Precious Metals
Jewelers traditionally make rings, necklaces, bracelets, and earrings out of precious metals. Discover the differences between gold jewelry, silver jewelry, and platinum jewelry and find out how to judge precious metal purity.
Discover Gold Jewelry
Gold, a soft and highly-malleable metal, does not tarnish easily and comes in a variety of colors. Gold costs more than most precious metals and its softness can result in scratching and denting.
* Yellow gold jewelry: Yellow gold jewelry is non-corrosive and sturdy. Diamonds set in yellow gold benefit from color contrast, and slightly tinted stones can appear brighter.
* White gold jewelry: White gold jewelry has a shiny silver hue that makes it look like platinum. White gold is virtually non-tarnishing.
* Rose gold jewelry: Rose gold jewelry includes alloys that bring out deeper pink accents.
Gold’s purity is measured in karats. Pure 24K gold is too soft to securely hold a stone so gold is alloyed with other metals such as silver, copper, and zinc to make it sturdier. Gold jewelry should be stamped with the karat mark (“K”) along with the manufacturer’s trademark and country of origin (if outside the U.S.). European karat markings are different than those in the U.S.
Spot gold-coated jewelry
Not all gold jewelry is gold to the core and in the United States metal less than 10K cannot legally be sold as gold. Most eBay sellers will make sure you know the exact gold content by weight of any piece they sell.
* Gold-filled jewelry: Gold-filled jewelry, also called gold overlay, has a layer of at least 10-karat gold bonded to the surface of a support metal. The karat gold must be at least 10 percent of the total weight.
* Gold plated jewelry: Similar to overlay, the gold content in gold-plated jewelry may be as little as 5-percent of the total weight.
* Jewelry with gold leaf: With gold leaf jewelry, a very thin layer of gold is applied by hand to the surface of an item.
Pick Platinum Jewelry
Platinum jewelry is hypoallergenic, strong, durable, and tarnish resistant. Platinum costs more than gold and weighs more. Five heavy metals with similar chemistry and weight (iridium, osmium, palladium, rhodium, and ruthenium) naturally alloy platinum. Unlike gold, platinum jewelry contains platinum in nearly pure form. It should bear a stamp with a symbol to reveal purity:
* 900 Plat: The “900 Plat” stamp indicates that platinum is 90-percent pure platinum.
* 950 Plat/ Plat: A “950 Plat” or “Plat” stamp indicates that platinum is 95-percent pure platinum.
Platinum provides a sturdy grip for diamonds and gemstones, but the strength of the metal makes resizing platinum rings difficult.
Select Silver Jewelry
Silver, a malleable and plentiful metal, costs less than other precious metals, but tarnishes easily and requires frequent care and cleaning. Too soft for use in jewelry in its pure form, most silver jewelry is sterling silver (92.5-percent silver and 7.5-percent copper). Sterling silver should be marked “sterling,” “925,” or “ster.”
Most jewelers can easily resize a non-gemstone silver ring, plus or minus two sizes. However, resizing a silver ring with a gemstone can be difficult due to silver’s properties when heated.
How to Maintain Your Gold, Platinum, & Silver Jewelry
You can help make your precious metal jewelry last longer by following a few simple steps. The jewelry you wear every day will experience the most wear and tear. Use common sense to help protect your precious metals.
* Be gentle on your jewelry: Avoid wearing scratch-prone precious metal jewelry during rough manual work or activities.
* Stay away from chemicals: Do not let precious metals come in contact with harsh chemicals or abrasive surfaces.
* Properly store silver jewelry: Store silver in a cool, dry dark place. To slow tarnishing, do not store directly on wood or plastic.
* Regularly clean your precious metals: Clean gold and platinum with soap, water, and a cloth or soft brush, if needed. Wash silver with soap and water. Be sure to dry it thoroughly with a soft cloth. Clean tarnished silver with a commercial polish, paste, or tarnish-removing wipe. Silver polish may remove intentional oxidation (shading of the metal), requiring professional re-oxidation.
* Take your jewelry to the pros: Inspect jewelry regularly for damage or loosening, and have it professionally repaired if the need arises. Even if you do not detect damage or loosening, have a professional jeweler inspect metal jewelry to make sure prongs and bezels remain intact.
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