Materials and craftsmanship
Metals
We make each bead individually on a manually-operated lathe using CP grades one and two titanium which are the purest forms of the metal. Our metal meets ASTM specifications for CP grades one and two: B265. For earwires, we generally use niobium.
What’s different about titanium? It is difficult to work with! Most jewelers and other metalsmiths avoid it because its strength makes it hard to cut and form, and you can’t weld or solder it in an ordinary atmosphere. However, its attributes make the effort worthwhile:
- Titanium and niobium are completely safe to wear next to the body. This is in contrast to even 18 karat gold which can irritate sensitive skin. Titanium and niobium are completely inert, not alloyed with anything such as copper or nickel which are found in karat golds (9, 14, 18, and 22 karat). Titanium is used widely in the medical field to replace heart valves, hips, and other body parts because it is hypoallergenic.
- Titanium has a good strength-to-weight ratio. It is about half the weight of steel but three times stronger.
- Colors in titanium and niobium, achieved through an electrolytic process, add a unique and brilliant look to jewelry.
Gemstones
We are happy to flush-set set diamonds, up to ten points, directly into the titanium bead. The following is a list of prices for setting diamonds. One hundred points is equal to one carat.
| 2 points: $55 3 points: $70 4 points: $85 |
5 points: $100 6 points: $115 7 points: $130 |
8 points: $145 9 points: $160 10 points: $175 |
The price is per diamond, and includes the charge for the highest quality diamonds (VVS-1, F-H color) as well as the setting charge. There is a surcharge for stones set into inserts.
Because of the high pressures that develop during setting, only diamonds, sapphires, and rubies can be set into our titanium beads. Contact us about pricing for rubies and sapphires.
