Niobium
Niobium is one of the reactive
metals and give a wonderful color when anodized. The finish of
the
wire is glossy and very smooth. It is a wonderful material for
the Jewelry Artisan.
Niobium is somewhat soft and
works well without work hardening too quickly. It is easier to
cut, shape and finish than titanium. The finish of the wire
when you buy it is far smoother and it takes the "color" during the
anodizing process very well.
The processing of niobium
requires very expensive and requires very specific equipment.
You are unlikely to have the equipment in your studio to anneal,
melt or weld it. Even drawing the wire would be almost
impossible in a jewelry studio as the lubricants used in drawing is
very expensive.
However, if you are a wire
worker, you have skills that will make Niobium "your" metal.
Since it can't be soldered, any connection needs to be a cold
connection such as a rivet or pressure fitting of some kind.
It is a great choice for the Jewelry Artisan wanting to bring some
color into the metals.
Niobium Information:
-
Cut it with side cutters
-
Clean the file frequently
when you file it
-
It can be scratched with
your pliers very easily, so use your hands as much as possible
and be extremely careful with your pliers or wrap them in tape
-
Plan your designs to feature
your niobium and accent the color of niobium with other metals.
-
Don't put anodized or heat
colored niobium in your tumbler
-
You can texture niobium
before it is anodized to create an interesting finish
-
Those of you who work
primarily with silver and gold can use niobium to add color to
your jewelry
-
The color on niobium depends
on the voltage of the anodizer and you can get any range of
colors as you experiment with the anodizer
-
You can mask the niobium
with clear nail polish or tape and anodize to retain the basic
metal color and create a design element
-
Niobium is a little easier
to work than titanium. You can cut, file, form, chase and
texturize it.
-
To smooth it, you shouldn't
use ferrous metals (like steel wool) because it might leave bits
of steel on the piece and this can affect the coloring process.
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