Material For Eyeglasses-Nickel Silver and Nickel

Nickel silver is first known in China, and was known in the west from imported wares called “paktong” (白銅) , it is named for its silvery appearance, but contains no elemental silver.
If your metal frames caused a reaction, nickel is usually the culprit because most metal frames are made of a nickel alloy. Other metals used include aluminum, stainless steel, titanium, zinc, copper, beryllium, gold and silver. Stainless steel, titanium, gold and silver are usually hypoallergenic.

Nickel Silver Frame – Alloy of copper, nickel, and zinc. Many varieties according to the percentage of each element in its composition, but the usual formulation is (60% / 20% / 20% )Copper / Nickel / Zinc. Most of the frames in the market made of this kind of metal. Nickel silver is able to be enameled with various colors. This frame can be decorated with epoxy wire on the eye rim. The life time of nickel silver is not very long since it can be affected by the wearer’s sweat. It has been said that nickel can cause skin cancer, so it might be good to avoid this kind of frame, especially for one who has sensitive skin.

• 80% of metal eyeglasses use all or part of this material. Silver nickel is economical and easy to manufacture with a high precision, since it is hard. Its drawback is its high nickel content, which requires a protection layer. It is often associated with monel, which is used to make the front part of the frame.

• It is frequently used to make machined elements (pivot pins, tenons, rims…) or matrixed elements (temples, bridges, endpieces).


Pros : Extremely durable and flexible. Endless color and design options. Easy to warp and polish, can be used for thick parts.

Cons : Less resistant than monel. Heavy, corrosive, allergic reaction is possible.

Material For Eyeglasses - Titanium

Titanium

Titanium is a silver-gray metal – Many frame manufacturers offer titanium and beta-titanium material styles these days; the life time will be very long because titanium is rust free, lightweight, durable, strong and does not corrode when exposed to salty sweat, thus highly recommended in acid atmospheres. Titanium is widely used for everything from the Gemini and Apollo space capsules to medical implants such as heart valves, so the price is quite expensive. The highlight benefit of titanium as a frame is its allergy free (bio-compatible) characteristic. It is also 48 % lighter than alloys, except for aluminum, so we can say that titanium is the best frame raw material at this moment.

Titanium is expensive and hard to warp. Thus, there are alloys made of aluminum, vanadium, commercially designated as "Beta-titanium", for instance.

Titanium eyewear can be produced in a variety of colors for a clean, modern look with a hint of color. And they're hypoallergenic.

Some titanium frames are made from an alloy that is a combination of titanium and other metals, such as nickel or copper. In general, titanium alloy frames cost less than 100% titanium frames and might caused allergy.

Pros : excellent resistance to corrosion, hypoallergenic, light, heat resistant, sturdy.

Cons : cannot be repaired. Hard to warp and polish, limited color selection.