Jewelry Education : Precious Metals
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Fine jewelry can be crafted from a variety of different metals. Learn more about the options and how to choose the best precious metal for your next piece of jewelry.
Gold
Gold is a durable metal that does not tarnish, rust, or oxidize. Pure 24K gold is very soft and malleable. Gold is mixed with different alloy metals to create different purities, strengths, and even different colors including white, yellow, and rose gold.
Different gold purity levels affect the hardness of the metal. The harder the gold alloy, the better jewelry made with it will hold up to every day wear. This is more important for some pieces of jewelry than others. Rings for example will see more wear than a pair of earrings.
Mohs Hardness Scale:
- 18k gold - 2.8 hardness level
- 14k gold - 3.5 to 4 hardness level
Platinum
Platinum is a rare precious metal - even more rare than gold. It's the heaviest of the precious metals, and also the most pure when used to create jewelry. It has a beautiful white luster and never needs refinishing.
Mohs Hardness Scale:
- 4 to 4.5 hardness level
Silver
Silver content here.
Mohs Hardness Scale:
- 2.5 to 3 hardness level