At CAD Culture, we specialise in jewellery design, and will even cast your jewellery designs in silver, gold or platinum. When you’re designing your jewellery, the metal you use is an important part of the process. Not only is it a major indicator of how the piece will look, but each metal comes with its own properties, strengths and weaknesses you need to consider. In light of this, we’ve decided to offer you a guide to the different precious metals we cast jewellery designs in.
Silver
Silver is a much softer metal compared to gold and platinum, making it less resilient. For this reason, and the fact it tarnishes easily, means it is rarely used for wedding or engagement rings. Silver is also prone to oxidisation, which can sometimes turn the metal black. If you care for your silver jewellery, it can easily be kept looking new.
Gold
Gold is historically the classic colour of wedding bands and jewellery. All gold jewellery is made up of an alloy between gold and other metals. This is measured in Carats, and the more Carats a piece of jewellery has, the more valuable it is. 18 ct gold tends to be a lot more durable than 9ct gold, as well as maintaining a better appearance. The gold alloy will affect the resistance of the jewellery to scratching and also influence the colour of the piece.
Yellow gold – Yellow, or ‘original’ gold is made from an alloy usually including zinc, silver and copper, to give it extra strength and enhance the shine. If you’re after a traditional look to your jewellery, or tend to wear warm colours, yellow gold is your best option. It provides a great contrast for gemstones and other metals.
White gold – White gold mixes yellow gold with silver or palladium to give it its distinct colour. When made with silver, the result is a creamy colour, with a hint of yellow. Palladium offers a richer, darker white colour, as well as making the metal more durable. White gold is often then coated in Rhodium to produce a stunning white finish and extra lustre.
Platinum
Platinum is one of the rarest and most precious metals available, making it increasingly popular for wedding bands. It has an immense level of durability and resistance to everyday tarnishing and scratching, polishing up well. This beautiful white metal is very dense and heavy, so you will feel the weight of a platinum piece of jewellery a lot more than an equivalent gold or silver piece. Unlike gold, which is always as an alloy, platinum jewellery is almost entirely pure, being an average of 95% pure.