A dark wood grain ring is very beautiful, and one of the more popular looks for a handmade wooden ring. The good news is there are so many great wood species to choose from that you do not need to stain a lighter piece to get the color you want. Any of these can be found in a local hardwood store, or online.
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Making a dark wood ring is the same process as making any other ring. It can be single species, or laminated, turned on a lathe, or made by hand. I have step by step instructions for making a laminated ring, and if you are completely new to ring making, it’s a good place to start.
Dark rings stand out for a number of reasons, but the biggest of all is because metal jewelry tends to be lighter in color. When people think of rings, they think of golds and silvers, not very dark colors like brown or black. A ring made from one of these dark woods sticks out, because it’s not an expected color for a ring.
Wenge has some of the darkest and most interesting wood grain.
One of the most beautiful species to work with for making dark rings is Wenge. The wood is available in almost any hardwood store or woodworking store, and is in the middle to slightly higher price range.
The beauty of Wenge is the alternating streaks of dark color. The wood is an even mix of medium brown and very dark brown to black. The colors alternate, so they form a dense pattern that is very pleasing. Wenge can be found in smaller pieces as well, because it has popularity with knife makers, pen makers, and others who make small wooden projects. This is great for a ring maker, because you won’t have to buy a large piece in order to experiment with the wood.
Figured Walnut on a dark wood ring is great for color and pattern.
Another great choice is Figured Walnut. This is the same species as Walnut, but the intense figure gives the wood an amazing look. Very high end rifles and shotguns are made with figured Walnut, and they are a beauty to see.
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My figured walnut came from an off-cut bin at a hardwood store I frequent. They were drop from a cabinet making project, and were sold for far less than they should have been. I picked up several pieces for a few dollars each, and saved them for projects. A small piece is all you need for a nice dark ring, and the figure will add to the overall appeal as well.
East Indian Rosewood is a classic choice for a dark wood project.
Next, East Indian Rosewood makes a beautiful dark ring. This wood comes in differing shades depending on what you like. It can be mostly brown, but it can also be found with a purple tint as well.
Rosewood is a pleasure to work with. It’s easy to shape, sand, cut, and carve. It also fills the shop with a pleasant rose smell. The wood is on the expensive side, but smaller pieces are available for a few dollars, and they can last a long time for making rings. An acoustic guitar bridge blank made from Rosewood will give up several rings, and they can be found online.
For a deep dark wood grain ring, Ebony can’t be beat.
Finally, we have the darkest of the dark. Gabon Ebony, which I mention in another article called Seven Beautiful Types of Wood For Ring Making, is as close to jet black as possible. The only way to get darker is to chemically dye the wood, but that only gets it a little darker than nature.
Gabon Ebony is on the more expensive side, but it is well worth it. You can polish Ebony to a mirror shine, and it almost has a stone like look afterwards. The wood works easily, and glues well too. If you want to make a very dark wood grain ring, this needs to be in your arsenal.
My book, Wooden Rings: How To Make Wooden Rings By Hand
explains the process of making wooden rings without many tools. There are examples of over fifty rings, as well as step by step instruction. If you have only a few tools and would like to make an excellent ring, my book can help.
If you have any questions on Making a Dark Wood Grain Ring, please leave a comment and I will be glad to answer them. Happy building.
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