Metal Choices for Engagement & Wedding Rings

Metal Choices for Engagement and Wedding Rings Learn about the modern world of jewelry metals – from hard, sturdy and brilliantly shiny to soft, luxurious and romantic, and everything in between. Primary Metals Platinum Appearance Price Purity Facts Most British Crown jewels Soft, white hue 30x rarer than gold (more expensive) are made of platinum Does not tarnish or 95% oxidize Taken off the market during the 20th century Scratches over time but for wartime uses can polish to remove (ir's that durable!) 40% harder than 14K gold; helps engravings look sharper Gold Appearance Price Purity Facts Yellow gold, White gold, ÖÖÖÖÖ Measured in karats (not Must be at least 10K to be Green gold, Rose gold carats). Karats are divided sold as gold in the U.S. into 24 parts. 24k Gold is extremely soft Traditionally mined in 24 karats = pure gold South Africa, but also in Can be buffed with a soft Peru, Russia and the U.S. cloth to keep shiny and Traditionally alloyed with smooth other metals to add strength Therefore, 14K is 14 parts gold, 10 parts other metal Comes 10K, 14Kor 18K Sterling Silver Appearance Price Purity Facts Pure silver is similar in One of the most affordable Was once considered more hue to platinum, but less precious metals valuable than gold shiny 92.5% Paper towels can scratch రిరరరత Pure silver, like gold, is silver very soft Tarnishes, so needs to be Must be 92.5% pure silver kept in tarnish-proof to be sold in U.S. storage and taken care of Contemporary Metals These metals aren't typically seen in engagement rings, but offer a contemporary look for wedding bands that will complement a gold or platinum engagement ring. Cobalt ? Appearance Price Purity Facts Naturally bright and One of the most affordable Originally created for use in medical and aerospace Sold as a pure metal white in color, similar to metals platinum Hypoallergenic industries రతతతత Fairly scratch resistant 4x harder than platinum, heavy and very durable Allows for easy resizing Stainless Steel ? Appearance Price Purity Facts Shiny and strong Good choice for shoppers Mixed with at least 10.5% You can clean stainless steel looking for the qualities of platinum, but with a lower chromium to resist with dish soap, water and a Can be polished to take on different looks oxidation (stainless!) cloth price Matte, like pewter, or reflective, like chrome Titanium ? Appearance Price Purity Facts Lightweight Does not include alloys Named after the Titans of 6తతీరత Greek mythology Modern style Hypoallergenic Mined all over the world, Black, gray or silver, often including, Australia, Canada, with inlays of other China, New Zealand, metals Norway, North America and South Africa Often polished Extremely scratch resistant Cannot be resized Tungsten Appearance Price Purity Facts Brilliant, hard-looking Pure element Found mostly in China Ööððð shine Hypoallergenic 4x harder than titanium Cannot be resized JEWELRY WISE