Different types of metal used in jewelry
How much do you know about jewellery? We invite you to delve into this world and explore the types of jewellery metals. We will tell you what they are, what the benefits of each are and why buying accessories in the FJewellery store is a good idea.
What are they?
To create beautiful jewellery for ladies and mens in any style, 4 precious metals are most commonly used: gold, silver, platinum and palladium.
Let's start with the most desirable - gold. In its purest form, it is hardly ever used in the jewellery industry. We are talking about different alloys. The properties of a gold alloy depend on the alloying metals. These can be silver, copper, zinc or palladium. These "additives" determine the properties of the alloy, for example, the most obvious being the shade. The most common ones are:
- Yellow. The most preferred option when it comes to jewellery and coins. If you take 18-carat gold, it will contain 75 per cent gold, plus silver and copper in equal proportions. This alloy looks perfect with gemstones.
- White. Such an alloy always contains one of the white jewellery metals. These can be nickel, silver and palladium. They define the beautiful silvery hue of gold. Note that this alloy is more durable than platinum if you choose white metal jewellery.
- Rose. This alloy contains gold (the highest percentage), copper and a little silver. The second metal is responsible for the colour, while the third in the composition is responsible for the beautiful shimmering luster.
Greenish, reddish and grey gold can also be found, depending on the composition.
All alloys are stamped with a carat. This is marked as carat (not to be confused with ct, because this is how the purity of gemstones is marked). This tells you at a glance how much pure gold is in the piece.
One carat is 1/24th. The following is as follows:
- Pure gold is 24 carats, i.e. 24/24 parts. It does not contain any alloying metals. This metal has a reddish hue. It is rarely used in jewellery due to its excessive softness.
- 22 carats means that the product contains 22 parts pure gold and the rest is alloying metals.
- 18ct gold is made up of 75% pure gold and 25% alloying metals. The jewellery has a beautiful uniform yellow sheen, which jewellers love.
- 14 carats means that a piece contains only 14 parts of gold out of 24. Everything else is additional metals. Many people think this is a bad thing, but in fact such jewellery will look better when worn due to the properties it gains from the metal alloy. When choosing in which metal to buy signet rings or rings of other designs as well as bracelets (e.g., rope bracelets), opt for this option.
- The inscription that this jewellery is made of 9-carat gold should tell you that there are only 9 out of 24 pieces of pure gold. It has a dull hue. But it is the most durable gold alloy. It's one of the best value options for simple jewellery that you intend to wear every day, such as for a chain.
Sterling (925) is regarded as the best silver for jewellery. It has optimum utility characteristics. Pure sterling silver, but it is not used in accessories. Only bank silver is marked with this hallmark.
Recently, platinum has been used in jewellery. The obvious advantage of this metal is that it is a pure metal in jewellery. It is free of impurities and alloying metals. It is hypoallergenic, which allows platinum to be used to create body jewelry or items for children. Disadvantages include heavy mining, a high price and the necessary professionalism when working with this metal.
Palladium is a beautiful silver metal that often competes with silver. It is quite strong, lightweight and has a very attractive cost. Of the obvious drawbacks, palladium is soft, which means you need to refresh the surface from time to time to keep it shiny.
When we talk about rhodium bracelets, we are talking about rhodium plating. This gives any alloy its durability and luster.
FJewellery offers a large assortment, which we have compiled into a catalogue. There's everything here to find the perfect gift for any occasion or beautiful jewellery for yourself at an attractive price. Detailed pictures and high-quality descriptions help you make your choice.