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New products are exciting! These are not entirely "new" products but feature new materials. Welcome the exotic and alluring metals tantalum and zirconium to the family. They begin a new collection called Exoticus Metallicum. I'm looking forward to more members in the future.

Hypoallergenic and highly resistant to corrosion, these malleable and ductile rare earth metals are sourced from new materials. They are industrial metals and sold that way. There is no in-shop refining or processing like precious metals.

Anything beyond basic machining and cold forging requires expensive, ultra-specialized equipment. That means no welding, soldering, or annealing just yet. That limits my rings to USA sizes 5 to 15. It's a lame excuse as valid as it may be. Hopefully a DIY workaround will remedy it soon. I don't enjoy feeling like a wannabe!

Textures and finishes include hammered, dimpled, brushed, polished, grinded, and geometric patterning. Precious metal or copper inlays on a darkened ring are striking! Choose from one or as many as space allows, in any direction or shape. Gemstone inlays are no less intriguing Bezel-set stones should be doable to a certain degree.

Expect a natural patina to develop on both metals. Careful heating entices darker hues which are amazingly scratch-resistant and have a deep, almost other-worldly luster. They can be anodized but I don't offer that service yet.

Pricing is listed for 2mm to 10mm widths but any width is possible. Thickness will be up to 2.0mm. However, the shank gets thinner above size 8; at size 14, it's about 1.5mm. This may change in the future so don't lose hope for that super-phat ring!

Other pieces sharing similar shapes are possible: ear cuffs, toe rings, pendants, earrings, nose rings, other body jewelry. If sales flourish then expect bracelets, cuffs, and bangles. Chains are prohibitively difficult; only one company I've found uses tantalum and none have zirconium. Curating or catering to a niche market is challenging.

To avoid confusion about handmade jewelry, which is legally defined, I will cite the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 16, Chapter I, Subchapter B, Part 23, Section 23.3 and supporting documentation, which state:

As used herein, "raw materials" include bulk sheet, strip, wire, precious metal clays, ingots, casting grain, and similar items that have not been cut, shaped, or formed into jewelry parts, semi-finished parts, or blanks.

My starting raw material is a bar or tube from which I cut a section, then form, shape, and finish using manual methods. The bar version is unequivocally 100% handmade. Are tubes defined as "similar items" and therefore handmade? That's for a judge to decide, but in spirit it is.

Regardless, basically every seller calls anything they make handmade but this industry attracts disreputable vendors who think their beliefs supersede the law. It's a lie 99%+ of the time as deceitful marketing terminology is ubiquitous with handmade jewelry. Maybe you're OK with getting scammed? Decide for yourself but don't ignore the facts.

Tantalum - Called a refractory metal given its insanely high melting temperature, it is used in aircraft engines and is a vital component of modern electronics. Sporting a dark gray bluish color, few elements are denser. More friendly to forging and resizing than many exotic materials, it is quite durable and strong with a 6.5 Mohs hardness.

Zirconium - Similar in color to titanium or steel, it is lighter than zinc (modern USA pennies are zinc). A relatively high melting point makes it suitable for high-temperature applications. With a respectable 5 Mohs hardness, it is more durable than the main four precious metals.

Posted by M: March , 2026

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