Q: I am allergic to gold. Will titanium be better on my skin?

A: Yes, titanium is more inert than most metals. People with reactions to gold will have no reaction to titanium.



Q: You use 6Al4V titanium. What is it and what about the other grades I've been hearing about?

A: The 6Al4V titanium is an alloy with 6% Aluminum and 4% Vanadium added for strength. The alloy is used extensively in aerospace. Pure titanium, also called Ti999 or Commercially Pure Titanium is relatively soft. It makes for good hip joint implants, but will not stand up as well as 6/4 in a ring. The other common alloy, 6/6/2 contains tin. There are a lot of different alloys containing tin coming from old Russian subs. The tin tends to make the metal "gummy" to machine, and it doesn't finish as well. I use an 8-1-1 alloy for my upgraded rings, which contains Aluminum, Vanadium, and Molybdenum. It has the upgraded strength without the tin.



Q: What about cutting off a titanium or tungsten carbide in case of an accident?

A: The very first thing I did when I started making titanium rings is cut them off of my own finger by different methods. Titanium is about as hard as stainless steel, so things that cut steel such as a hacksaw or Dremel tool can be used. Titanium has a reputation of being stronger than steel. It's not necessarily so. It's the high strength to weight ratio that is the reason it is used in aerospace applications. I've had a customer that did have to get one cut off. They were able to remove it without a problem, and she ordered another titanium ring! Tungsten Carbide rings are so hard that they cannot be cut, but they are made from powder, so they are relatively fragile like ceramic, and can be cracked off by squeezing them in a vise or visegrips.



Q: Can you do engraving?

A: Yes, I can do inside ring engraving. I have a computerized engraving machine, so I am able to do different fonts and can scale them to fit. A general rule of thumb is to use a maximum of around 30 characters to keep the letters large enough to read well.



Q: Can the ring be resized?

A: Because of the harder material, stretching titanium rings is a lot tougher than gold, but it can be done. I am able to stretch most rings or machine a slight amount of material out of a ring to increase it's size about 1/4 size, I cannot go down in size. It would take making another ring. If you get your ring and find that it doesn't fit, send it back with a few bucks for return shipping and I'll take care of it. Inlay rings, Mokumanium rings, and tension sets having to be remade would incur a 20% remake fee.



Q: Can you do a comfort fit?

A: Yes, a comfort fit, where the inner corners are rounded an extra amount is available at no extra charge. Most rings come that way unless a straight fit is specified.



Q: What stones are available?

A: I can do synthetic stones in any of the 12 birthstones which would be included in the tension setting costs, or I could do genuine stones, including diamonds. An additional cost of $5 to more than $120 is a good ballpark for gemstones, depending on the stone and size you want. Diamonds go from a few hundred to several thousand dollars. Just give me as much info on size, quality, color, and pricing guidelines as you can. I can help find the stone you are looking for. The synthetic stones are of very good quality and I personally can't tell the difference between those and genuine ones by looking.



Q: How are the rings made? Can you do fancy stuff like bows or like a class ring?

A: Unlike gold rings, which are often cast into fancy shapes, these rings are all machined from solid billet. This limits the possibilities to shapes that are the same profile all the way around (turned shapes), contours that are milled from above such as the Offset Flat Tension Setting, or milled from above with radius cutters such as the Omega rings. I can also do fourth axis designs such the Lines style and the Facets style where a computer controlled rotary table rotates beneath a milling cutter. The possibilities grow when the ring can rotate as the cutter cuts simultaneously.



Q: Do you do inlays?

A: Yes, I can do inlays in gold, silver, platinum, rose gold, white gold, and Mokume materials both into titanium and Mokumanium rings. I am constantly working to come up with new styles (in my "spare" time), so if you don't see what you would like on the site yet, let me know, and I can work with you.



Q: What's the best way to ship my diamond?

A: There are several methods that are tracked and insured such as Express Mail, FedEx, and UPS, as well as registered and insured mail. Diamonds should be SI1 clarity or better.



Q: What is the true color of titanium and Mokumanium?

A: The pictures of the rings vary slightly as to the color of titanium. This is based on digital camera settings and is not a factor of the titanium itself. The pictures were taken in a photographic dome, so they reflect the white walls. One of the closest true to color pictures looks to be Wiiideone in the Signature Series. The titanium is slightly darker than white gold and platinum. It might best be thought of as a chromium toaster's color or the same as a stainless steel refrigerator. Mokumanium is exactly the same color as the titanium. You can't tell a difference by looking, although you can certainly feel the difference in weight.



Q: Can I polish my titanium ring myself?

A: Yes. There are many polishes on the market for stainless steels in either liquid or waxy form that work well on titanium. These can be found in the automotive departments of many chain stores. They can be worked by hand with a cloth, or to speed things up, you can use a Dremel tool with a cotton polishing buff. Just apply the polish to the buff and go to it. If there are heavier scratches, it might take a light sanding with super fine wet sanding paper like 600 grit. For Brushed finishes, all that's necessary is to buff along the grain lines with a ScotchBrite pad. These are the scruffy pads used for pots and pans. This will bring the ring to as new condition any time. Also, don't forget my lifetime refinishing policy, where I'll do it any time you want as well.