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Although largely unheard of by the majority of  jewellers at the time of writing, Zirconium, along with Titanium,  is fast becoming the latest in a line of trends to hit the UK and USA markets and be taken by storm.

Consumers, hungry for alternative jewellery materials to traditional precious metals, are embracing this 'new' metal with its fascinating surface transformation ability and hypoallergenic qualities and abandoning gold, silver and platinum in its favour.

Old established traditionalist jewellers who once balked at the idea of non-precious metal jewellery are now embracing the products as the realisation that the men's jewellery market is steadily expanding and being satisfied by metals that were once thought of as only being used on spaceships and aeroplanes. Where does this leave precious metals for jewellery?

Precious metals will never be replaced by non precious as the material of choice for the majority of couples planning their trip up the aisle, but their market share could become seriously dented by the young contenders. With the introduction of Tungsten also as an alternative, contemporary men's jewellery has never looked so appealing or fashionable. Stainless steel, once only associated with engineering fasteners and cutlery is also riding high on the popularity of exotic metals.

Zirconium facts at a glance:

• Element number on the periodic table - 40
• In fine powder form, Zirconium will spontaneously combust at high altitude.
• Zirconium is a major constituent of modern day fireworks.
• The diamond simulant Cubia Zirconia, or CZs, are made from Zirconium by the same process as man made diamonds - high heat and high pressure.
• The natural black colour is achieved by heat treatment and is the transformation of the oxide layer into Zirconia.
• Zirconium has been identified in the sun.
• Zirconium is a greyish, white lustrous metal.