Does Titanium Tarnish, Rust or Turn Green? What to Expect Over Time
Silver darkens, some rings leave a green mark and iron rusts, so it is fair to ask what titanium does over time. This guide is for anyone who wears titanium jewellery every day, or is deciding whether to. It covers tarnish, rust, green skin and colour change, and what can genuinely wear.
The short answer
No, titanium does not tarnish like silver or rust like iron. A thin, transparent oxide film forms on its surface, protects it and re-forms almost immediately if scratched. Green marks usually come from copper, which is not used in ASTM F136 implant-grade titanium. What can change over time is a plated finish on top, which may wear where it rubs.
- A few nmThe thickness of titanium's oxide film. It is transparent and re-forms within milliseconds if scratched.
- CopperThe usual cause of green marks on skin. The F136 alloy does not use it.
- Ti-6Al-4VThe F136 alloy: titanium with about 6% aluminium and 4% vanadium, made for surgical implants.
Does titanium tarnish?
Not in the way silver does. Titanium's corrosion resistance comes from a thin passive oxide layer on its surface.1 That film is only a few nanometres thick and transparent, so you cannot see it. It forms in about a hundredth of a second, and in a lab test it rebuilt itself within about 30 milliseconds of being scraped away.2
Silver works differently. It reacts with sulphur gases in the air, mainly hydrogen sulphide, and forms a dark film of silver sulphide. Sterling silver is at least 92.5% silver, usually with copper, and the copper makes it tarnish faster.3 Our guide to whether sterling silver tarnishes covers the rest.
Does titanium rust, and can it get wet?
Rust is the layer of corrosion that forms when iron oxidises. It forms faster in humid air and faster still under a film of water, and salts such as sodium chloride speed it up.4
Titanium made to ASTM F136, the standard for titanium alloy in surgical implants,5 may contain no more than 0.25% iron.6 Its protection comes from the oxide film. In studies, Ti-6Al-4V titanium resisted corrosion without pitting, both in lab solutions that mimic body fluids and in living tissue.2 Here is what implant-grade titanium means in more detail.
So yes, titanium can get wet. Showers, sweat and swimming will not make it rust. For the practical side, see can you shower with titanium earrings? and our guide to waterproof jewellery.
Can titanium turn your skin green?
Green marks usually come from copper, which reacts with sweat, lotion and other products. The residue is harmless and washes off with soap and water.7 Copper is a well-known cause of blue-green staining on skin, hair and nails.8
Some jewellery is copper with gold or silver on top, so marks can appear once that outer layer wears.7 The ASTM F136 composition in our Intertek test report lists titanium, aluminium, vanadium and small limits for iron, carbon, oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen. Copper is not on the list.6
Here is how the common jewellery metals compare.
| Metal | Tarnish | Rust | Green marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| rhokea titanium (ASTM F136) | No. A transparent oxide film protects it2 | No. It is not iron, and its oxide film resists corrosion2 | Copper is not used in the F136 alloy6 |
| Sterling silver | Yes. Sulphur gases form dark silver sulphide3 | No. It contains no iron3 | It usually contains copper3 |
| Stainless steel | Resists it. A chromium oxide film protects the surface2 | Resists it, though 316L steel can pit on occasion2 | Less common, as green marks usually come from copper7 |
| Gold plated copper or brass | Exposed copper or brass can tarnish black9 | No. Rust affects iron and steel4 | Can occur once the gold wears through7 |
Does titanium change colour?
Not with everyday wear. Its natural oxide film is transparent.2 Anodising, an electrochemical process, grows a thicker oxide layer that can make titanium look blue, purple, yellow or other colours. Light reflecting off the top and bottom of that layer interferes, and the colour you see depends on its thickness.10
Strong heat can do something similar. In one study, a titanium alloy heated in a furnace at 600 to 800 °C changed colour as its oxide layer grew.11 Body heat and hot showers are nowhere near those temperatures.
What can change on titanium jewellery?
The titanium itself stays stable. What can change is a finish on top of it.
- Our SkinPlating gold tone is pure 24K gold over a titanium nitride (TiN) ceramic barrier.
- Our SkinPlating silver tone is pure platinum over a chromium nitride (CrN) ceramic barrier.
- Our silver piercing hoops and silver nose jewellery are polished, unplated titanium, so there is no coating to wear.
- On our flat back studs, the post is polished titanium and only the decorative head carries a finish.
Any plated finish can wear over time where it rubs, such as the inside of a hoop. If our SkinPlating finishes do, what sits underneath is a ceramic barrier and then titanium, not a metal that tarnishes. Compare that with how gold plated jewellery tarnishes. Fine scratches, skin oils and product build-up can also dull any metal. None of these is tarnish.
How to keep titanium jewellery looking new
- Wash it gentlyUse warm water and a drop of mild, fragrance-free soap.
- Dry it straight awayPat it dry with a soft, lint-free cloth.
- Rinse after swimmingRinse off sea water or pool water, then dry it.
- Be gentle with plated finishesAvoid abrasive polishes, which can wear a thin layer.12
- Store pieces apartA pouch or compartment for each piece stops them scratching each other.
Our doctor's guide to cleaning earrings by metal goes into more detail.
Implant-grade titanium
Titanium jewellery for everyday wear
Every piece is ASTM F136 titanium, and Intertek testing confirmed the F136 composition. Finishes include polished titanium and our SkinPlating tones: 24K gold or platinum over a ceramic barrier.6
Shop titanium jewelleryTitanium jewellery FAQs
Does titanium tarnish?
No, not in the way silver does. Titanium is covered by a natural oxide film a few nanometres thick. It is transparent, it protects the metal and it re-forms almost immediately if scratched. If a titanium piece looks dull, clean it with warm water and a little mild soap before assuming anything has changed.
Does titanium rust?
No. Rust is the corrosion that forms when iron oxidises, and titanium is not iron: ASTM F136 implant-grade titanium may contain no more than 0.25% iron. Its protective oxide film resists corrosion even in salty solutions that mimic body fluids. The same alloy is used for surgical implants.
Does titanium turn your skin green?
Titanium is not the usual cause. Green marks usually come from copper reacting with sweat, lotion or other products, and copper is not used in ASTM F136 implant-grade titanium. The green residue is harmless and washes off with soap and water. Plated jewellery with a copper base can mark skin once its top layer wears.
Does titanium change colour?
Not with everyday wear. Its natural oxide film is only a few nanometres thick and transparent. Anodising can colour titanium blue, purple or yellow by growing a thicker oxide layer, and the colour comes from light interference within that layer. Strong heat of several hundred degrees can also change it. Plated finishes can wear where they rub.
Is titanium waterproof?
For practical purposes, yes. Showers, sweat and swimming will not make titanium rust, because rust forms on iron, and its oxide film protects it in wet, salty conditions. Rinse off sea water or pool water and dry it afterwards. Plated finishes need more care, so avoid abrasive polishes and harsh cleaners on them.
How do you keep titanium jewellery looking new?
Wash it in warm water with a drop of mild, fragrance-free soap, then pat it dry with a soft, lint-free cloth. Rinse after swimming in the sea or a pool. Keep abrasive polishes away from plated finishes, and store pieces separately so they do not scratch each other.
Sources
- Prestat M, Thierry D. Corrosion of titanium under simulated inflammation conditions: clinical context and in vitro investigations. Acta Biomaterialia, 2021;136:72-87. PubMed
- Hanawa T. Biocompatibility of titanium from the viewpoint of its surface. Science and Technology of Advanced Materials, 2022;23(1):457-472. PubMed
- Canadian Conservation Institute. Understanding how silver objects tarnish. Government of Canada
- Canadian Conservation Institute. CCI Notes 9/6: Care and cleaning of iron. Government of Canada
- ASTM International. ASTM F136-26: Standard specification for wrought titanium-6aluminum-4vanadium ELI (extra low interstitial) alloy for surgical implant applications (UNS R56401), 2026. ASTM
- rhokea. Material testing certificate summarising Intertek reports TSNH00571888 and TSNH00571900, December 2025. PDF
- Adams J (dermatologist). You asked, we answered: why does some jewelry turn my skin green? Nebraska Medicine, 2021. Nebraska Medicine
- Peterson J, Shook BA, Wells MJ, Rodriguez M. Cupric keratosis: green seborrheic keratoses secondary to external copper exposure. Cutis, 2006;77(1):39-41. PubMed
- Canadian Conservation Institute. Basic care: recognizing metals and their corrosion products. Government of Canada
- Alipal J, Lee TC, Koshy P, Abdullah HZ, Idris MI. Evolution of anodised titanium for implant applications. Heliyon, 2021;7(7):e07408. PubMed
- Ahmed FS, El-Zomor MA, Ghazala MSA, Elshaer RN. Impact of thermal oxidation parameters on micro-hardness and hot corrosion of Ti-6Al-3Mo-2Nb-2Sn-2Zr-1.5Cr alloy. Scientific Reports, 2023;13(1):11249. PubMed
- Canadian Conservation Institute. CCI Notes 9/7: Silver, care and tarnish removal. Government of Canada
