Jewelry Materials Introduction:

What is titanium steel?

Titanium steel, also known as 316L stainless steel, is actually the same material, but the names vary depending on region and merchants. In order to make it more fashionable and futuristic, merchants have named it "Titanium steel," although it does not contain "titanium." The actual material is called 316L stainless steel. Its applications are wide, with features such as resistance to strong acids and alkalis, color retention, non-allergic, non-deformation, hardness, and shine. It is often used in medicine, luxury watches, pens, and industry, etc. Due to different regional terminology, "

Early 316L stainless steel is used in various well-known fashion brands' watches and luxury pens. Due to the popularity of European and American styles, it has gradually revealed new ideas in jewelry design. Its unique metallic luster and material properties have gradually become the focus of popular fashion jewelry. The rough, simple, calm, implicit, passionate, and unrestrained style, as well as the cold metal expression, has won the love of young people who pursue fashion and white-collar workers. The material inside and outside is the same, with features such as resistance to strong acids and alkalis, no color change, no allergy, no deformation, hardness, and brightness. It also passes the artificial sweat test, which is completely corrosion-resistant, no color change, no fading, no allergy. With first-class craftsmanship and the characteristics of hardness and brightness, it can better show the unique personal style.

With the evolution of trends, the research and development of 316L stainless steel precision die-casting technology has been successfully achieved. Its unique design makes the style more three-dimensional. By combining advanced manufacturing technology, it injects a sense of future and technology, fully grasping the pulse of fashion and popular trends. Different from the special texture of ordinary jewelry, it is deeply loved by people with taste.

What is titanium? (Also known as titanium gold, pure titanium)

Titanium was discovered in the late 18th century, in 1791, by British chemist W. Gregor, who found an unknown new element in a mineral. In 1795, German chemist M.H. Klaproth, while studying rutile TiO2, discovered the element. He named it after the Greek titan, the son of Gaia from Greek mythology, to name it (in Chinese, it is named titanium according to its original name). In ancient Greece, the "titan spirit" was an antonym for courage, and the name titanium was used to represent the natural strength of the metal titanium. Titanium is a silver-gray metal with a specific gravity of 4.5 and a melting point of 1668°C. Titanium is a very special metal, very light in texture, yet very tough and corrosion-resistant. It does not turn black like silver, and it maintains its original color at room temperature. The melting point of titanium is similar to that of platinum, so it is often used in precision parts for aerospace and military industries. After being treated with electricity and chemistry, it can produce different colors. Due to the above characteristics of titanium, its unique silver-gray tone, whether it is highly polished,Satin and matte finishes both perform well, making it one of the most suitable metals for jewelry besides platinum and gold. It is often used in modern jewelry design and is a popular material for international jewelry. As for the design, minimalistic and clean cuts with high design and a low-key avant-garde style are highly praised by young white-collar workers. However, due to the high processing technical requirements of titanium, it is difficult to cast with ordinary equipment and to weld with ordinary tools, making it difficult to achieve production scale. Therefore, it is difficult to find in the domestic jewelry market, and it is commonly known as pure titanium in the market.

What is tungsten steel?

Tungsten steel is another high-tech product that has become a favorite among mass buyers, following the space ceramic. Originally used in spacecraft technology, it has now been converted for civilian use. In fact, tungsten steel has many features that appeal to consumers. This material is different from the materials commonly used in watches; it is as hard as natural diamond, with a hardness of 89-91 HRA (also known as hardness 9), while diamond has a hardness of 10. It is wear-resistant with no scratches, does not deform, is corrosion-resistant and does not rust, and is non-allergenic to skin. It has a shiny surface like a mirror with a diamond luster, making it a high-end choice for fashion-conscious individuals. Additionally, it has the advantage of being able to withstand mechanical impact.

They can be polished into various angular patterns (such as tungsten steel rings, watch dials, etc.), adding to the styles and patterns of jewelry and watches. Tungsten steel is originally a silver-black color, but it can now be electroplated to become gold, black, adding to the beauty of high-end watches.

The main production processes for steel jewelry are:

Wire cutting: Using different sizes of molybdenum wire (a type of metal with high hardness), a wire cutting machine is used to cut out the jewelry's shape at a very slow speed. Then, the piece is hand-polished. The more complex and challenging the design, the longer it takes to ship.

Precision die casting: First, carve the sample with wax, then place it in a special plaster, remove the wax, and dissolve the raw material at a high temperature of 1500~2000 degrees, then pour it into the plaster mold. Add pressure, remove the mold, and then, fully hand polishing. Because die casting requires special plaster molds, the price is different.

(3) Polished surface: Apply polishing wax on a spinning cotton polishing wheel, then place the jewelry against the cloth wheel to make the surface bright and reflect light. Some customers mistakenly think it is electroplated, but it is not, as the steel jewelry has the same material inside and out, and only needs polishing to achieve a mirror-like effect. For products with electroplating, we have a description.

(4) Sanding surface: Use a sandpaper belt to make the surface of the jewelry into a sandblasted effect (no light reflection), giving the surface a matte effect.

(5) Sandblasting: The main working principle of sandblasting is to place the sand (extremely fine abrasive, silver-grey) in water, use a sandblasting pump and compressed air, and then spray the sand at high speed onto the surface of steel jewelry through a nozzle, forming a silver-grey coating. This makes jewelry appear more luxurious, and it is less likely to fade. It is increasingly popular among people of all levels.

(6) Vacuum Plating: Vacuum plating mainly includes several types: ion plating, vacuum evaporation plating, sputtering plating, and ion beam plating (also known as nanometer electroplating). These methods are all conducted under vacuum conditions, depositing various metal and non-metal films on the surface of objects through distillation or sputtering. This way, very thin surface coatings can be obtained, with the advantages of fast production speed and less tendency to fade. However, the price is relatively high, and the number of metals that can be processed is limited. They are generally used for functional coatings on high-end jewelry and watches.

(7) Resin inlay: (also known as: drop resin, hard plastic) First, heat the jewelry to high temperature, then apply the resin on the jewelry. Since it is a heating process, it is not easy to fall off during wearing.

(8) Set with Zircon: There are mainly two types. One is adhered with AB glue, which is very firm due to the special glue. The other is pressed with a machine, which is very firm and finely crafted, but it is more expensive than the one with AB glue.

(9) Carbon fiber inlay: It is expensive, but when used in jewelry, it creates a three-dimensional effect that is very beautiful. As the eye moves, the effect is three-dimensional and very beautiful. Carbon fiber is a type of carbon material that is made from organic fibers containing carbon, such as nylon, acrylic, and artificial silk. By combining these organic fibers with plastic resin, placing them in an inert atmosphere, and carbonizing them under a certain pressure and heat, carbon fiber is created. Carbon fiber is a new material with conductivity, great strength, low density, corrosion resistance, and high temperature resistance. Composites made from carbon fiber and plastic can replace aluminum alloys to make light aircraft with large thrust, low noise, and low power consumption. When used in jewelry, it makes the surface have a three-dimensional fiber-like appearance, and the light reflection will move up and down with your line of sight, making the style more special and fully showing the trend of the times.