Jewelry Metal Questions
What are the metals most frequently used to make jewelry?
There are many metals used to make jewellery, but the most commonly used metals for jewellery are platinum, gold and palladium. Each of these has different characteristics that would appeal to customers. Gold is very traditional and less expensive, platinum is a newer metal on the market. Actually, it's experiencing a renaissance but it's a little bit more expensive and has characteristics to it that appeal to certain types of customers. Palladium is somewhere between, having the same characteristics as platinum at the lower expense such as 18 carat gold.
What is platinum?
Platinum is a metal that is used in the manufacture of engagement rings and jewellery worldwide. It's experiencing a renaissance. It was used prior to World War Two, and then became a strategic metal. Today, it's experiencing a great rise in demand. It is hypoallergenic, a pure white metal when it comes out of the ground, so there are no issues with color change over time. It's non-corrosive, it's got a density and a heft to it that customers love. It's a beautiful metal.
Why is platinum so popular as a jewelry metal today?
Platinum is so popular as a jewellery metal today because of its characteristics that are very appealing to customers. First of all, platinum comes out of the ground as a pure white metal, so you never have to worry about its tinge of color or a change of color over time. It's very hard. It resists corrosion, and very importantly, it's hypoallergenic, so the wearer never has to worry about any allergic reactions caused by the platinum.
What is 'rhodium plating'?
Rhodium plating is the process used to plate finished jewelry pieces to get a harder, more brilliant white appearance. Rhodium plating is used in the plating of white gold pieces once it's finished, because it has yellowish stains that gold tends to have. It's also used, in cases, to finish platinum pieces to give it a shinier more polished look. Overtime the rhodium finish tends to wear, and that's natural. It happens to wear and tear. It's very, very easy, and it should be inexpensive to have your ring re-rhodium finished at a jewellery store by a professional.
What is rhodium?
Rhodium is a metal from the platinum family group. It's very, very hard and it's a metal that's used in the jewellery industry to plate other white metals to give them a very shiny, hard finish.
What is a less expensive substitute for platinum?
There are a few substitutes for platinum, if cost is an issue. The main substitute for platinum today is white gold, but again there are inherent disadvantages to white gold as a substitute. White gold, over time, tends to return to its natural color, which is more yellowish and needs to be re-plated. A new alternative on the market is palladium. Palladium is a member of the platinum family group, and it has all of the characteristics that platinum has: hypoallergenic, pure white, very durable, very strong, non-corrosive, and at less cost. That is an alternative that is fast becoming a request of many of our guests.
What is palladium?
A palladium is a member of the platinum family group that is newer on the market. It is actually a metal that is mined right alongside platinum in many cases. It is now experiencing a rise in popularity, because it has all of the characteristics of platinum, which are hypoallergenic, its non-corrosive, its a pure white metal when it comes out of the ground so there is no change of color later on. It also happens to be less expensive than platinum and it is a great alternative for the cost issue but a very similar metal with regard to its wearability and look when it comes to comparing it to platinum.
Which jewelry metals sometimes leave marks on people's skin?
White gold is one of the jewellery metals that sometimes leaves marks on people's skin. Yellow gold at times also does, and the reason for that is the alloying process. It isn't the actual gold that causes the reaction, it is the metals that are used to create the alloy such as nickel. Those sometimes cause allergic reactions and can leave a mark on your skin.
