemical 'extremes', and be very different to everyone else.
The question is - where the hell do I go to get one of these made? I'm not *too* worried about cost - the metal itself isn't cheap but it's not mega money because it's produced as a 'byproduct' of the platinum industry - platinum is more sought after. And this ring will last forever so I'm prepared to spend a chunk on it. It will be special. Does anyone know a jeweller who'd have a go at this? I know it's difficult to work with, so it'd have to be someone who has special tools and specialist expertise. I have hope that it's possible, simply by looking at what's already on my finger... making a tungsten / carbide ring isn't easy like gold jewellery - hell, tungsten melts even higher than iridium, and it's hardly malleable. Perhaps the same techniques used for this tungsten ring could be used for iridium?
How could it be made? Who could do it for me? Would it be so stupidly expensive as to be unfeasible? I've been after this for years now, and am completely serious about commissioning one. As far as I know, these aren't available regularly, and I will still have something 'special' and different for quite some time - haven't seen pure iridium jewellery being sold yet. But I am not 'into' jewellery so I don't know what's happening in the industry. As watches are usually sold alongside jewellery, I was hoping that a watch fan or someone in the industry here would have some inside lines, or some tips. Even better would be if someone here could actually make one for me! Open to the experts
http://www.diamondworld.net/contentview.aspx?item=...
http://www.commodityonline.com/news/Now-iridium-je...
'a six inch sided cube weighs the same as the average person' Interesting stuff.
http://www.commodityonline.com/news/Now-iridium-je...
'a six inch sided cube weighs the same as the average person' Interesting stuff.
Blimey, someone's set up shop in the last month? Great timing then - since I ask this question periodically and usually get the 'impossible to work with' answer
Looks like American Elements will be getting a query from me. I bought my tungsten ring from an American firm so not particularly worried about getting something shipped over (duty on an expensive chunk of jewellery will be nasty though).
I wonder if they'll replicate the design of my tungsten ring? And whether they're going for the ultra-luxury market by massively overpricing the metal - iridium is cheaper per troy ounce than platinum after all... by a lot (around $1200 for platinum, $450 for iridium)...
ETA - forgot to thank you andy_s. A thousand thanks, as they say in Wales, apparently This could actually get me what I've always wanted. Of course, it won't be as 'different' if a big American company is going to market in a big way, but what the hell...
Looks like American Elements will be getting a query from me. I bought my tungsten ring from an American firm so not particularly worried about getting something shipped over (duty on an expensive chunk of jewellery will be nasty though).
I wonder if they'll replicate the design of my tungsten ring? And whether they're going for the ultra-luxury market by massively overpricing the metal - iridium is cheaper per troy ounce than platinum after all... by a lot (around $1200 for platinum, $450 for iridium)...
ETA - forgot to thank you andy_s. A thousand thanks, as they say in Wales, apparently
This could actually get me what I've always wanted. Of course, it won't be as 'different' if a big American company is going to market in a big way, but what the hell...Edited by cyberface on Saturday 10th October 00:42
Gassing Station | Watches | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff