Which Metal Is Best For Jewelry White Gold, Platinum or Silver
There are many different types of metals used in jewelry making. In fact, there are many combination of metals used in what are generally known as alloys. For example, 14 carat gold consists of around 63% gold, the balance being copper, nickel, silver or other metals.
Platinum and silver are often used in their pure form without the need for any alloys. Gold is too soft to be used in its pure state so it is blended with harder metals to increase the overall hardness of the finished product. The amount of gold, measured in carats, indicates the hardness. Nine carat gold is much harder wearing for example than 18 carat gold.
Creating alloys is not always difficult. What is difficult is creating an allow that maintains the original look of the metal. Using gold again as an example, when we buy a gold ring we want it to be gold especially in appearance. The purer the gold the better.
Once you mixed gold with silver and palladium you have create an alloy. This particular mixture is different to most as it turns the gold into a white metal rather than the yellow we are used to. This has been put to advantage and sold as white gold – the cheaper alternative to platinum.
Which metal is best for jewelry? You need to consider several factors. One of those is hardness. Can it be easily formed into a piece of jewelry. The second includes a jewelers ability to resuse the waste – especially if the original cost of the metal is expensive
As platinum and silver are both hard metals, they tend to last a long time. Platinum is quite expensive when compared to silver and gold. While white gold is more expensive than the traditional yellow gold, the final price will depend on what proportion of gold is in the alloy and what other metals were added. Palladium of course is far more expensive than gold itself.
There are a lot of factors to consider when selecting your choice of jewelry metal. Silver is popular because it is the cheapest. Platinum is also popular although it is expensive. White gold has become popular due to its looks. It looks like platinum yet comes at half the price.
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Posted on Aug 26 2009 in Fashion