Selecting the right metal for your design
Gold: The most desired metal throughout history
The gold used most often for jewelry is not pure, but is an Alloy, or a mixture of different metals. Once blended together, these metals form a new metal with different properties than the original ones. This is a very important process to improve the durability and workability of a worn piece of jewelry. Pure gold is so soft most people can bend a piece of thick wire around their finger! This is too soft for most jewelry designs and definitely too soft to secure precious diamonds and gemstones properly. Alloying gold adds strength and durability which helps the jewelry piece to hold its shape and keep a high polish. Alloying gold also allows jewelers to change the color of gold, giving it lovely green and pink hues or even making it predominantly white.
Karat
Gold Karat is the indicator of how much pure gold is in a gold alloy. The higher the gold percentage, the more gold is actually in the alloy.
14k - 58.5% pure gold, 41.5% alloy metals
18k - 75.0% pure gold, 25.0% alloy metals
22k - 91.6% pure gold, 8.4% alloy metals
Colors
Pure gold is a beautiful and luxurious orangy-yellow color. However, by carefully selecting the metals used for alloying, goldsmiths can control the color of the resulting metal. For example, rose gold is created by alloying yellow gold with copper to give the gold a beautiful pink hue.
Most standard jewelry stores offer pieces in yellow, white, or rose. However, there are other color possibilities including peach and green! Stop by or schedule a Discovery Call to learn more about these exciting options.
Platinum: The purest white metal
Platinum is used in many applications; NASA even uses it in space shuttles! Platinum is also very commonly used in jewelry. The Platinum used in jewelry is also alloyed, but is still a more pure and hypoallergenic alloy than gold. Platinum jewelry alloys can range from 90-95 percent pure, making it an excellent choice for those who want a white metal, but may be sensitive to silver and white gold alloys. Because platinum is both more dense and more malleable (easier to work by hand) than gold jewelry alloys, it allows jewelers to use more intricate and fragile designs than what is possible in gold jewelry. This extra malleability does mean that platinum jewelry does not keep as high of a shine compared to its white gold counterpart. That said, many clients prefer the matte feel of platinum as it wears and the slightly darker, silvery tone it has compared to the mirror-white finish of silver or even white gold.
Which metal is best for you?
Deciding which alloy is best for your jewelry requires a few important considerations. The style of the piece, how it will be worn, and who will be wearing it are just some of the things to think about before deciding to make a piece of jewelry in white gold, yellow gold, or platinum. Schedule a Discovery Call with one of our jewelry professionals to discuss your options, ideas, and desires for your new custom jewelry piece.
