What is the difference between the metals used in jewelry?

What is the difference between the metals used in jewelry?

You will likely prefer the metal that is attached to the stone or setting when you buy real jewelry, not the cardboard earrings that are sold at a mall or discount online retailer. Some prefer silver or gold, while others prefer platinum. Some prefer to use a mixture of metals in each piece.

The bottom line is that there are many options when it comes down to choosing the precious metal to enhance a piece of jewelry.

Rare metals can be considered "precious". This makes sense. Only eight metals meet this standard.

• Gold
• Silver
• Platinum is made up of platinum, palladium and ruthenium as well as iridium and rhodium.

We have broken down the differences so you can be sure to know what you are looking for next time you shop.

Gold is one of the most sought-after metals. It is resistant to tarnish and corrosion, has a beautiful luster and color (pure or yellow gold is sometimes called "yellow"), and is malleable. These qualities are ideal for crafting jewelry. Pure gold is not suitable for jewelry due to its malleability. Gold is often mixed with copper or silver to solve this problem. The percentage of pure gold in a piece is described by jewelers using karat ratings (also known as "k") ratings. This should not be confused with diamond carats. Shop 18k gold heart necklace here.

These are the karat ratings:

• 24 Karat: 99.9% pure gold
• 22 Karat: 91.7 Percent pure gold
• 18 Karat: 75% pure gold
• 14 Karat: 58.3 Percent pure gold
• 12 Karat: Pure gold up to 50 percent
• 10 Karat: 41.7 Percent pure gold

Apart from the different karats for gold, other alloys are used in gold jewelry. These are less expensive and fancier. Solid gold is a metal that has at least 10k gold but is not hollow. Gold-plating is a more cost-effective and durable option. A piece of gold-plated metal is made from a base metal, sometimes brass, and has been coated with at least 10 Karats of gold. Because the plating is thin, it will wear easily.

Gold-filled is a step above gold-plated. It is an item that has a gold-filled coating. This gold is bonded to its base metal using a stronger method than plating. Gold vermeil is the last option that can be coated with gold and it's also the most durable. The gold vermeil layer is thicker than the plating and has sterling silver as its base metal. The purity of gold vermeil coating is usually at least 14k.

We have some less expensive options to complement the gold options. White gold is a mixture of nickel and gold, with sometimes palladium or even zinc added. White gold is almost as pale as platinum. Blue gold is a mixture of gold and metals that have iron. This gives the gold a bluish tint. The most popular is rose gold. It is a mixture of copper and gold with a pinkish-red appearance.

Silver

Silver is the most widely known and most commonly used metal, after gold. Silver, like gold, can be made into a variety purities and alloys. Pure silver is soft and easily scratched. Due to its durability, silver is often paired with copper.

Silver purities are not classified by karats. Instead, they are named to indicate the percent of pure silver contained in an item. 800 silver contains 80 per cent silver and 20 per cent copper or another metal. 925 sterling silver has at least 92.5 percent Silver and no more that 7.6 percent of any other metal. The universal standard of 925-sterling sterling silver was established in 1300 by King Edward I. Nine hundred fifty sterling silver has at least 95 percent silver, and no more that 5 percent from any other metal. Fine silver is 99.9 percent pure silver. It is not used in jewelry. It can be applied as a thin layer over sterling silver to make it shine more.

The Platinum Family

While gold and silver are most well-known, platinum metals is actually the rarest and finest of all precious metals. Because of its rarity, the six platinum members are less commonly used in jewelry than the gold and silver. Platinum would be the top choice for most people if it were determined by characteristics like durability, corrosion resistance, and scratch-resistance.

Platinum, which is a silvery-white metallic, is often used in jewelry making with osmium, iridium and nickel. Platinum is not measured in kilograms like silver. Instead, it is stamped by its manufacturer with a standard platinum quality mark, which indicates the percent of platinum present. Pure platinum is marked with the Pt1000 mark. The most common used for fine jewelry are Pt950 or Pt900. Anything below Pt900 is not considered "fine platinum".

Palladium is a rare and malleable metal that's very similar to platinum. Because of its dark color, it is most often used in combination with sterling silver. Palladium is rarer than gold and more expensive than platinum.

Ruthenium can be used to improve the durability of alloys. Iridium, Rhodium are also common alloy ingredients. Osmium is precious but brittle. It is therefore not recommended for use in alloys.

Shop premium gold and silver plated jewellery at Adylen.