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By: Louis Dale on Tue Jul 31, 2007

Titanium is the hardest natural metal in the world, it is stronger than steel and yet very lightweight. Also it is known for its lustrous natural grey color and 100% hypoallergenic traits which make it safe for everyone because it will not react with your skin. Because of these human friendly traits titanium is increasingly becoming a more popular metal used with different types of body jewelry. Unfortunately, titanium is expensive due to the fact that it cannot be soldered and because of its strength, high-tech machinery and equipment is needed to process it.

Titanium is a great metal to use for jewelry because of its strength and greater scratch resistance compared to gold, silver and other metals. Pure titanium will not react to oils in the skin, sunlight and salt water. Not only this but titanium can be colored with a wide array of exotic colors where most other metals suitable for jewelry cannot.

Be aware that if you do have colored titanium jewelry like with any metal the colored titanium can be scratched off. The color is caused by oxidisation which only affects the surface of the metal not the entire depth. Oxygen tends to cause a structural change in the metals surface therefore creating an oxide. By using electricity for certain periods of time, the oxygen is forced onto the metals surface and causes it to change colors similar to putting oil on water.

If you purchase a colored titanium ring it is a good choice to get a ring with the satin finish because it will help keep the ring looking great for a longer period of time. Another option is to purchase a colored titanium ring with the color part in grooves for added protection.

One problem with titanium rings is because of their strength they cannot be resized. Sometimes titanium can be stretched up in size, but not down. Make sure when you purchase a titanium ring you give the correct finger sizes to the jeweler.

Another quality trait about titanium is its non-magnetic properties, which makes it ideal where electromagnetic interference is a problem. The most common type of jewelry made with titanium is rings, bracelets and pendants. Men tend to be more attracted to titanium jewelry then women because its durability and strength make it last longer.

Clean titanium jewelry simply by using a soft cloth and warm soapy water. Never use strong detergents or chemicals. Although titanium rings are scratch resistant like any metal they will scratch and show signs of wear. It is a great idea to get your titanium jewelry polished at least once a year to help keep its lustrous looking properties.