Titanium vs. Niobium: The Ultimate Metal Showdown

Six years ago when I first started making allergy-free titanium jewelry, there weren’t a lot of options out there. (At least not that I could find—which is why I decided to make them myself!) Since then titanium jewelry has become a lot more popular—happy news for those of us with sensitive ears!

Then a few years in to my titanium jewelry venture, I started learning more about niobium—another pure non-alloyed metal that many people with metal allergies have success wearing. I did some research, made myself a trial pair and recruited a few friends to be my guinea pigs. Success! So I added a niobium line to my Etsy shop.

Since I started this shop I’ve made over 2,000 sales and many more offline—mostly to people like me who had allergic reactions to most earrings and who had thought they were doomed to naked earlobes for life. Of those sales only three people have ever had any kind of reaction to my titanium or niobium earrings. And when we exchanged their earrings for the other metal, they were good to go.

Customers often ask me questions about which is better: niobium or titanium. Here’s what I tell them:

Variya,  
Hi I just ordered some titanium studs from your website. My daughter got her ears pierced in February and they still haven't healed. We have done everything we have been told except try titanium. Is this the right thing to try now and are your earrings truly nickel free? We are just really frustrated and tired of infected ears.
- Stacey*
 (*names have been changed to protect their privacy)  

Hi Stacey, 
Thank you for your order and for contacting me. I'm sorry your daughter is having so much trouble! You are definitely doing the right thing to try titanium. My titanium is grade 1 pure titanium from a trusted U.S. supplier whom I have been with for years. There is absolutely no nickel. I have yet to have a customer who could not wear either titanium or niobium and most can wear both.
~ Variya

--

Would you recommend starting with trying titanium first or going with niobium?
-Carrie

Hi Carrie, 
A lot of people start with titanium mostly because they are more familiar with it.  Both are great options.  I recommend choosing something you can leave in while your ears recover, such as small hoops or post studs.
~ Variya    

--

Hello, 
I've gotten several different earrings from you and I believe they were all titanium. Should I try niobium? Are they both equally good for extra sensitive ears? Is one more tolerated than another or does it depend on the person or are they both pretty equal? I really want the pearl post earrings but I'm not sure which metal I should go with.  
Thanks! 
-Stella

Hi Stella, 
Thank you for contacting me and for choosing my earrings! You should give niobium a try! Most people can wear both because they are pure metals. Make sure you use pure niobium (which is what I offer). If you order niobium from me and find that you can't tolerate it I would be happy to exchange it for titanium.  
Cheers, 
~ Variya   

The pearl post earrings Stella wanted (and got!)

If you have questions about niobium vs. titanium that aren’t answered here, please contact me. I’d be delighted to help find an answer for you.

Moms are the BEST!

Check out this fun email exchange!

(I changed their names to protect privacy.)

Hello,  
I received the earrings in the attached photo as a gift and don't know who they're from. They're beautiful! I want to thank whoever sent them. Do you know the name or any information about the person who ordered these?   
Thanks!  
-Ashley   

---

Hi Ashley,  
What a lovely surprise!! They did not leave any information with their order, except their email address. I am contacting them to make sure it's okay if I forward it to you… just in case they want to stay a secret admirer ;) 
Cheers, 
~ Variya  

---
 
Hello [secretadmirer@email.com]
Ashley received her earrings and contacted me to thank you! Can I forward your email address to her so she knows who you are? And maybe your name (which I do not have!)?  
Cheers,  
~ Variya   

---

Thanks, Variya. I'm her mom—she knows me!!!!    
---

To Ashley and Mom –  OOOHHHHH this is SO SWEET!!  I told her I had to contact you in case you were a secret admirer =)  What a thoughtful Mom! 
~ Variya

Aren't moms the best? Speaking of moms... we've got some fabulous Mother's Day gift options for yours.

This custom designed bracelet tells your family history. Guaranteed to be a winner at Mother's Day brunch.

This heirloom quality sterling silver birthstone necklace features a hand forged pendant so that new birthstones can be added as your family grows.

Pure Titanium Only Please

I thought I’d share this exchange between a customer and me because our conversation might help clear up some questions about titanium.

Hello!

I found your shop on Etsy when searching for titanium earrings. I definitely have problems wearing regular earrings, and I recently tried implant grade titanium studs with great success. My goal now is to hopefully replace the wires on earrings I own so I can wear them. It seems like you offer titanium wires, which is great.

My main question right now is are the titanium earrings and wires you sell pure titanium? I'm not sure if implant grade titanium differs from what you sell. Any information would be very helpful!

Thank you in advance,
Heather*

(*Not her real name.) 

I wrote back to Heather and told her that I use pure Grade 1 Titanium for all my earrings. Most titanium earrings on the market are produced from implant grade titanium, which is an alloy (meaning it’s mixed with other metals). And alloys are the most significant cause of reactions, which is why we enforce a strict Pure Grade 1 Titanium Only Policy here at Variya HQ.

Heather seemed to me like the type of person who would appreciate more than just a basic answer. So I sent her this link to a site that explains in detail all about the different grades of titanium. Here’s what it says about Grade 1 Titanium (the type I use for all my earrings):

Grade 1 titanium is the first of four commercially pure titanium grades. It is the softest and most ductile of these grades. It possesses the greatest formability, excellent corrosion resistance and high impact toughness. Because of all these qualities, Grade 1 is the material of choice for any application where ease of formability is required. These include:
• Chemical processing
• Dimensional stable anodes
• Architecture
• Medical industry
• Marine industry
• Automotive parts
• Airframe structure
• Variya earrings

Just kidding. I added that last one. But seriously! Marine industry? Airframe structure? We’re in good company, my friends. Variya's titanium earrings are not only allergy-free but ultra durable. I don’t even know what “dimensional stable anodes” are, but I like the sound of it.

The good news is: Heather and anyone else concerned about allergic reactions to earrings can rest easy when ordering from Variya. What sets my work apart from most “hypo allergenic” jewelry is that I use only pure grade one Titanium (and Niobium—but that’s another post) in my earrings. No alloys, no metal sensitivities, no allergic reactions, no more itchy earlobes!

Birthstone Jewelry

I have a problem. Correction: I had a problem. See, I’m super sentimental and family means the world to me. So the idea of birthstone family jewelry is right up my sentimental little alley. My problem is (was) that most birthstone necklaces and birthstone bracelets are, imo, either: 

a. gaudy, tacky and/or cheesy

b. run-of-the-mill (a serious problem when it comes to something that should be totally unique)

c. way out of my price range

In a worst-case scenario, all three problems apply.

A few years ago I came up with an exciting alternative to the typical birthstone jewelry options. When my mom and my mother-in-law both lost their only living parent in the same year. I wanted to do something extra special for them for Mother’s Day that year to commemorate the family they came from and family they created. So I came up with the idea for family birthstone bracelets. The Life Story bracelets were a big hit, and you can read the story here.

Recently I had the opportunity to experiment more with my concept for custom birthstone family jewelry. A good friend of mine told me she wanted to give her mom an extra special piece of jewelry for Christmas. Her mom doesn’t wear bracelets, so we dreamed up a necklace alternative.

This is a sketch that I texted to my friend when we were dreaming up the perfect birthstone necklace idea for her mom.

My friend’s mom has seven kids. Yes, that's right. Seven. And, it just so happens that none them share the same birthday. Holy multi-colored-birthstones! At first I was a little concerned about how we were going to incorporate all those colors and make the necklace pretty enough that my friend’s mom would actually want to wear it. I am very picky about the jewelry I make, and I’m only willing to attach my name to pieces that I’m 100% happy with. But I love my friend, and I’m always up for a challenge—so I took the job.

I designed, shaped and hammered this pendent myself. That’s just how picky I am. Everything's gotta be juuuuust right.

This piece was so much fun to design. I adore custom pieces! For one thing, I get a sneak peek into people’s stories and lives. In this case, I learned that my friend’s mom has many fond family memories that involve the beach. My friend’s mom grew up going to the beach her whole life and continued the tradition with her own family. To commemorate her parents (my friend’s grandparents) we attached a tiny seashell at the back clasp of the necklace.

The semi-precious stones strung along the sterling silver chain represent the birthdays of each of the seven kids. The charm on the pendent is for the birthday of the only grandchild. There’s only one grandchild in the family right now, but with seven kids . . . buckle up because there's sure to be more! New birthstones can be added to the pendant as the family grows.

My friend and her mom on a walk at the beach a few months ago. Seriously. Anyone who bundles up in winter coats to go the beach must really love it.

Custom heirloom birthstone jewelry can be anything you want it to be! When I made a birthstone Life Story bracelet for myself, I incorporated antique beads from my grandmother’s old jewelry into the piece.

This is me with my mom, sister and niece. Hooray for family!

If you’d like to create an heirloom piece of birthstone jewelry that captures your family’s story, please contact me and tell me everything you’re dreaming about. I’d love to work with you! 

What’s so special about handmade jewelry?

Ever heard of “bespoke jewelry”? I hadn’t, at least not til the other day when I read this article on the New York Times website. If you’re short on time, I’ll save you a few minutes and summarize:

Bespoke jewelry = custom-made jewelry.

Evidently the trend is on the upswing and it’s helping lift high-end jewelry sales out of the slump caused by the 2008 recession.

Interestingly, I came across the article around the same time I got the disappointing news that Etsy—the formerly-handmade online marketplace—changed their guidelines to allow people to sell mass produced items. When Etsy started in 2005, it was a great alternative to the abundance of online marketplaces selling mass-produced products. It was a place where artisans could sell their handmade products. It was a place where shoppers could browse hundreds of thousands of artisans’ shops and they could have confidence that all the products were individually made by the seller. It was a place where we were all taking pledges to buy handmade: 

Handmade Consortium  

But now Etsy is focusing on “authorship,” which means as long as the artist came up with the concept, they can send it out to be mass produced and still sell it on Etsy. I’m not the only one who is upset about the change. As soon as the announcement was made, the internet was flooded with articles, blogs and forums where customers and creators expressed their disappointment.

It’s not like I have anything against mass produced products. I mean, that’s pretty much every item of clothing I own (with the exception of a hat I bought in Peru and my grandma-knitted slippers). IKEA makes an appearance in more than one room of my house. There’s no handmade stamp on the tumbler I use to polish titanium wire or the pliers I use to wrap it around precious stones. So of course mass produced is okay. I’m just bummed that Etsy is moving away from their commitment to handmade that compelled me to set up shop with them in the first place.

The Etsy announcement and the article about bespoke jewelry got me thinking. What’s so special about handmade jewelry anyway?

Whether it's a proud mama who receives a multicolored band of knotted strings from her little girl, or a wealthy traveler who commissions a custom-made ring from a chunk of sapphire she acquired on a trip to Madagascar, there’s something so very special about owning a piece of jewelry that no one else in the world has. This is why I adore handmade jewelry. Each piece is a little (or, in some cases, a lot!) different. 

Titanium Posts at Variya

These pure titanium pearl post earrings are one of my best-sellers, and I make a lot of them. Sometimes I make so many, I feel like I am mass producing them! I see these babies in my mind when I’m trying to fall asleep at night. But if you could come to my studio . . . [Sidebar: I don’t actually have a studio. I make jewelry in our guest room/office, and sometimes at my kitchen table. But writing "my studio" makes me feel glamorous.] Anyway, if you came to my studio/guest room/office/kitchen table on a day when I’m whipping up a batch of Titanium Grace earrings, and if you plucked two of them off the pearly pile, you’d notice small differences. The swirls go different directions. The spaces between the wire are different. Sometimes when I have an extra cup of coffee there's an extra swirl and I have to start over!

Then there are the pieces of custom jewelry—I mean, pieces of bespoke jewelry—which are totally, completely unique. A customer in Chicago often places orders for necklaces or earrings that incorporate a specific stone that has some meaning to her.

She’ll write to me: “I really love blue topaz. Can you make me something with blue topaz?”

Or she’ll send me a photo of a necklace she loves and ask me to create something similar but with pearl or smoky quartz.

These kinds of orders are a dream. It’s so much fun for me to get input from my customer and create a special piece that’s truly unique and meaningful to her. A piece no one else in the world has. Bespoken.

London Blue Topaz Teardrop Earrings. Exquisite. Limited Edition.

Custom Garnet Necklace

Because I hand make each piece of jewelry, my customers always have the option to customize their orders, even in small ways. Titanium and niobium earrings are hard to find, and pure titanium earrings are even harder to find. So those of us with metal allergies have really limited options in the earring department. People often contact me with specific requests for their sensitive ears or for their children’s sensitive ears, and I love being able to offer exactly what my customers need and expand their options. For example, earring posts are a standard length, which is a bit of a problem since human earlobes aren’t a standard size. So sometimes customers ask for longer or shorter titanium posts. Or they ask for smaller or larger titanium hoops. 

I hope Etsy doesn’t lose sight of how special handmade is, and I hope they work things out so that shoppers will know which products and shops are handmade and which aren’t. No matter what happens with Etsy, though, I’m 100% committed to keeping Variya 100% handmade.

Custom Bridal Earrings

The 2013 Color of the Year

I never knew there was an official color of the year until I stepped into the world of jewelry making. But now that I know, I’m all in! 

March is the perfect month to do my color duty and highlight this year’s Color of the Year—emerald.

For some reason, I’ve always adored St. Patrick’s Day. Maybe it’s my way of honoring the trace of Irish heritage way back down the family line. Or maybe it’s because I live in one of the snowiest parts of the country, and St. Patty’s Day tells me spring is just around the corner. Whatever the reason, as soon as February makes its exit, I start adorning my house in green (i.e. emerald), googling St. Patrick’s Day trivia to create a game for my eight-year-old, and hiding lucky little shamrocks around the house with surprises inside.

He is usually more excited than he looks here. Or maybe I am more excited than he looks here.

I even wrote a limerick to celebrate the delightful collision of St. Patty’s Day and the 2013 Color of the Year.

Ahem.

There exists a group called Pantone.
They name colors for all that we own.
Every year they will choose
a winner of hues and
this year it’s the em-e-rald tone.

And now, I’m pleased to introduce Variya’s 2013 Color of the Year / St. Patrick's Day line of hand-crafted, allergy-free jewelry. (Drum roll and Celtic music, please...)

When these emerald green goldstone globes sway from delicate gold figaro chains, they catch the light and show off thousands of sparkles from deep within. The pure niobium ear wires mean that most people with metal allergies can wear them allergy-free! For more photos or to order a pair, visit my etsy shop.

Stacked with seaweed quartz in varying shades of green, these pure titanium earrings are very light and comfortable. The polished titanium is meticulously hand-filed for an ultra smooth edge. You can order your pair here.

What's this? A matching necklace for the Siren Song titanium earrings above? You're going to want to check out this necklace in my etsy shop—there's so much to it, one photo doesn't do it justice. The Siren Song necklace is made with gorgeous green seaweed quartz and accented with crystals and antique silver. Agate chips dangle asymmetrically, just to keep things interesting. An antique silver scroll clasp finishes off this captivating piece.

To me, these earrings whisper elegance and romance. If only we had St. Patrick's Day dinner parties like we do at Christmastime. I'd wear these with a deep emerald green dress. Hm, I'm getting an idea... Emerald green jasper drops dangle from Celtic gold accents, and tiny green jasper faceted globes accent the piece. As with all Variya's earrings, these ones are friendly for sensitive ears.

Thanks for stopping by. You can go here for all things green at Variya.  Happy St. Patrick's Day, and may your 2013 be filled with good things of emerald hue!

Variya's Half Dozen Days of Christmas

First things first. Before you start reading, you're going to want to have the "12 Days of Christmas" tune ringing in your brain. If you need a refresher, here's a fun version. But come right back because there are goodies and give-aways in this post that you won’t want to miss!

On the first day of Christmas
Variya gave to me...

an idea for a jew-el-ry tree.

You know how it goes. Tangled necklaces, missing earrings … all that pretty jewelry jumbled in chaos! It’s just not right. Here are a couple simple, cheap DIY ideas to organize your jewelry.

Thanks for this creative idea goes to Danielle, who also takes creative photos in the D.C. area.

An old CD rack makes another great jewelry organizer.

On the second day of Christmas,
Variya gave to me...

two happy earlobes

(and an idea for a jew-el-ry tree).

Titanium and niobium allergy-free earrings make for happy, healthy earlobes.

After eight years of naked, lonely earlobes, the day I discovered titanium earrings was a happy one. Most people with metal allergies can wear pure titanium and niobium with no allergy problems. All my earrings are made with grade 1 pure titanium or niobium—including these classic titanium studs, which I’m giving away to one of you lucky readers! Leave a comment and tell me about a unique holiday tradition you have. The day after New Year's I’ll pick my favorite and send you a pair of these allergy-free earrings to make your earlobes oh-so happy.

On the third day of Christmas,
Variya gave to me

Three free dangles

(two happy earlobes,

and an idea for a jew-el-ry tree).

Allergy-free hooks and gemstone dangles let you mix and match to create your own earrings that go with anything!

Normally when you purchase a pair of these titanium or niobium allergy-free hooks, you get to pick two complimentary dangles. But for this third day of Christmas gift from me to you, pick three! Order your hooks here, choose your complimentary dangles here, and getchyo glam on! Use coupon code 12DAYSBLOG at checkout to get your three free dangles.

On the fourth day of Christmas,
Variya gave to me

Four dollars saved

(three free dangles,

two happy earlobes,

and an idea for a jew-el-ry tree).

Save your moolah. At Variya, shipping is free!

When I used to charge for shipping, the average order ran around $4. But now shipping's on me! Anything you order from my etsy shop, including custom wedding jewelry, includes free shipping. 

On the fifth day of Christmas,
Variya gave to me

Fiiiiiiiive gooooooolden (ear)rrrriiiings

(four dollars saved, 

three free dangles,

two happy earlobes,

and an idea for a jew-el-ry tree).

Style and health. Variya's allergy-free earrings let you have it all.

These chic, classic golden hoops are good for everything from a holiday party to running errands in a baseball cap. These simple hoops are meticulously hand-filed at the ends resulting smooth edges and made with pure, allergy-free niobium to make your sensitive ears comfy and happy.

On the sixth day of Christmas,
Variya gave to me

Six pretty bows

(fiiiiive gooooolden earrings,

four dollars saved, 

three free dangles,

two happy earlobes,

and an idea for a jew-el-ry tree).

Need a last-minute Christmas present or hostess gift? Your purchases at Variya come shipped in a sleek box hugged with pretty pink ribbon -- ready to give to that special someone.

 

I hope all your days of Christmas are happy, cozy and adorned with something that glitters in the firelight!

Outer Space October

October has been a big month for outer space. Astronomers have discovered three new planets just in the past few weeks! One of them is twice the size of Earth and has perfect conditions for creating diamonds. A planet that makes diamonds.

I must go there.

You can read about the newly discovered planets here if you want. I stopped halfway through when the language started getting technical and making my head hurt. Besides, I was craving a steamy mug of chai. In my opinion, autumn is all about steamy, spicy chai. 

mmm... I think I need another cup now.

Anyway, in honor of October's planetary advances, I decided to highlight some jewelry pieces that remind me of outer space.

I called these "Starry Starry Night." But these devastatingly sexy titanium earrings could also be called "Show Stoppers."

 Stunning blue goldstone shimmers and sparkles amidst a cascade of delicate silver chain. These are the kind of earrings that make me want a date night.

 

 Don't these look like delightful little globes?

 These aqua terra jasper dangles are part of our new interchangeable
line of allergy-free earrings. 

By the way, have you seen our interchangeable line of earrings yet? You start out with your choice of decorative hooks—as always, handmade with pure titanium or niobium for allergy-free earring wearing. Then pick from our treasure trove of gemstone, crystal and pearl dangles. You can mix, match and layer to create the perfect earrings to go with anything and everything.

Shimmery and sparkly, just like a starry autumn night. These interchangeable dangles are made from blue goldstone and wrapped in oxidized sterling silver. 

Moon & Stars: A match made in heaven. Here's a sample of how you can mix and match the dangles to create your own perfect earrings.

Like Saturn's rings, silver and gold colored circles hang suspended from pure niobium hooks. One of our best-sellers, these earrings give you lots of movement and shine without the weight ... and they go with absolutely everything.

Every respectable planet post needs at least one shout-out to the Red Planet. These classic studs have an edgy swirl and splash of color. The iridescent beads are centered in allergy-safe titanium.

All these items are for sale at Variya's Etsy Shop 

along with lots more hand-crafted, allergy-free earrings and other vintage modern jewelry. So grab yourself a mug of steamy chai and happy shopping!