A secret revealed by light
We bring together exceptionally hard tungsten carbide, advanced laser technology and art. Discover how light can transform a ring into a living canvas.
Discover holographic ringsA moment of magic
Our nanostructures are designed to be discreet. In soft, diffused light, the engraving has an elegant, silvery appearance. Under direct light — sunlight, a spotlight or a phone flash — its colours come to life.
A little light can bring your ring to life — a play of colour that changes with every angle.
No pigments. Just physics.
Nanostructures
We use no dyes or pigments. Instead, laser technology modifies the surface itself, creating a periodic structure on the scale of hundreds of nanometres — dimensions comparable to the wavelength of visible light. It is this structure that determines which colours reach your eye.
HoloRing grating ≈ 700 nmLight diffraction
Like the wings of a Morpho butterfly, the ring creates colour through structure rather than paint — but with a different geometry. Its fine grating splits incoming white light into spectral colours that shift with the viewing angle and the light source.
λ 400–700 nm → White light → coloursExtreme durability
The rainbow effect is not a layer of paint that gradually wears away. Its fine grating is created directly in exceptionally hard tungsten carbide — part of the material itself, whose durability gives you confidence in everyday wear.
WC · exceptional hardnessEvery ring combines scientific precision with a human touch. Our craftspeople finish it by hand, bringing out the final polish of a fine piece of jewellery.
The technology behind the effect
Under the microscope
Shaping the surface
It starts with advanced laser technology. Ultrashort femtosecond pulses interact with the curved surface of the ring, creating a precisely defined nanostructure. The process is contactless: light energy modifies the material itself, laying the foundation for the holographic effect.
Under the microscope
Nanostructure
The result is a periodic pattern with a spacing of approximately 700 nanometres — comparable to the wavelength of visible light. This allows the structure to directly influence and disperse incoming light into its spectral colours. No pigments are used; the iridescent colours arise purely from physical diffraction of white light.
Under the microscope
A secret hidden in light
The holographic effect comes to life through light, angle and movement. It is most vivid under a focused light source, such as sunlight, an LED spotlight or your phone’s torch. In soft, diffused light, the ring remains elegant and understated, keeping its secret until the right moment.
Precision beyond the naked eye
Traditional engraving shapes a visible design. At HoloRing, we also work at a scale the naked eye cannot resolve, creating surface structures that interact directly with light.
Precision beyond the naked eye
Practical tips
The effect of fingerprints
Oils from your skin can soften the colour effect. A gentle wipe with a soft cloth or a little soapy water helps reveal the colours again.
Finding the best light
For the strongest colour effect, try direct light — sunlight, an LED spotlight or a phone flash. In shade or under overcast skies, the engraving usually looks more understated, with subtle silver-grey tones.
Science, not just craftsmanship
We turn the physics of light into something you can wear. Laser research meets jewellery design — and every movement reveals another colour.
Start your own holographic experiment
Discover a new kind of jewellery—where science meets art, and light brings metal to life.
Explore the collectionFor those who want to know more
Explore the science behind the effect. These interactive illustrations explain the principles; they are not measurements of an individual ring.
Light diffraction
Like the wings of a Morpho butterfly, the ring creates colour through structure rather than paint — but with a different geometry. Its fine grating splits incoming white light into spectral colours that shift with the viewing angle and the light source.
How surface ripples form
LIPSS are laser-induced periodic surface structures. One common model involves interference between incident light and surface electromagnetic waves, including surface plasmons. Formation also depends on material, fluence and repeated pulses.
Femtoseconds: a head start on heat
A femtosecond is 10⁻¹⁵ seconds.
An ultrashort pulse can transfer energy to electrons before much of it reaches the lattice. Suitable processing parameters can limit heat spreading; thermal effects are not eliminated.
Pulse. Electrons absorb energy
Inspired by nature. Engineered in metal.
The blue of many Morpho butterflies comes mainly from interference in microscopic structures within their wing scales; pigments can also contribute.
HoloRing uses a different geometry: a laser-made grating in tungsten carbide disperses light into colours that change with the viewing angle.
A short glossary
Questions from curious minds
Why can’t ordinary paint or printing reproduce this effect?+
Pigments create colour by absorbing some wavelengths of light. A diffraction grating instead sends different wavelengths in different directions, so the colours change with the viewing angle. An ordinary printed or painted pattern does not reproduce this optical behaviour.
How fine is the nanostructure?+
The illustrated grating has a period of about 700 nm — roughly 100 times smaller than the diameter of a 70 µm human hair. This is the spacing of the surface structure, not the precision of the overall motif or the laser focus. It does not mean that the laser draws each individual line.
Can different parts of a design light up at different angles?+
Yes. The orientation of the grating influences the directions in which light is diffracted. Different areas of a motif can therefore reveal their colours at different viewing angles.
Can the nanostructure wear out?+
There is no added colour layer to peel off. Deep scratches or abrasive wear can still damage the surface structure and change its optical effect.
Does this technology have uses beyond jewellery?+
Laser-created surface structures are researched and used in areas such as anti-counterfeiting, control of surface wetting and optics. The materials, structures and processing methods vary with the application.
Can you create my own design?+
Share a drawing, inscription, logo or signature with us. We will discuss what can be achieved and how to adapt it into a holographic motif.
HoloRing holographic rings
Collection