Posted by Site Admin Bridal Jewelry 0
Velasquez Jewelers has in-house goldsmiths that can create your lifetime piece in platinum, yellow gold, white gold or rose gold. We’d like to explain some simple differences amongst these precious metals.
Platinum in the recent years has become very popular for its high level of durability and because its white color stays white. It is also the strongest metal used in jewelry making. Despite being stronger and more durable, platinum is a softer metal than 14k gold. This means it will get scratched a little easier than 14k gold would. However, an important thing to note is when gold is scratched, the gold is lost and it looks like a scratch. When platinum is scratched, the platinum gets moved from one place on the ring to another, and it develops something called a patina finish (which looks like an antique or worn ring). A lot of people love and desire the patina finish.
The good thing is that re-polishing your ring will help restore the ring to near its original look for both platinum and gold. All Velasquez Jewelers Rings include free lifetime polishing so if you purchase your ring from us, don’t worry, you’re in great hands. Most platinum jewelry is 95 percent pure platinum and look for the marks 950 Plat or Plat on the inside of the piece to confirm its not silver or some other alloy.
Because platinum is more dense than gold, platinum rings will be heavier than gold as well. Some prefer the heavier weight, but some find the lightness of gold rings to be more comfortable. It is really up to each individual person. One more benefit of platinum is that it is hypoallergenic. While gold rings do not create an allergy issue for most people, some can develop an allergic reaction from the nickel alloy used in gold rings.
Gold will not tarnish, rust, or corrode. It is naturally yellow in color and it is also the most malleable of all metals. Yellow Gold is a gold that has been alloyed with a mix of copper and silver. The higher the karat amount, the deeper gold color it will have. Since pure gold is too soft to withstand the stresses of everyday wear, it is blended with a mixture of metals like silver, copper, nickel, and zinc to give it strength and durability. The stamp of 14k and 18k denotes how much gold content actually is in the metal.
24 karat = 100% gold
22 karat = 91.7% gold
18 karat = 75.0% gold
14 karat = 58.3% gold
12 karat = 50.0% gold
10 karat = 41.7% gold
The majority of our gold engagement rings made in our store are either in 14k or 18k gold and the jewelry can be made of in yellow, white or rose gold. While 18k gold is more valuable, it is softer and will scratch easier than 14k gold will.
White Gold is plated with rhodium, a shiny, white metal that is extremely hard but the rhodium plating wears down over time, meaning that the color can change to a more yellowish so clients do have to come back periodically to maintain the white color. This maintenance varies from person to person based on use and body chemistry.
Rose Gold gets its color from a larger proportion of copper in the metal alloy. This gives the gold a beautiful pink color.
If you still can’t decide between gold and platinum, don’t worry. If you have the budget, go for platinum or 18k gold which cost roughly the same. If you don’t, then 14k gold (or palladium) is still a very precious metals and is an excellent choice.
At the end of the day, all rings require some minimal upkeep and maintenance so make sure you purchase your rings from a company that has a lifetime warranty and will re-polish and clean your rings for free for life, like we at Velasquez Jewelers do.
If you have any questions on your rings metal choice, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
