14k, 18k, White Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum...What Do I Pick??
Stemming off of my blog post about cleaning your jewelry, I wanted to write one about metal selections when you’re looking to purchase a ring. This is a great guide for all jewelry purchases, but this post specifically aims to address engagement ring and wedding band picks. I run into this question all the time, what’s the difference between metal options? Most often you’re looking at these when you’re picking out an engagement ring and/or wedding band. Take a look below at a breakdown of the metal differences that I put together.
Erika Winters Rings at Hurdle’s Jewelry
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Yellow Gold
I personally love yellow gold. It was extremely popular for engagement rings in the 80’s and you know what they say, everything comes back around! It’s been a popular selection for many brides in our store as well. The best part about yellow gold is that it’s extremely low maintenance. It rarely has materials within it that will cause rash or irritation to sensitive skin. It’s also priced lower then almost any other material out there that you’ll find for an engagement ring.
Erika Winters Bridal at Hurdle’s Jewelry
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Another great positive about yellow gold (or rose gold) is that if you have an old family diamond that has a bit more color to it (or you can’t afford a super colorless diamond and want to save some $ in that department) the yellow gold will mask a diamonds color from showing yellow tones as well. (DM if you have questions on this and we can get into the details).
Downside to yellow gold? Not too many, unless it’s a personal preference of not liking the color. Depending on the karat of metal (see below) you may opt to have a white gold head (piece that holds your main diamond) versus a yellow gold because the white gold can be a little stronger than the yellow gold, but this is SUPER nitty gritty details. Consult your jeweler regarding this if you’re considering a two tone or all yellow gold ring. If you don’t have a jeweler…just e-mail me, I’ll get you all set up!
White Gold
Jennie Kwon Rings at Hurdle’s Jewelry
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White gold is formed by taking a smaller dose of yellow gold and mixing it with other alloys (i.e. nickel, silver etc… every designer will have a different makeup of what those alloys consist of and their percentages). The white gold is then rhodium plated to make it super bright white. Rhodium plating will wear off over a period of time, how long? Well that depends on a number of variables, it can be a matter of your skin chemistry all the way to the environment your ring is being exposed to on a daily basis. We recommend rhodium plating your ring every couple of years. Every time you rhodium plate your ring you have to polish a microscopic layer of gold off so it’s not recommended to do it too often if possible. White gold tends to be less expensive than platinum but still gets you that white metal coloring for your jewelry.
The downside to white gold is major if you have a nickel allergy. Now some designers are making their white gold with a nickel-free alloy to help brides-to-be save a little moolah and still get the white gold look without splurging on platinum. We often see folks who develop a nickel allergy over time, so when they first got engaged or married they didn’t have any issues with their ring but 10 years later they’ve noticed irritation.
If you’re seeing this on your hand, first things first, get it to a professional jeweler to do a deep clean. (At Hurdle’s, we do not charge you for this ever.) This will soak out any gross chemicals, lotions, food or leftover skin (yuck!) that are caught up on your ring. Let your finger heal!! Then once it’s healed put your ring back on, if you’re still finding irritation, you may have formed a nickel allergy and may need to look at upgrading to Platinum or a nickel-free white gold ring.
Rose Gold
2.01 Carat set in Erika Winters Victoria Ring
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This has been an extremely popular pick in recent years. Traditionally rose gold was made popular in the 19th-century in Imperial Russia. The reason it has a pink tint to it is the addition of copper within the alloy. The more copper added, the more rosey in tone the ring will be. It will fall into a similar price category as your yellow and white gold options. With many of our rings rose gold and yellow gold are interchangeable when it comes to pricing. In some cases white gold can be a little more due to it’s rhodium plating but not by much.
Like yellow gold, rose gold can help mask a diamonds yellow tone if it has a bit more color to it. This is not typically why someone would select yellow or rose gold, but can be an added bonus if picked.
Not a lot of downside to rose gold other than personal preference of metal color!
14k vs 18k
14k is 58.5% pure gold
18k is 75% pure gold
The remainder of that percentage is made up with other alloys. As mentioned before this can consist of a number of different materials depending on the designer and color of gold. With 18k being more pure, it’s typically a little higher in price as well.
Platinum
A white metal known for it’s purity and density. Platinum is usually 95% pure which makes it dense and in turn feel quite heavy in comparison to some other metals. It’s density allows the metal to be extremely durable. (Example: Worse case scenario, you bang you engagement ring against a brick wall, your platinum surrounding your diamond(s) will have a tendency to move and shift with the ring rather than fracture or crack, due to it’s purity.) It’s also hypoallergenic, therefore anyone with a nickel allergy (most common in metals) is safe from irritation.
The downside to Platinum? Even with the Platinum market being down right now, it still remains a more expensive option in jewelry due to it’s density. It is also able to be scratched very easily because the material is so malleable. The scratches overtime can cause the ring to look more gray/dull in color which some do not like, that’s certainly a personal preference though.
I hope this provides a little insight into metal selections when looking for that perfect ring or wedding band. Feel free to email me with any questions you have or visit me in store at Hurdle’s Jewelry!
