When buying a piece of jewelry, whether for yourself or for your partner, the question arises as to which precious metal is the right one. Especially with engagement rings, the fear is great that you choose the wrong one and your partner ends up not liking the ring or that the material is not the right one for everyday wear. Here you can learn all about the advantages and disadvantages of platinum, silver and the different types of gold.
Platinum
The most expensive and exclusive material for jewelry is platinum. Platinum is 30 times rarer than gold and also correspondingly valuable. It is the hardest and most durable of all precious metals and is therefore very well suited for jewelry work. However, working with platinum is demanding and takes longer than with other precious metals. This is due, among other things, to the hardness of the material, because platinum melts only at 1772 degrees. But that's precisely why platinum jewelry is so durable and suitable for everyday wear. It also requires less care than other precious metals, as it can neither fade nor change color. While even platinum jewelry is not 100% resistant to scratches and cracks, because the precious metal is solid and untreated, the shade of scratches is identical to the rest of the material. Smaller cracks can also be easily polished away.
Platinum is a particularly popular choice for diamond jewelry. With its rich and even white color, it excellently brings out the brilliance of diamonds.
White gold
White gold is a somewhat cheaper alternative to platinum with a similar white tone. It is a gold alloy, which means that materials with a decolorizing effect, such as palladium, silver or even manganese, are added to the gold, which is actually yellow in color. This creates the elegant, silvery shimmering color and also material properties such as the degree of hardness can be improved in this way.
Since it is actually impossible to completely remove the original yellow tone of the gold, jewelry made of white gold is additionally plated with rhodium. That is, they are "dipped" in rhodium to encase them in an outer layer. This layer is then also white or silver and very hard. Nevertheless, the material is not safe from damage by outside influences, so this process must be repeated every few years. Just like platinum, white gold is excellent for processing into diamond jewelry, as the silvery-white color perfectly sets off the diamond and makes it shine.
Yellow gold
Yellow gold is the natural form of gold and is especially popular for processing classic jewelry. The pure gold receives an alloy of red copper and greenish silver, which helps to obtain the typical warm-yellow color. In addition, the components of the alloy also cause the gold to harden, as pure fine gold is too soft for jewelry production.
Yellow gold, or gold in general, should be protected from aggressive substances such as chlorine or other chemicals, as these can change its appearance.
Rose gold
Rose gold is a modern gold alloy that has become increasingly popular, especially in recent years. Copper and silver are mixed with the yellow gold, whereby the copper provides the reddish color, while the silver can soften it. Rose gold can neither rust nor tarnish and is just as strong as yellow gold. However, the color is less common than the classic yellow-gold hue or the silver/white of platinum or white gold. Therefore, even though rose gold suits many skin types, it is still not as easy to combine as the other precious metals.
Silver
The main advantage of silver is its comparatively low price. In addition, the silver color also complements a sparkling diamond excellently. Silver is also a very soft precious metal, which makes it all the easier for the jeweler to work with, allowing for more design freedom when creating jewelry. However, of all the precious metals, silver also comes with the most disadvantages. Sunlight and oxygen can cause the silver to oxidize or rust, and even the PH of the skin can affect it. This can cause the silver jewelry to turn black. In addition, allergic reactions occur more frequently with silver than with the other precious metals. For this reason, many jewelry manufacturers now recommend using platinum or one of the gold types for fine jewelry.
So if you're wondering which precious metal to choose for your next piece of jewelry, you're definitely making a very good decision with platinum. It is the most robust and durable precious metal, but also the most expensive. If you have a smaller budget, gold is a very good alternative. It is also very high quality, but requires a bit more care and diligence to handle. Which type of gold depends entirely on personal taste, of course, with white gold and yellow gold tending to be less complicated than rose gold. Silver, on the other hand, tends to be less advisable if you want a piece of jewelry that is as durable and robust as possible.
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