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What is titanium?

  • Discovered in 1791 in Cornwall by Revd. William Gregor
  • Named after the Greek God TITAN - 'Son of the earth'
  • Pure titanium is man-made from the titanium mineral
  • As strong as steel but much lighter, twice as strong as aluminium
  • Highly durable - almost as resistant to corrosion as platinum
  • Hypoallergenic qualities - used in hip joint replacement
  • Found in meteorites, the sun, stars, moon, earths crust and even human bodies!

Titanium, the mineral that creates the lustrous metal was not discovered by a scientist as one might expect but by a vicar in Cornwall in 1791.

Reverend William Gregor, who was interested in minerals, recognised the presence of a new element in menachinite, a mineral named after Menaccan, a small village in Cornwall. Titanium is the 9th most common element found in the earths crust but also in meteorites, the sun, lunar rocks and even stars. Closer to home, we all carry a low quantity of titanium in our bodes although it has no biological function.

Although the titanium mineral is found in abundance, pure titanium metal is not found naturally. In 1910, Mathew Hunter heated TiC14 together with sodium in a steel bomb at 700-800 centigrade and created the spectacular metal we know today as titanium.

Titanium is as strong as steel but much lighter, twice as strong as aluminium and almost as resistant to corrosion as platinum. These qualities make titanium a popular choice to be mixed with other metals to produce alloys used widely in the aerospace and marine craft industries and a host of other objects.

Pure titanium metal is as beautiful as it is practical and is now making a bold statement in jewellery with Ti2 Premium rings collection that mix uncoloured titanium with other precious metals to create stunning designs, textures and colours.

Titanium's durability, strength and hypoallergenic qualities are complimented by it's wonderful lustre - from the stars to the soul - titanium deserves it's legendary name and is now being discovered and enjoyed.