Precious Metals - Which Should You Choose?

PRECIOUS METAL OPTIONS

Hello everybody! Welcome to the Requiem Report Blog. Thanks for being here! This post is going to dive in to the various metal options you have when it comes to fine jewelry. Each metal has its own advantages and disadvantages, but they all make for a great piece of jewelry. Read this post to figure out which is the best choice for you!

-“What are the pro’s and cons to each metal type?”

-“What does ‘Karat’ mean?”

-“Which metal should I choose for my ring?”

These are all questions I get on the regular, and we are going to cover it all - so buckle up! This post will focus on the three most common metals used in fine jewelry: yellow gold, white gold, and platinum. Lets start with yellow gold and white gold.

24 KARAT GOLD

So… we all know what gold looks like, right? Well, the gold that you see being used in jewelry is not the gold that mother nature makes. After gold is mined from the earth, it must be refined, purified, and separated from other natural elements. When this process is complete, the result is uncontaminated pure gold (or 99.99% gold…as close as we can possibly get). In jewelry terms, this purified gold would be referred to as 24 Karat.

Pure gold… sounds great, right? Well, 24 Karat gold would not be an ideal metal to use for a piece of jewelry, and let me tell you why: it is soft like buttah!

24K gold is not used in the jewelry industry because it is so soft and ductile that you can actually manipulated it with your hands… not great if you’re trying to keep a big, expensive diamond in place! Because of this, the metals that are used to make fine jewelry are alloys of gold. This means that the purified gold is mixed with various other metals to create a stronger and more ‘jewelry-safe’ material.

WHITE AND YELLOW GOLD ALLOYS

Both yellow and white gold are alloys - and they come in a variety of different purities. The most common purity used in jewelry applications is 14 Karat, which is a mixture of metals that contains approximately 58.3% pure gold. This is true of both yellow and white gold… How do they look so different, you ask? Because of the different metals each alloy is combined with.

14 Karat yellow gold is 58.3% gold mixed with metals like copper and zinc, while 14 Karat white gold is 58.3% gold mixed with metals like nickel and silver. The different combination of metals creates the difference in color! (Side Note: Because white gold is mixed with nickel, it is not great for jewelry lovers with sensitive skin… if you are one of those people, keep reading for another silver option that won’t cause irritation!)

Gold Alloys

Like I said, 14 Karat is the most commonly used metal in jewelry, but there are other options as well. 10 Karat gold has a lower gold content of about 41.7% pure gold, which offers not only a cost savings, but also makes for a harder material. 18 Karat gold has a higher gold content, 75% pure gold to be exact, which creates a richer color and a softer metal. 22 Karat yellow gold is occasionally used in jewelry, and boy it is yellow! The higher the karat the brighter the color, the softer the metal, and the more expensive!

Color Saturation of 14K vs. 18K vs. 22K Yellow Gold

Now that you are a pro on all things karat and you know the difference between yellow and white gold, lets focus specifically on white gold for a moment.

RHODIUM PLATING

So as you now know, white gold has a whole bunch of pure gold in it. Pure gold is, of course, the yellow sunshine color we all know- which means that white gold, although mixed with other silvery/white metals, has an inherent yellow undertone to it. Consumers tend to prefer a crisp, silver color as opposed to the natural ‘vanilla’ color of white gold , so… what do we do? Rhodium Plating.

Rhodium Plating is a thin layer of metal placed on top of white gold jewelry that gives it that crisp, silver color. Rhodium Plating looks fantastic and makes white gold jewelry bright and white, but it does break down and wear-off over time. So, if you want to maintain the silver color of a piece of white gold jewelry, you will have to regularly have it rhodium plated! The frequency of how often you will need rhodium plating depends on your body chemistry, how much the piece is worn, and how hard you are on it- but as a general rule of thumb, plan on rhodium plating your white gold jewelry about once a year or so (especially if you wear it all the time)!

Before Rhodium Plating vs. After Rhodium Plating!

(Side Note: Because white gold jewelry is almost always rhodium plated… there is really no reason to ever go higher than 14 Karat. The higher the karat, the more expensive and the warmer the white color- but it is going to be plated anyway! Why spend the $$? Just sayin’)

PLATINUM

Okay… now that you’re a gold expert, lets talk platinum. Platinum is white gold’s biggest competition! It is another silver-colored metal that is frequently used in jewelry, and it is a more expensive one for a few reasons. Firstly, platinum has a much higher purity than gold… to be sold as platinum, the metal must contain 90-95% pure platinum. Compare that to the 58.3% of gold in 14 Karat! (Side Note: The high purity makes platinum a great option for those with sensitive skin)

The purity is one reason platinum is pricey, and another is because it is incredibly dense. If two rings of the exact same dimensions were crafted out of gold and platinum, the platinum ring would be much heavier due to the density of the metal. Because precious metals are sold by their weight, this affects platinum pricing as well. Finally, platinum is simply less abundant on this great earth, which is another reason it is more expensive…. supply and demand y’all!

The biggest advantage to platinum is that it is naturally the silvery, crisp color everyone loves- you never have to rhodium plate this metal! The downfall to platinum is that while it is denser and stronger than gold, it is actually quite malleable. Because of its malleability, platinum scratches up and dulls quickly. So, while you don’t have to maintain a rhodium plating regimen like you would with white gold, you will have to have it polished up more often!

Platinum when polished and white gold when rhodium plated look nearly identical! This photo compares unplated white gold, rhodium plated white gold, and platinum.

Unplated White Gold - vs. - Rhodium Plated White Gold - vs. - Platinum

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Alright my friends! Now you know the characteristics and pros and cons to each metal. I hope this post was interesting and helpful, and if you need help deciding which metal is right for you, please feel free to contact samantha@requiemjewelry.com. Thanks for reading!