Glossary

Titanium - It is one of the strongest natural elements which is as strong as steel but weighs the same as aluminum. It is hypoallergenic to man. It has gained popularity with its use in prosthetics and surgical implant procedures, manufacture of surgical instrument and jewelry.

Titanium 6/4 - aircraft grade titanium
Titanium 6/4 (Ti-6/4) is composed of 90% titanium, 6% aluminum and 4% vanadium. It is much harder compared to the basic grade (CP) titanium, not to mention other jewelry metals. Aircraft grade titanium also withstands wearing to a much greater extent.

Titanium 6/6/2 - extra-hard titanium
Titanium 6/6/2 (Ti-6/6/2) is made of 86% titanium, 6% aluminum, 6% vanadium and 2% tin. This is the strongest titanium alloy on the jewelry market. It is 130% stronger than Ti-6/4, which makes it the best choice for tension set titanium rings. It gives the highest resistance to denting and bending. However, the drawback in using this is that it is very difficult to work with and few jewelers recommend it as a choice for rings.

Commercial pure titanium, grade 4
Though softer than Aircraft Grade titanium, commercial pure titanium (CP), grade 4 is of much superior in strength compared to traditional jewelry metals such as gold, silver, and platinum. CP titanium is usually preferred for rings that have diamonds or gemstones flush set into the titanium.

8-1-1 Alloy – An alloy which contains aluminum, vanadium and molybdenum, with an upgraded strength without the tin.

Refractory metals – these are metals such as titanium, tantalum and niobium which can lead to structural changes in the metal's surface crystals (creating an oxide) when exposed to oxygen. The oxide is hypoallergenic with unique light refractory properties.