From gold to platinum to silver, there are a variety of metal options to choose from when deciding on your next jewellery purchase. Precious metals are known for their rarity, shine, and overall beauty. While the most commonly known precious metal is gold, there are varying purities which in turn have different appearances. Additionally, gold can be further broken down into yellow, white and rose gold.
Another well-known precious metal is platinum; Platinum is well known for its beautiful white colour, and is another popular metal choice for jewellery.
Additionally, while sterling silver is not classified as a precious or rare metal, it is still a very common metal choice in the present day jewellery market, and has a beautiful overall look.
Gold: Gold has been used to make jewellery for many centuries and is one of the most popular precious metal choices. It can be made in different purities and colours. While pure gold is traditionally known for its beautiful deep yellow/orange colour, it is often made in white and rose colours too. White and rose gold are created by mixing pure gold with other metals (such as silver, zinc and copper), to create a different metal alloy with a more white or rosey tone. The purity of gold is measured in karats (represented with a “K”), and is most commonly found in 9K, 14K, and 18K purities. The number before the “K” is a measure of the ratio of pure gold to other metals in the metal mixture, out of 24 parts. The higher the number, the higher the gold content in the metal alloy mixture. For example, 18k gold is 18 out of 24 parts pure gold, and is often represented on jewellery with the number “750” to represent that it is 75.0% pure gold. 24k represents 100% pure gold with no other mixed metals. Lower purities of gold tend to have a more yellow colour, while higher purities have a deeper, more orangey colour.
Platinum: This precious metal is well known for its beautiful white colour, and is another popular choice especially for diamond jewellery. It is also more durable than gold, making it a great choice for everyday pieces such as engagement rings and wedding bands.
Sterling Silver: Sterling Silver is another alternative to both platinum and white gold, however it is still a beautiful metal that is known for its durability and light silver colour. Silver is easy to mould and shape, and is a very popular metal choice for jewellery, predominantly because of its lower price point and it being a similar colour to white gold. However, since some 925 sterling silver alloys contain copper, silver can be known to tarnish and will often need polishing to restore its shine.
Gold, platinum and silver are all beautiful metal choices. They all have a unique colour, durability, and overall appearance. While yellow gold is the traditional jewellery choice, platinum, silver, and white and yellow gold are becoming increasingly popular choices. Here at Raelyn Rose Jewellery, we make all of our jewellery with solid 18k gold, to offer you a balance between metal durability and metal value. Our pieces are offered in white, yellow and rose gold, and are handcrafted in Sydney, Australia.