Different eyeglass frame materials greatly expand your options for a new look. While shopping for new eyeglasses or sunglasses, ask your optician for advice about variety in Frame Materials.
Here is a go-to guide to today's most used, most coveted, and most cutting-edge raw frame materials.
Metal Frames
1. Titanium frames is a silver-gray metal that's lightweight, durable, strong and corrosion-resistant. It has been used for everything from spacecraft to implantable medical devices such as heart valves. Titanium frames come in a variety of colors. Some titanium frames are made from an alloy that is a combination of titanium and other metals, such as nickel or copper. In general, titanium alloy frames cost less than 100 percent titanium frames.
2. Monel is a mixture of metals. While these frames may have nickel or other metals that can cause allergic reactions in some people with sensitive skin, Dr. Harrison says most monel frames have a coating to protect the skin. Monel frames are quite flexible and corrosion-resistant.
3. Beryllium costs less than titanium, and is very lightweight and strong. It is also flexible, making it easy for the optician to adjust them. Beryllium is extremely corrosion-resistant, Dr. Harrison says. These frames can be a good choice for people who spend a lot of time in or around salt water.
4. Flexon , as the name suggests, is a very flexible material. Flexon is an alloy of titanium, which comes back into shape even after it is twisted or bent. These frames are lightweight, corrosion-resistant and hypoallergenic. “These frames are great for active kids,” Dr. Harrison says.
5. Aluminum is the world's most abundant and widely used nonferrous metal (metal other than iron or steel). Pure aluminum is actually soft and weak, but commercial aluminum with small amounts of silicon and iron is hard and strong.
6. Beryllium frames come in many colors. Stainless steel frames are lightweight and strong, but not as light as titanium. They can be less expensive than other metal frames and are corrosion-resistant.
Plastic Frames
Plastic frames do have some drawbacks. They are easier to break than metal frames, they will burn (but are not easily ignited), and aging and exposure to sunlight decrease their strength slightly. Color can fade over time, but not as much with modern materials.
1. Zyl (zylonite, or cellulose acetate) comes in many colors, is a very cost-effective and creative option for eyewear and is extremely lightweight. Particularly popular right now are laminated zyl frames that have layered colors.
2. Cellulose acetate propionate is a lightweight, nylon-based plastic that is hypoallergenic. It can be a little softer than other plastic frames.
3. Nylon frames is also a premier material for sports and performance frames, typically made of gliamides, grilamid or trogamid materials that are very resistant to hot and cold and are more flexible, yet also stiff. Nylon also is easily molded into today's popular wraparound styles, as well as other shapes that are difficult to produce.
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4. Optyl is a brand of epoxy resin. When heated, it becomes very malleable, making it easy for the optician to mold the frame to the shape of your face.
Unusual Frame Materials
A quick rundown of a few of the more exotic and unusual materials used in the eye-wear arena.
1. GOLD - Dense and shiny, gold is the most malleable metal on the planet. Because of its high cost, it is used sparingly in the manufacture of eyeglass frames. Worked into stunning silhouettes in some high-end eyewear collections, it is also used in more moderately-priced lines as an accent or plating.
2. Solid silver or sterling silver is not used commonly as a principal frame material because it doesn't make very wearable or comfortable frames. Sometimes silver is used as a trace element in metal alloy frames and often provides a jewelry-like accent on plastic frames.
3. Wood, bone and buffalo horn frames usually are handmade, one-of-a-kind pieces. Wood and bone, though stiffer, less adjustable and much more expensive than other frame materials, are appealing because of their unique beauty. Buffalo horn frames have an elegant look and warm to your body temperature; they can feel unlike any other frame you've ever worn before.
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