Lesson 39 · Metals & Finishes · 32 seconds
What gunmetal tells you about a ring
Gunmetal can name an old bronze alloy, but on ring listings it usually names a dark gray color. The same color name can sit on tungsten carbide or Damascus steel, and some colors come from a surface coating. Check the material line, and ask how the color is made.
What this lesson shows
Same color name, different material.
A brushed tungsten carbide ring and a patterned Damascus steel ring, both dark gray, sit beside a small block of bronze alloy. A simplified strip of gray swatches and a simplified, not-to-scale diagram of a generic surface coating follow.
Three quick takeaways
What to actually do when you shop
- Gunmetal can name an old bronze alloy, but on ring listings it usually names a dark gray color.
- The same color name can sit on tungsten carbide or Damascus steel, and some colors come from a surface coating.
- Look past the color name: check the material line and ask how the color is made.
Read the transcript
Gunmetal gray tells you the look. What's underneath? Gunmetal can name an old bronze alloy, but on ring listings it usually names a dark gray color. This one is tungsten carbide. This one is Damascus steel. Same color name, different material, and some colors come from a surface coating. So check the material line, and ask how the color is made. Explore more in the Aydins Jewelry Learning Center.
Sources
- Dictionary.com, gunmetal: www.dictionary.com/browse/gunmetal
- Wikipedia, gunmetal: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunmetal
- Aydins Jewelry, gunmetal rings: shopaydins.com/collections/gunmetal-rings
Related lessons
What is under white gold's bright finish? · another color that comes from a surface layer.
Same metal. Different finish. · how surface treatment changes the look.
Tungsten carbide vs titanium · how ring weight feels.
Next step
Shop by material, not just color.
Browse gunmetal rings and check each ring's material line.