Titanium

Polished titanium ring

Chemical symbol: Ti

Atomic number: 22

A British geologist (and vicar!) called William Gregor discovered a new metal in England in 1791, and called it 'manaccanite'. German chemist Martin Heinrich Klaproth also found the element around the same time, and named it titanium after the Titans in Greek mythology. Gregor was credited with discovering it first, but Klaproth's name stuck.

Titanium is found in almost all living things as well as in water, soil and igneous rock. It has been found in meteorites and moon rock; and has been detected in the sun. It is used in many industries, including cars, mobile phones, fire arms, medicine, aerospace and of course jewellery. Its main qualities are its strength – it is as strong as some steel but much lighter – and its resistance to corrosion.

Titanium properties and usage

Titanium's high strength-to-weight ratio means it's highly sought after in all kinds of industries. Its low density means it is surprisingly ductile for such a strong material. It is hypo-allergenic; all these properties means it's ideal for use in medicine and where prolonged contact with skin is likely.

Titanium wedding rings

Titanium wedding bands are growing in popularity because they don’t tarnish at room temperature and are very strong. Titanium is abundant in nature (which helps keep price down), but it is difficult to shape – the techniques needed to refine it enough to shape for jewellery have only recently been developed. This hardness means that Titanium is non-toxic, which means it’s excellent for those with allergies or sensitive skin – in fact, titanium is often used for surgical implants due to the fact the human body does not reject its presence. It is resilient against sea water and chlorine so is ideal for those who will want to wear their ring when swimming.

Click the link to browse our range of titanium rings - and you can also choose titanium as an option for any of our plain wedding rings.

How to clean titanium rings

Titanium rings are unlikely to tarnish. If your ring picks up any surface dirt, simply wash the it in a mild soapy solution, rinse it in cold water and dry with a soft cloth. It's not infallible so it will pick up some scratches from every day wear and tear. These will be particularly evident at first but then dull to a more pleasing patina. If you get any heavy scratches that you want removed, we can easily refinish the ring for you.

More information

For more information about the contents of the metal alloys we use, have a look at Liza's blog entry on our metal alloys.

Not sure where to start with choosing wedding rings? Have a look at our Buyer's Guide for Wedding Rings.

We offer a number of services to help you get your choice of wedding rings right first time. Have a look at our Frequently Asked Questions, and why not order a free ring gauge to get your started with finding out your ring size.

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