Greek mythology gives the word Titans as those resistors of the Gods on Olympus. An appropriate name for such a magnificent metal. The first sheets of titanium I handled impressed me but I hadn’t seen it made into jewellery. It displayed a very bright and startling blue colour.

Some years later I bought a titanium ring out of curiosity. I was smitten with the metal and its potential. As I tend to wear and favour heavy rings for men I couldn’t help but giggle as the ring was so light in weight.

Titanium is a natural element and was first used in the 1920s. Its popularity soared, even though in secret, during the next couple of decades as part of the cold war and subsequent space race.

The reason for its rise to popularity by the military was because of its great strength, lightness and its resistance to corrosion. It will resist hydrochloric acid, dilute forms of sulphuric acid and will not tarnish. It is three times stronger than steel yet 42% lighter in weight. It is ideal for aircraft and space vehicles. The best alloy for making jewellery is aircraft grade 6-4 90% titanium, 6% aluminium and 4% vanadium.

So why should it make good jewellery?

Well, it is very light. You will barely remember that you are wearing a ring at all. It can be thick for those lovers of bulky jewellery but a fraction of the weight of other metals.

Next it is very strong and that’s important. Men in maual work often don’t wear rings to work often because they get scratched, bent out of shape and tarnished. Not so with this metal. You can work as a plumber all day wearing your titanium wedding ring and wear it to a party that night!

Then it can have a variety of cute finishes from a shiny high polish to a matte, or non reflective finish, or a satin or sparkly frosted look. We probably know it most with a matte or brushed look to it.

On top of that it can be made in a variety of brilliant colours: blues, yellows reds and more. The colouring is done by an anodizing process and it does have one limitation. This colouring will scratch and wear off. So most of the time when this process is done it is done to parts of the piece which are lower than the surface. You see this in sunken lines on a ring for example.

The uncoloured finish is not as white as silver more akin to platinum, but it is much less expensive than platinum. Most gents’ rings are under $200.

The possibilities for jewellery today using this wonderful material are almost endless. It can be made into chains, bracelets, rings, pendants, brooches, earrings, cufflinks and just about everything else. It can be inlaid with other metals such as gold which will enhance it even further.

It also lends itself well to some special manufacturing tasks such as tension rings. These are rings where the stone is held in place by two parts of the ring holding it in tension. The beauty of this method of stone setting is that almost the entire stone is exposed. This is what allows a gemstone such as a diamond to show all of its natural beauty.

There is no other metal that is as strong, as light, as relatively inexpensive, as attractive and tarnish resistant and non toxic which can be used for jewellery.