Charmant's Boss titanium frames HB1584 (top) HB1585 (bottom)

Question: What do today's high-end eyewear styles have in common with Calloway golf clubs, REI camping cookware, and Triton Collection wedding rings?

Hint: It was discovered in 1791 and used to construct the A-12 Blackbird spy-plane and the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo space capsules in the 1960s.

Answer: Titanium.

Titanium ranks seventh in abundance among industry elements in the earth's crust. Yet its combination of attributes-lightweight, high strength, durability, and non-corrosive nature-makes it a first choice for manufacturers for everything from car hubcaps to medical implants (heart valves and hip joints) to spaceships and, of course, eyewear.

The Optical Application

The first titanium eyeglass frames made their way to the United States in 1981 and were regarded as high-tech; more for the difficulties inherent in the production process than for the properties of the metal itself. They were targeted almost exclusively to male consumers-who appreciate the technological aspect of the frames. Today, titanium is edging out platinum in wedding rings because it boasts the same luster and luxury of gold and metal without the heft. Moreover, it's something new to the market that is at once strong, long lasting, and hypo-allergenic.

Titanium to Come

Since the first titanium frames hit the United States market 20 years ago, eyewear manufacturers have been able to produce a spectrum of titanium sunwear and eyeglasses that range from bold, single sheet face-fronts to delicate, minimalistic eyewear-both full-rimmed and rimless.

The past 12 months have already seen innovations, such as the union of titanium eyewires and end-pieces with memory metal temples; creating more durable, lighter frames. Engineering innovations should also provide yet more unusual material combinations, like titanium with zyl or adding injected plastic components.

Certainly titanium's founder, William McGregor, did not foresee the breadth of applications that awaited his 1791 discovery. What is certain, however, is that if it can be imagined, it can be created. Which means the innovations that helped transform titanium from techy to trendy have only just begun. EB