# Is there a non-destructive way to test titanum jewelry to confrm it's titanium? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 17, 2013, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-non-destructive-way-to-test-titanum-jewelry-to-confrm-its-titanium/666510 "2013-08-17T20:36:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![11811](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/9d8465/32.png) [@11811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/11811)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2013, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-non-destructive-way-to-test-titanum-jewelry-to-confrm-its-titanium/666510/21 "2013-08-18T13:56:06Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Really cheap steel? Pretty sure that light weight is one of the hallmarks of expensive steel, not cheap steel. ---
**Author:** ![Francis\_Vaughan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/francis_vaughan/32/3093_2.png) [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2013, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-non-destructive-way-to-test-titanum-jewelry-to-confrm-its-titanium/666510/22 "2013-08-18T13:59:21Z")
Sometime ago there was a thread about determining gold content. I posted [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=15149019&postcount=6) as a simple way of measuring density, needing only a glass of water, a skewer, a ruler, some thread and some aluminium foil. My experience was that you can get remarkably good estimates of density this way. Get something close to 4.5 and there is a good chance it is Titanium. However there are claims of cheap alloys that are as low as 10% Ti. If there is a lot of aluminium in the alloy it might be hard to tell from the density alone as there is scope to build an alloy of Titanium, Aluminium and Iron that could have the right density, and the right lustre. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2013, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-non-destructive-way-to-test-titanum-jewelry-to-confrm-its-titanium/666510/23 "2013-08-18T14:22:55Z")
If it were my ring, I would stick it in the scanning electron microscope I use at work, and use energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) to perform elemental analysis. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2013, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-non-destructive-way-to-test-titanum-jewelry-to-confrm-its-titanium/666510/24 "2013-08-18T14:35:59Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > If it were my ring, I would stick it in the scanning electron microscope I use at work, and use energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) to perform elemental analysis. 😃 Yes, there are nondestructive testing methods, if you have access to them. EDS, X-Ray Fluorescence, which uses the same principle, but without the microscope, or X-Ray Diffraction. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2013, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-non-destructive-way-to-test-titanum-jewelry-to-confrm-its-titanium/666510/25 "2013-08-18T16:50:15Z")
> [@AaronX](#): > > Yes, there are nondestructive testing methods, if you have access to them. EDS, X-Ray Fluorescence, which uses the same principle, but without the microscope, or X-Ray Diffraction. We’ll… I’ll have to get myself down to Radio Shack and get one of those. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2013, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-non-destructive-way-to-test-titanum-jewelry-to-confrm-its-titanium/666510/26 "2013-08-18T16:51:26Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Probably not worth it, but would the OP settle for a semi-destructive test? That is, a test which would destroy it if it’s not titanium, but leave real titanium unharmed? Sure, what do you have in mind? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2013, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-non-destructive-way-to-test-titanum-jewelry-to-confrm-its-titanium/666510/27 "2013-08-18T22:51:04Z")
Not sure exactly, but you might be able to do some sort of scratch test, or something like that. I suppose we should also ask if the ring has any setting, or if it’s just all metal, since a setting would complicate the density method. ---
**Author:** ![tellyworth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@tellyworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tellyworth)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2013, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-non-destructive-way-to-test-titanum-jewelry-to-confrm-its-titanium/666510/28 "2013-08-18T23:14:07Z")
Google says iron corrodes in sulfuric and hydrochloric acids, while titanium does not. No idea of the details though, or if that would make a practical test. ETA: I have a few pieces here of either surgical stainless steel or titanium, and I wouldn’t mind minor damage to a portion of it to find out which it is. So if there’s a test that’s easily done at home I could give it a try. Don’t have a dremel though. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2013, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-non-destructive-way-to-test-titanum-jewelry-to-confrm-its-titanium/666510/29 "2013-08-19T01:32:04Z")
Titanium does corrode in strong acids, and a bit in diluted hydrochloric. That’s what keeps it from being noble. ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2013, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-non-destructive-way-to-test-titanum-jewelry-to-confrm-its-titanium/666510/30 "2013-08-19T02:33:05Z")
How about trying to anodize it? You only need coke and a 9V battery: [Titanium in Technicolor](http://graysci.com/chapter-five/titanium-in-technicolor/) I think you should be able to polish off the coating if you don’t want it. Has anybody mentioned trying to sell it at a pawn store or junkyard and having them analyze it for you? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2013, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-non-destructive-way-to-test-titanum-jewelry-to-confrm-its-titanium/666510/31 "2013-08-19T05:44:15Z")
There’s a much simpler way to perform Positive Material Identification: [http://www.niton.com/en/metal-and-alloy-analysis/applications/pmi](http://www.niton.com/en/metal-and-alloy-analysis/applications/pmi) > **[How Recent Handheld XRF Developments Impact Plant Based Alloy Positive...](https://www.olympus-ims.com/en/applications/handheld-pmi/)** > > Application Notes > **[Applications for Handheld XRF analyzers](https://www.bruker.com/en/products-and-solutions/elemental-analyzers/handheld-xrf-spectrometers/handheld-xrf-applications.html)** > > Applications using handheld XRF Spectrometers. > Handheld XRF technology has become an important tool in fields as diverse as industrial scrap sorting and archaeological excavation. In each case, our product range provides the perfect combination of... [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-non-destructive-way-to-test-titanum-jewelry-to-confrm-its-titanium/666510.md?page=1)