Lesson 41 · Metals & Finishes · 36 seconds
How technical ceramic starts as powder
Technical ceramic, like zirconia, begins as a fine powder mixed with a binder and often a color pigment. It is shaped, the binder is removed, and the part is fired at very high heat; in that firing, called sintering, the particles bond, the part gets denser and it shrinks. Then it is ground and polished to a shine, and recipes vary by maker.
What this lesson shows
Powder, shape, fire, polish.
Fine white powder pours from a steel scoop, then simplified, not-to-scale diagrams of a general process show powder mixed with a binder and pigment, a ring-shaped part shaped and fired, and particles bonding as the part gets denser and shrinks. A polished black ceramic ring closes the lesson.
Three quick takeaways
What to actually do when you shop
- Technical ceramic, like zirconia, begins as a fine powder mixed with a binder and often a color pigment. It is shaped, and the binder is removed.
- In the firing, called sintering, the particles bond, the part gets denser and it shrinks. Recipes vary by maker.
- A polished ceramic ring begins as fine powder that is shaped, fired until it bonds and shrinks, then ground and polished.
Read the transcript
This polished material starts as powder. Technical ceramic, like zirconia, begins as a fine powder, mixed with a binder and often a color pigment. It's shaped, the binder is removed, and the part is fired at very high heat. In that firing, called sintering, the particles bond, the part gets denser, and it shrinks. Then it's ground and polished to a shine. Recipes and temperatures vary by maker. Explore more in the Aydins Jewelry Learning Center.
Sources
- Wikipedia, sintering: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sintering
- Wikipedia, metal injection molding: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_injection_molding
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From a diamond seed to a finished stone · how lab-grown diamonds are grown, then cut and polished.
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Same metal. Different finish. · how surface treatment changes the look.
Next step
Hard is not the same as tough.
A short lesson on what scratch resistance does and does not tell you.