When it comes to buying jewelry, we often focus our attention solely on the gem. It’s the centerpoint of the piece and rightfully deserving of the attention. Yet we often overlook what makes the piece of jewelry more than just a gem. Precious metals may all seem the same from a glance, but their luster truly forms the opulent nature of a quality piece of jewelry. It’s important to know the differences between precious metals and what unique qualities each one possess.

What Are Precious Metals?

Precious metals are highly sought after, rare, naturally occurring metals. Due to these reasons they garner a high economic value. Some of the most popular precious metals are gold, silver, platinum, and palladium. These metals serve many purposes, with uses in industrial manufacturing, but the most notable is in jeweling.

 

These precious metals might share the similarity of being used for jeweling but they all offer different characteristics. These metals lend themselves to different styles, durabilities, and price ranges. It’s important to know the differences between precious metals when you are looking for new pieces of jewelry. Depending on your taste, intended purpose, and price range knowing which precious metal is right for you can be just as important as finding the right diamond.

Different Types of Precious Metals

Jack Joseph offers a multitude of different metals when it comes to our jewelry. Whether it be one of our standard pieces or you are looking for a custom engagement ring, we offer a variety of metals to fit your needs. The types of metals that we offer are as follows:

• Platinum
• Rose Gold
• Two-Tone
• White Gold
• Yellow Gold

When it comes to jewelry, we have found that these types of metals are some of the most popular and offer a wide variety in style and appearance. Between these types of metals and all of the ways in which we can style them, we are sure that you will find something you love. If you are new to learning about precious metals we will go into detail about what each metal can offer you. The unique qualities that each metal possesses can greatly determine which piece of jewelry you eventually end up with.

Platinum

Platinum is a highly versatile metal when it comes to jewelry. Its white silver color provides a neutral tone that is great for someone looking to make the diamond the sole focal point to the ring. Platinum is a very durable metal. It is resistant to corrosion and does not tarnish, for this reason very little maintenance is needed to keep it looking pristine.

 

Another valuable characteristic of platinum is also a hypoallergenic metal. If you or the intended recipient of this piece are prone to metal allergies or discomfort wearing jewelry this might be the metal for you. Even if you are someone who doesn’t know if they have any metal allergies, it might be a good choice to go with platinum, just to make sure you don’t end up regretting your choice later on.

 

All of these positives are just some of the reasons why platinum is such a sought after precious metal. Due to the high demand for platinum, it is the highest priced of all of the precious metals. While this may deter some people, platinum’s many positives can warrant the higher price to some buyers looking for a long standing investment.

Rose Gold

Rose gold is the first of our many gold offerings. Rose gold is a gold copper alloy that incorporates a beautiful pink tone to give it an appearance unlike any other precious metal. Jack Joseph offers rings in 14k and 18k rose gold.

 

The big appeal with rose gold, compared to other metal options, is definitely its appearance. In the last decade rose gold has exploded in popularity. This phenomenon has spilled over into all areas that rose gold inhabits, jewelry is not excluded from this rise in popularity. Rose gold can offer an added level of personality to any piece of jewelry and stand out among more traditional options.

 

Because rose gold is an alloy of gold and copper it does hold a higher durability than if it was just gold. Due to this, and its subtle color, rose gold offers itself as a durable option that does not require regular maintenance. When it comes to a price, rose gold is on par with other gold based options and more affordable than platinum.

Two-Tone

Two-tone is one of our specialty options. When customizing a ring, you can choose two of any metal we offer to compliment each other. Depending on the style of the ring, the ratio of each metal may vary. If you look at the catalog of custom rings we offer you can get an idea of what possibilities are available when choosing a two-tone ring.

 

Due to the variety of options available when choosing two-toned metal the pricing and durability will vary. If you would like an idea of what to expect from a two-toned piece of jewelry be sure to look at the sections covering the types of metals you would like to incorporate into your piece.

White Gold

White gold offers a similar hue to that of platinum. The white silver color is a great neutral to complement an intricate or colorful gem. White gold is an alloy of gold and a white metal such as silver, palladium, or nickel. For this reason it’s important to consider any possible metal allergies that a wearer might have.

 

White gold usually features a rhodium plating, because of this the outer layer needs to be maintained, either through thorough care or replating. While this can be a deterrent it is important to consider that it is a more affordable option compared to platinum. Jack Joseph offers rings in 14k and 18k white gold.

Yellow Gold

Yellow gold is a timeless classic. It is a standard that will be appealing for years to come. If you are a more traditional person when it comes to jewelry yellow gold is probably already your ideal metal.

 

Gold in general is very malleable. Because of this it isn’t the strongest of the precious metals. Many times yellow gold is strengthened by an alloy, this way it can hold up against the weathering of everyday use. Jack Joseph offers rings in 14k and 18k yellow gold. Yellow gold is more affordable than platinum and similarly priced to other gold options.

Precious Metals Comparison

We hope that you now have a better understanding of what precious metals are and what the differences between them are. Now that you have seen what kinds of precious metals we offer for jewelry, you can take into account your own tastes and needs and come to the right metal for you. With so many options available we hope you can find what you need to make a piece of jewelry a long lasting treasure.