Dave,
In short, yes you can…
While I work primarily with niobium the principle is the same. The
’color’ in the reactive metals is the result of ‘interference
colors’ that are produced by the interaction of light waves reflected
off the surface of the transparent oxide layer (titanium oxide in the
case of titanium) and underlaying substrate metal. The colors
produced relate to the thickness (measured in angstroms, we are
talking ‘thin’ ) of the oxide layer.
There are two ways to produce this oxide layer in the studio. The
first involves thermal oxidation, using a torch or kiln. The second,
and far more controlled, involves anodizing in a electrolytic bath.
I’d strongly suggest you get yourself over to the Reactive Metals
website and get a copy of Bill Seeley’s excellent paper ‘Studio
Preparation and Coloring of Titanium’.
He can also supply you with metal and findings, anodizing equipment,
etc. Bill deserves a big ‘shout out’ for pioneering the use of
reactive metals in jewelry, just excellent stuff!
Charles Wiggins