Jewellery Metals
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Gold
Since time began we humans have lusted after the bright yellow lustre of a dense, malleable metal known as Gold. The relative scarcity of Gold makes it a commodity that has always been in high demand. Gold is always yellow there is no such thing as white gold in a natural form and we'll touch on that soon. Gold in its pure form is 24 karat so when we talk about 18 karat we mean there is 3/4 pure gold and 1/4 other alloys added mainly to make the Gold harder for jewellery purposes. Gold in its natural 24 karat form is to soft for jewellery and a diamond ring would not be strong enough to hold a diamond securely so the Gold is alloyed with other metals like copper to make it harder. As the alloy is added the Gold content decreases and when there is 3/4 Gold it is known as 18 karat. Polished Diamonds likes to sell 18 karat diamond rings but ask if you prefer 14kt, 10kt or even 9kt.
White Gold is simply yellow gold that has alloyed to silver and palladium rather than copper. The white alloys take the yellow out of the Gold and give it a white finish. Properly alloyed white gold is white enough to have a nice reflection but giving the ring a Rhodium Plate gives both a protective coat but also gives a chrome like finish. White Gold is therefore yellow gold with white alloys added like palladium and silver to make it workable. There is no such thing as 24 karat white gold as it always needs to be alloyed.
Platinum
Platinum is very rare and extremely durable. Platinum is naturally white and has a deep metallic colour similar to white gold. Platinum is heavier than gold at 1.39 times and very dense which makes it difficult for jewellers to work with - the torch has to be hotter and the polish takes longer to finish. Because of the density of Platinum it is very durable, secure and long lasting. Platinum will dent rather than scratch meaning it will show marks but not loose metal. The tiny dents ad marks Platinum picks up is called a patina which looks like a matt finish and can easily be polished out to be reflective and polished again. We recommend Platinum as the best white metal for jewellery but because of the cost it needs to be considered and balanced in order to also factor in a quality diamond. There is no point in spending all your budget on the Platinum and have a tiny diamond so you are better to look at White Gold or Palladium but if your budget allows then Platinum is a quality choice.
Palladium
Is a brilliant jewellery metal and although not popular is not a measure of its quality. Palladium is from the Platinum group of alloys and also naturally white. Palladium is the most white of all jewellery metals so really makes a diamond 'pop out'. Palladium is like Platinum and is usually at 95% pure so is hypoallergenic and kind to sensitive fingers. Palladium is slightly lighter than white gold to touch so is perfect for chunky diamond rings where weight needs to be a minimum for comfort. Palladium is cheaper than Platinum so we highly recommend it for a very white, great value and quality metal for jewellery.
Ask a Polished Diamonds metallurgist for further information about the variety of metals that we produce for our exquisite jewellery. If you'd like a special composition then we will gladly offer any design with a metal and alloy mix to suit. Our jewellery is focused on comfort, durability, security and style - you are in 'good hands' with Polished Diamonds.