Niobium, a rarely used metal, is relatively new to the family of metals used by artists. Its name is derived from the mythological Greek Goddess Niobe, the daughter of Tantalus.

Niobium (NB) is an element. Its atomic number is 41 and has an atomic weight of 92.9064. The major Niobium producing countries are Brazil, Canada, Nigeria, Zaire and Russia. The United States does not mine Niobium and, therefore, has to import it.

Due to the limited quantities geologists have located in the Earth's crust, this beautiful metal has a value many times higher than silver. It is not to be confused with its family member Titanium. Monetarily, comparing Titanium to Niobium is like comparing copper to silver.

Niobium was discovered by Charles Hatchett in 1801. Columbium was the name originally given to this element by Hatchet but the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) officially adopted "niobium" as the name for element 41 in 1950 after 100 years of controversy. The property that makes it a jeweler's pleasure to work with is its ability to create durable, permanent, hypoallergenic, iridescent colors. These colors are brought out in the metal by using a special process called Anodization. Heat is applied precisely, allowing the jeweler to manipulate the molecular structure of the metal. Electric current running through the metal oxidizes, activates and excites the special qualities of the material. The colors you see are pure refracted Interference patterns of light through the varied transparent oxide thickness.

When using this process, we now have the ability to create fine hand crafted jewelry using this vivid beautiful metal. It is particularly suited to contemporary designs and offers a lovely alternative for people with allergic reactions to traditional precious metals.