Titanium Jewelry : Fact and Fiction

Titanium is a metal with many unusual characteristics. While it is the fourth most abundant metal in the earth's crust, it is rarely found in its pure form and is relatively difficult and expensive to isolate. In the US, the majority of titanium found is located in Florida, Idaho, New Jersey, New York, and Virginia.

Although titanium occurs naturally in the earth's ores, it was not actually isolated until 1791, when a researcher recognized it and published his results. He named the "new" element Titanium, after the mythological giants, the Titans. Isolation of the pure metal was not accomplished till 1910.

Early experiments led to the development of a large-scale process for isolating titanium in 1937 for wartime applications. This process, called the Kroll process, is still the primary method for the production of titanium.

The first titanium products were introduced around the 1940s and included such things as wires, sheets, and rods.

Titanium alloys are becoming more popular for use in jewelry due to its high tensile strength, ability to withstand high temperatures, excellent corrosion resistance, and also its good compatibility with the human body. These all combine to make it an excellent choice for things inside the body like hip implants and other artificial joints, as well as for external adornments such as jewelry.

In fact, titanium in various forms is used in everyday things such as paper, paints and pigments, and even in sunscreen. (You know it in sunscreen as titanium dioxide.)

The manufacturing of titanium is done in a multi-step process beginning with the location and mining of the ore. Next begins the extraction of titanium, a process requiring extreme high temperatures, followed by the purification and alloying of the metal. The final processes involve forming, shaping, and welding the final product- clean, durable, strong, and lightweight metals for jewelry items such as rings, earrings, and other types of jewelry, often having a distinctive colorful luster. Titanium Ring

Titanium Use in Jewelry

There are several different alloys of titanium with other metals, usually aluminum or vanadium. They are good for different uses, such as the aerospace industry, as well as jewelry.

For jewelry use the alloy used is about as hard as stainless steel.

If you are allergic to gold, titanium will work for you, as titanium is more inert than most metals. Most people with reactions to gold show no allergic reaction to titanium.

Oh, and in case you were wondering- yes, titanium jewelry can be removed by cutting it off, contrary to the urban legend which tells that you may lose a digit in the Emergency Room in order to remove your ring!

Should you need to have a ring cut off it can be easily done by any means that would be used to cut off a stainless steel ring. This is contrary to the popular notion that a titanium ring cannot be cut off and that the wearer will have to sacrifice a digit should the need arise to get the ring off in an emergency. You can check this at http://www.snopes.com/weddings/horrors/titanium.asp. There you will find details of some other advantages of titanium rings as well as disadvantages, but you will find that "the rumors about the necessity for amputation have been greatly exaggerated", to quote a well known author.

The main advantage of titanium for jewelry is not the strength but the lightness of it. As stated, it has the highest strength to weight ratio of any metal.

How Your Titanium Jewelry is Made and How You Can Care for it at Home.

The color of titanium is slightly darker than that of white gold or platinum. It looks sort of like a stainless steel refrigerator. When creating jewelry, it is not cast the way gold and sliver are. It is, rather, machined from a single piece of metal. This does limit, in some ways, the kinds of items which are created. However, Titanium can be engraved after the jewelry item is cut and made, for many unusual and attractive finishes.

Titanium rings can be very slightly stretched after they are made but usually not a great deal; it is generally easier and cheaper to order a new ring in a larger size. Also, rings cannot be sized down making a new ring the only solution to the dilemma of a ring being too loose should you lose weight or order the wrong size by mistake.

Although the limits of titanium extend to making rings or items that are the same thickness or contour all the way around (or through!) many things can be done to make a ring more decorative. For example, you can have a ring made with precious metal inlay, as well as engraved designs of many kinds. Also, titanium rings can be made to hold gemstones or synthetic gemstones and for this reason school rings are frequently made of titanium.

The advantages for this include strength, weight, and cost. When you purchase an item of titanium jewelry you generally are paying for the time it takes to create the item as the metal itself is not the major expense. Titanium is relatively cheap, compared to gold or platinum, though it requires some sophisticated machinery and special know-how on the part of the creator. Computer designed imagery as well as computer created programs assist greatly in creating such jewelry item.

Although rings must be cut from a sheet of metal it is still possible to have a comfort fit ring made. You must make that request before the ring is milled for you, however, as you cannot easily get the edges softened in a later operation. Please keep this in mind when you are trying to visualize an item you wish to have made for you.

The biggest factor is the ability or experience of the designer, as these differences vary greatly; a skilled designer will have many more decorative options for you to consider, so it will reward you greatly to research your jeweler before you order your piece.

There are many finishes available such as brushed finish, polished finish, as well as variations on the popular hammered finish looks. Therefore with the combinations of engraving, inlaying, and finishing, a wide variety of completed looks is possible. Again, these will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. Again, order what you what the finished item to be rather than expecting to change the appearance later of a titanium jewelry object.

Living Happily Ever After with Titanium

In spite of its hardness Titanium jewelry can be easily polished at home, using one of the many polishes on the market for stainless steels in either liquid or waxy form that work well on titanium. These can be found in the automotive departments of many chain stores. They can be done by hand with a cloth, or to speed things up, you can use a Dremel tool with a cotton polishing buff. Just apply the polish to the buff and go to it.

If there are heavier scratches, it might take a light sanding with super fine wet sanding paper like 600 grit. For Brushed finishes, all that's necessary is to buff along the grain lines with a ScotchBrite pad. These are the scrubbing pads used for pots and pans. This will bring the item to almost new condition any time.

You can always, of course, return a jewelry item to the manufacturer for some touch up polishing. Most manufacturers are happy to accommodate this request.

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