Titanium has been all the rage in body jewelry for years. It may not be as glamorous as gold, but it boasts safety and variety as well as the right price. Whether you are shopping for a new piece of jewelry or considering getting that first body piercing, titanium is probably a wise choice for you.
- Advantages of Titanium Body Jewelry
Titanium is a very popular metal for body jewelry—it is clean, lightweight, and often inexpensive. Titanium body jewelry is frequently used in new body piercings because of its low rate of infection. The titanium blends used in jewelry contain very little nickel. Nickel is a common agent in skin allergies and infections.
- Titanium is an Element
Only a few metals exist in their pure form in nature. Titanium is one of these, along with gold and silver. When used in jewelry, titanium is blended with other metals to make it harder and easier to mold.
- Different Colors of Titanium
Titanium comes in different colors. For many, this is the most appealing aspect of the metal. Using a process called anodizing, jewelers change the structure of the metal and color it with non-toxic dyes. This results in a shiny metal that is pink, yellow, purple, or almost any color you can imagine. Usually the dyed portion of the piece does not go inside the piercing. For instance, in a barbell, the balls at either end of the bar are often dyed while the bar is left undyed.
- A Good Alternative to Other Metals
Uncolored titanium blends, or titanium alloys, are a silver color. They are a good alternative to real sterling silver, which can stain and tarnish, causing infection and pain. Titanium is also a good alternative to stainless steel. Stainless steel pieces can be heavy and in winter weather can get uncomfortably cold. Titanium alloys also have a much lower nickel content than stainless steel, making them less likely to cause allergies.
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