About Niobium

Niobium is a natural material, element number 41 on the periodic table, weighs just slightly less than sterling silver. The color of unanodized niobium is a warm gray, very similar but just a shade darker than surgical steel.

When anodized, a layer of "skin" forms on the metal surface. Depending on the thickness of the layer, it exhibits the interference colors of the spectrum:

Going from low voltage colors in chocolate brown, eggplant purple, dark indigo blue,
To mid range colors of pale baby blue, silver, bronzy gold, salmon pink,
Plus some of the most brilliant colors at high voltages, such as fuchsia/violet, blue purple, teal, lime green, and antique rose gold.

By the way, there is no red, orange, or black in anodized niobium, so sorry if you had your heart set on those... An alternative to substituting these colors could be with anodized aluminum or enameled copper.

Back to anodized niobium, the anodized layer, or "skin", is strong enough to hold up to daily wear, yet delicate to an extent because it can be scratched off against abrasive surfaces if you try real hard.

Niobium requires no special maintenance, will not rust or tarnish in our natural environment. Best of all, it is hypoallergenic even for those with most skin sensitivity. It has been my favorite metal to use in handmade jewelry. Hope you will like it too.

March 14, 2015

About Niobium

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