Vantablack is described here as " It withstands launch shock, staging and long-term vibration, and is suitable for coating internal components, such as apertures, baffles, cold shields and Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) –type optical sensors."

Sounds pretty durable to me. I mean, it is made of carbon nanotubes.

As for general structure, it's described here. Not as complex as once thought.

Just put some kind of hard resin or other coating over it. That'll diminish its properties somewhat because no coating is 100% transparent, but it'll still be extremely black.

Carbon nanotubes are a pretty strong material, and potential applications include military camouflage, so it's probably pretty strong.

However, you have to remember that it's a coating. You can't have something made out of Dark Black, but you can have something coated in it.

Nerdanel tapped on the door. "Feanor," she said, "you haven't been out in three days. You missed Caranthir's begetting-day." Again, she added silently.

There was a clatter from inside the locked workshop, and then her husband's voice came drifting through the metal. "No, I can't have," he said. "That's still a dozen minglings away. You said so yourself."

Nerdanel passed a hand over her eyes. "Feanor," she said patiently, "I told you that last time you locked yourself away."

"Oh." Nerdanel could practically feel her husband's mind racing as he tried to account for the missing time. "Well," he said at last, "at least I got my palantiri finished. They were an important step in the Project."

Nerdanel held back a groan. Always, now, Feanor's mind was on 'the Project' - though he refused to tell her what it was. All she knew was that it had something to do with crystals - and light.

There was another clatter, and then to Nerdanel's amazement, the door actually opened - at least a little, before sticking on some unseen obstacle. Feanor peered out.

"I'm just about done here, anyhow," he said. "Caranthir is upstairs, I presume."

"He's gone hunting with Celegorm and Angrod," Nerdanel told him. "I understand Orome has been showing Celegorm some new riding skills."

"Oh." Feanor looked puzzled, then shrugged. "I suppose it will give me time to prepare his gift, then."

"Is that what you've been doing?" Nerdanel was skeptical in the extreme. And there was something strange about the smudges on her husband's face...

"No," Feanor said - whatever his faults, he was always honest - "but this test has been a failure otherwise. I don't think diamonds are at all suited for the Project; it takes so little effort to change them utterly."

"I'm certain it does," Nerdanel agreed. "I don't think the boys will be gone that long, Feanor..."

"No, I'm sure," Feanor said. He reached back into his workshop and fumbled on a bench. "Tell me, Nerdanel," he said, "what do you think of... this?"

He held up the item triumphantly, and Nerdanel scrutinised it. "... it's a bowl."

"Well, yes-"

"In fact, it's one of my bowls. The one my mother made me for our wedding."

"Ah." For a moment - just a moment - Feanor looked nonplussed. "Well, never mind that, I'll make you another one."

"I don't want another-" But Feanor wasn't listening.

"As you can see, it's just an ordinary bowl."

"My ordinary-"

"But if I turn it around..." He suited action to word, and spun the bowl to show Nerdanel the interior.

Nerdanel frowned. "You've filled it with something," she said. "What is that, coal? Onyx? No, it's not reflective enough to be onyx. Some form of black clay?"

"It isn't filled."

Nerdanel rolled her eyes. "Feanor," she said, "I can see for myself-"

"It isn't filled," her husband said again, quietly. "Check for yourself."

Dubiously, Nerdanel reached out to touch the filling - and her hand passed straight through, into the bowl, until her fingers touched the base. She pulled her hand back as if stung, and stared at the smudges on her fingertips - blacker-than-black marks that seemed to suck in all light.

"Like I said," Feanor mused, "diamonds are absolutely unsuitable."

Nerdanel raised her gaze to Feanor's face, smudged with the same disturbing, light-eating material. "Feanor," she breathed, "how... what...?"

"I call it Dark Black," Feanor said with a satisfied smile. "Now, about Caranthir's present..."

---

Because Feanor would invent carbon nanotubes by accident.

hS

...the wisdom of the lyrics "got to be good looking cause he's so hard to see"? Maybe this is a really good looking color?

Also, perhaps this is the color of a plothole. It would make sense, to me.

-Phobos