In this work, alumina-coated YTZP materials are proposed as means to combine the mechanical reliability of YTZP with the stiffness and hardness of alumina. Additionally, compressive stresses are developed in the alumina coating when cooling from the sintering temperature due to the thermal expansion mismatch between alumina and YTZP. The proposed processing method involves dipping of pre-sintered YTZP specimens in stable alumina suspensions and co-sintering of the dipped specimens. The influence of the processing parameters on the macro and microstructure of the materials has been established. Berkovich indentation has been performed to determine the Young's modulus of the substrates and coatings. The structural integrity of the coatings has been analysed using scratch tests. The Young's modulus. The optimised specimens present high resistance to scratch up to loads of 150 N.