Damascus Steel Rings

Questions about Damascus Steel Rings and Jewelry

What is Damascus Stainless Steel?
Centuries ago, an ancient pattern-welding technique was used to make Damascus swords. The technique involved folding and hot forging hundreds of layers of two distinct kinds of steel. The Damascus Stainless Steel used in Andrew Nyce Designs rings is a variation of that ancient technique. We use two techniques. In the first technique, carried out in Sweden for us on a custom basis, hot isostatic pressing is used to bond tiny stainless steel particles into a solid forged body containing layers of two different kinds of stainless steel. In the second technique, used by us in the USA, hot isostatically bonded sheets of stainless steel are subsequently hot forged and twisted to obtain our unique new patterns.

Will my Damascus Stainless Steel ring rust?
The short answer is no. For all Damascus Stainless Steel patterns we use a combination of 304L and 316L Stainless Steel. These steels contain alloying elements that form a protective oxide layer that protects them from rusting.

Is the nickel in the stainless steel a problem for people with skin allergies to nickel?
No. According to standardized tests run on stainless steel, the nickel does not leach out and therefore is not a problem.

What are the historical origins of Damascus?
To learn about the historical aspects of Damascus Stainless Steel, select this link.

What is a Black Oxide coating?
A Black Oxide coating is a tightly adhered, durable oxide coating that lends a much darker appearance to the etched Damascus pattern. Black Oxide coatings are standard on most of our Damascus Stainless Steel Men's rings. Black oxide coatings can be selected as an option on any of our Damascus Collection rings.