Fine Jewelry Metals
Our jewelers are prepared to work with almost any precious metal on the market today. Admittedly, some are more easily manipulated for jewelry purposes than others. The ancient Egyptians admired the rich look of 24-karat gold, but it was too maleable. Pure gold is 24/24ths gold. It bends between your fingers and is, therefore, easily damaged. If you add other metals, typically copper, silver, zinc, nickel, cadmium, ruthenium, tin and some other more obscure metals, to make gold more durable and stronger for holding gemstones, the karatage of the gold changes. 18-karat gold is 18 parts gold and 6 parts other metals. 14-karat gold is 14 parts gold and 10 parts other metals. The myth that 18-karat gold is not as durable is not worth considering. The primary difference between 14-karat gold and 18-karat gold is in the richness of the color. The more alloys, the more washed-out the color.
Sometimes alloys are added to enhance/change the color of the gold. In fact, that is the origin of white gold. In World War II platinum was identified by the government as a strategic metal and its use for jewelry and other non-essential uses was prohibited. Some clever jeweler decided to alloy yellow gold with white metals, thereby creating a platinum substitute. White gold has, unfortunately, natural yellow undertones that the white metal alloys can't completely mask, so many modern jewelry manufacturers prefer to plate or "dip" the jewelry in a rhodium bath, which is a platinum derivative, making the jewelry look like platinum. Our store policy is to avoid plating because it is only a coating and will wear off. We believe that well-polished jewelry, no matter what metal, is preferable to plating.
Platinum stands as the superior metal for most purposes, especially for setting diamonds because of its strength and durability and the security it offers in holding the stones. Because platinum is much denser than other precious metals, a jeweler can create a light/lacey setting without fear of damage or wear. Most of the heirloom jewelry that we see in our shop that has survived more than a generation of wear is made of platinum. Gold heirloom jewelry is freqently irreparably damaged from years of constant wear. The downside of platinum is that it is more difficult for a jeweler to work with. It should be welded, platinum to platinum, not soldered. Welding brings the metal to more than 3200 degrees, which makes it hot enough to require dark welding goggles to avoid burning your retina. (By way of comparison, fine gold melts at around 1900 degrees.)
There are some new metals on today's jewelry menu, too, including palladium, titanium, tungsten carbide, and steel. As attractive as they may seem, the drawback to these metals is that they cannot be sized. That said, palladium is much lighter weight than platinum, and does not have the yellow cast that white gold suffers, so it's a viable alternative for white metal jewelry that should weigh less, like earrings. Some men prefer titanium wedding bands and other jewelry because it is both lightweight and non-conductive (good trait for electricians!) and it can have an attractive "gun metal" color and finish.
Steel and rubber
Titanium and 18-karat yellow gold
Written by Jennifer R. McFadden, Joel McFadden Designs