There are a couple of ways to classify the huge variety of eyeglass options in the modern market. It is necessary to learn some knowledge about a pair of eyeglasses. Otherwise it can be confusing for a customer to buy an appropriate pair of spectacles. In general, a pair of eyeglasses is consisted of two lenses, a frame, and two temples. According to frame style, a pair of eyeglasses can be full-frame, semi-frame or rimless. This is an obvious approach to the classification of eyeglass types. In fact, frame style is only one aspect of eyeglass frames. Another one is frame material. Nowadays, a lot of materials are available for manufacturers to produce eyeglass frames. The situation now is significantly different from that in the old days when metal and plastic were the only options. Present now, a lot of variations belonging to these two basic materials are there for customers’ choice. Metal variations include several alloys. In addition, plastic variations are even more wonderful.
In detail, eyeglass frames made from metal or alloys are usually heavier than those composed of plastics. Within the metal category, monel, titanium and beryllium are all possible materials. And each of them has its respective features. Monel frames are corrosion-resistant and malleable. Another quite commonly used material is titanium, which can offer advantages such as lightweight, durability, strength and corrosion resistance. Statistics show that titanium eyeglass frames are favored by more and more people who like to wear metal glasses. Maybe it is the most popular material in the metal category. However, titanium glasses are always quite expensive which may disappoint certain portion of customers with low income. In this consideration, beryllium eyeglass frames can be a good alternative. These frames are much cheaper while retaining most of the features kept by titanium ones. Furthermore, glass frames made from beryllium are particularly suitable for individuals who have high skin acidity as well as those staying in a salty working environment. In some cases, copper, nickel and stainless steel are utilized to make eyeglass frames.
Another main category of material for eyeglass frames is plastic. First of all, plastic is simply an overall concept. It actually refers to a large category of materials, like zylonite, cellulose, nylon, blended nylon and polycarbonate. But one point is universal that all variations of plastics are featuring lightweight, compared to metal ones. This advantage is probably the most outstanding one which helps plastic eyeglass frames attract a large number of users. On the other hand, plastic eyeglass frames are also being accused of certain disadvantages such as aging, strength decrease, color fading and so forth.