Precious Metals
There are 4 main precious metals that we recommended to make quality jewellery.
18ct Yellow Gold
Usually stamped 18ct but sometimes the international stamp 750 is used indicating parts of a thousand that are pure gold with the remainder made up of the alloys copper and silver to make it harder. This is the most popular metal for quality diamond jewellery as it has a high luster when polished and won’t tarnish.
18ct White Gold
This is stamped 18ct or 750 indicating parts of a thousand pure gold with the remainder alloys usually zinc and silver to change it to a whiter colour. It is then electroplated with rhodium which is a hard metal from the platinum group giving a bright white appearance like platinum. This will need to be replated after a period of time as it will slowly wear off.
Palladium
Clarity diamonds are now offering this exciting new option of white metal to our customers on a large number of ring styles. Palladium is whiter than platinum and does not need rhodium plating like white gold does. In the year 2000 it was worth around 50% more in value than platinum but has since dropped in price as platinum has continued to increase rapidly. It is part of the platinum group of metals and is less dense than platinum making it considerably lighter and ideal for heavy rings . It maintaines its shine and whiteness well compared to the other white metals . Palladium being 95% pure passes the Europen standard for being hypoallergenic.
Platinum
This is a pure base metal much rarer than gold therefore more valuable. It is usually stamped Plat or 950 indicating parts per thousand pure platinum and it is usually alloyed with iridium.
Platinum is a very tough metal that will not wear easily and being the purest of the precious metals will not tarnish. As it is hypoallergenic it is an ideal choice for those people with sensitive skins.
9ct yellow gold and 9ct white gold are other options to consider. Although 9ct yellow is a little less expensive than 18ct the long term appearance will not be as good as there is a greater tendancy to tarnish with the higher percentage of alloys. With 9ct white gold again it is a little less expensive than 18ct white but softer due to the higher content of silver. They are both usually stamped 9ct or 375.
All metals are subject to wear and tear therefore care of the jewellery is advised to ensure your precious piece looks as good as possible for as long as possible.
Titanium
This metal is 3 times the strength of steele and 45% lighter making it very popular for gents rings. It is also hypoalergenic and can be combined with most other precious metals such as sterling silver, white and yellow gold and platinum.
Freephone: 0800 4 RINGS , 0800 47 46 47 for further information.
