Information On The Principal Metals Used In Ring Manufacture
The main types of precious metal used to make rings are silver, gold, platinum and palladium, each of which has its own special qualities and appeal, as well as its own price tag. By understanding a little about each of the metals used in the production of ladies rings, you will be able to make a better informed decision as to which type of ring to buy.
Silver
Pure silver is too soft and malleable, and so too easily damaged to be used for jewellery making. Silver rings, therefore, are traditionally made from sterling silver, an alloy of 92.5% silver and 7.5% other metals, usually copper, which is commonly known as 925 silver. Basically, the addition of copper makes the finished item stronger and more durable without detracting from the beauty of the precious metal. Often, sterling silver is subjected to a process called ‘flashing’, which involves applying a final thin coat of .999 fine silver or rhodium to give the item a lovely shiny finish. 925 silver is of the highest quality.
A Selection of the Best Selling Silver Ladies Rings
Sterling silver, although not as soft as gold, tends to tarnish fairly easily. Wearing your silver ring while swimming in a chlorinated pool or using domestic bleach can cause it to blacken quite dramatically, so always remember to take it off first. Normally, however, any discolouration which appears over time can be easily removed and the silver underneath will shine anew.
Yellow gold
In spite of the fact that we make the distinction between yellow gold, rose gold and white gold, all gold is in fact naturally yellow. As you will see further down, white gold gets it colour from, amongst other things, the metals with which it is alloyed.
A Selection of the Best Selling Yellow Gold Ladies rings
The purity of gold is measured in carats and in the UK, 9, 14, 18 and 22 carat jewellery can be made and sold. The table below shows the gold content for each grade and, as you can see, the purest gold is 24 carats.
| Carats | Gold Content % |
|---|---|
| 9 | 37.5 |
| 14 | 58.5 |
| 18 | 75.0 |
| 22 | 91.6 |
| 24 | 99.9 |
Aside from the obvious issue of cost and the fact that it is too soft in its pure form to use for general jewellery purposes, one of the main reasons for producing gold of less than 24 carats is the ability to achieve different colourations. The lower the number of carats, the greater the possible range of colour. Or, to put it another way, the higher the proportion of other metals, the greater the range of colour.
Pure gold is naturally very yellow in colour, so by adding copper, silver or palladium, different tones can be achieved. Silver is often used, but palladium less so because of its high cost. Copper is the most commonly used base metal of all and, as you might expect, this gives the finished product a redder colour. An alloy containing 75% gold and 25% copper will produce what we know as rose gold, which was commonly used to make antique and Russian jewellery.
Much more rare, and only really used in the production of very specialised jewellery, are iron and aluminium. A gold and iron alloy produces what is known as blue gold, and gold and aluminium produces purple gold. An alloy of just silver with either 14 or 18 carat gold will produce what is referred to as green gold, although it is actually greenish yellow in appearance.
Like silver, the addition of other metals also helps to improve the strength and durability of the finished product, and so-called ‘yellow’ gold is indeed very hard-wearing.
Quite unlike silver, however, but in common with most other precious metals, one of the great benefits of gold is that it will not rust or tarnish. Whilst time and wear will produce some scratching, it is relatively inexpensive to have a gold ring professionally polished, which will have it shining as new once more.
The vast majority of yellow gold engagement and wedding rings that are sold are produced in 18 carat gold, whereas ladies dress rings are commonly sold in 9, 14 and 18 carat gold.
White gold
Most white gold is produced by using a combination of yellow gold, copper, nickel and either zinc or palladium. Nickel is the commonest metal to have a significant bleaching effect on yellow gold and, when used with 18 carat gold, creates a very close match to the colour of platinum, although of course the cost of white gold is very much less than that of platinum. Nickel has, however, been shown to cause allergic reactions in a large number of people, and many producers have now either discontinued or significantly limited its use.
A Selection of the Best Selling White Gold Ladies Rings
Palladium, itself a close relative of platinum, is another metal which combines well with yellow gold to create that distinctive white colour, although it does tend to be difficult to work with and an expensive option – in some cases being more costly than the gold itself. Often therefore, it is used in conjunction with both silver and copper. Although silver might seem like an obvious choice because of its natural colour, its bleaching qualities are, surprisingly, not very good. Where it does come into its own as part of the alloy, however, is in making it easier to work with.
To compensate for the inability of most alloyed metals to create a truly white colour, most new white gold rings are plated with rhodium. Rhodium is a metal which is very similar to platinum and which has the same hard-wearing properties. It does, however, eventually wear away, and manufacturers normally recommend that it be re-plated every 12-18 months to keep it looking at its best. This is easy to do and relatively inexpensive and well worth it to have a ring which looks like new again.
White gold is, of course, an excellent choice for those who prefer its colour to that of the more traditional-looking yellow gold, but without the cost of platinum or any of the other more expensive white metals.
Of course, fashions in ladies rings change in the same way that fashions in clothing, handbags and music are constantly changing, and it is notable that there has been a significant switch from yellow gold to the white metals in recent years. You only have to look at the engagement rings of the rich and famous, the trendsetters, in more recent times to see this.
Platinum
Platinum began its rise to fame in the jewellery world in the 1920s, at about the same time as white gold was also very popular. Ideal for use in diamond settings, platinum is more expensive than gold due to its natural rarity and the fact that it is generally considered to be more difficult to work with. It is, however, a symbol of wealth and prestige, as is evidenced by platinum credit cards and platinum albums.
A Selection of the Best Selling Platinum Ladies Rings
For those who prefer a white-coloured ring, platinum is, however, a superb choice, because the metal is naturally very white (much whiter than silver) and does not need to be rhodium-plated, as well as being extremely hard-wearing. Like all precious metals, it will scratch, but because of its density and weight (platinum is around 40% heavier than gold), it sustains less damage and in fact, rather than meaning the loss of any of its volume, a scratch is merely a displacement of the metal.
Like gold, platinum is resistant to corrosion or tarnishing so keeps its original shiny look for longer.
The purity of the metal used in ring manufacture is also a very appealing quality for many buyers, at around 95% pure, as is the fact that the metal is hypoallergenic. The cost, however, could be around twice or even three times that of a similar piece produced in 18 carat white gold.
As with white gold, the popularity of platinum has increased in recent years. Although significantly more expensive than white gold, the allure of the white colour for the fashion conscious with means has been great.
Palladium
Palladium is an extremely rare, lustrous, silvery-white metal which belongs to the platinum family and is used as an alternative to platinum and white gold, although it is actually even whiter than platinum. Of all the precious metals in its family, it has the lowest melting point and is the least dense.
Palladium is not only as hard as platinum, but 12% harder and also will not tarnish, but is actually only about half the weight. Despite being softer than some of its ‘cousins’, it is still a difficult metal for jewellery makers to work with, however, and has a tendency to become brittle and discoloured if mishandled. Palladium jewellery is typically produced from metal which is 95% pure and because of its extreme whiteness, like platinum it does not need to be rhodium plated.
Until a few years ago, a palladium ring would in fact have cost you more than a platinum one, but this was largely down to the fact that the technology to cast the metal did not exist then. As this has since become more widely available to jewellery producers, however, the price for palladium has reduced at the same time as that for platinum has increased. A palladium ring now would typically sell for a similar price to a while gold alternative although it would neither be as readily available as either white gold or platinum. Most retailers do now stock some palladium rings, but the range is very much more limited than that for the other white metals.
As well as being used as a precious metal in its own right, palladium is also used as an alloy with gold, although its cost does somewhat restrict its use.
Titanium
Titanium is the hardest natural metal on earth, three times stronger than steel and extremely resistant to damage caused by scratching and denting. Despite these qualities, however, it is extremely lightweight, as well as being 100% hypoallergenic.
Although typically a silver-grey-whitish colour in its natural form, titanium can be subjected to heat treatment which will cause its surface layer to change to a wide variety of hues. The colour does not permeate through the entire depth of the metal though, and so can be subject to surface scratching.
Despite its many excellent qualities, one of the great drawbacks of titanium is that it cannot be soldered. Not only does this mean that titanium rings cannot normally be resized, but also that the range of possible designs is limited. The prong settings which hold the diamonds in place in many engagement rings, for example, are soldered and so impossible to create in titanium.
Stainless steel
Although not commonly used in the production of jewellery, a stainless steel ring can be an extremely effective addition to a collection of dress rings. The metal is hard and durable and is increasingly being used to create modern designs, particularly those manufactured by designers such as Dolce and Gabanna who offer a very extensive range of stainless steel jewellery.
Perhaps because of its image as a more ‘utilitarian’ metal, stainless steel is not, however, a metal which would normally be used for the production of fine jewellery such as engagement, wedding or eternity rings.
Tungsten Carbide
Also known simply as tungsten, tungsten carbide is a very strong, hard-wearing and heavy metal which is extremely scratch-resistant. In fact, the only materials which will leave a mark are diamonds, sapphires, rubies and ceramic, all of which are harder themselves than tungsten.
Although to date, tungsten carbide has more traditionally been used in men’s wedding rings, it is gaining much more popularity with women and the range of women’s rings is growing as a consequence. The fact that is remains bright and shiny and never seems to age may well have much to do with this. The colour is also a very appealing factor, being similar to that of unplated white gold or silver.