What Are The White Jewelry Metals?

Sterling Silver

Sterling Silver is versatile metal and can have a high polish, matte, brushed , satin, sandblasted, oxidized (chemically blackened), or antiqued finish.

Silver is a naturally soft metal and must be mixed with other metals to create an alloy; it is commonly mixed with copper.  For jewelry to be labeled sterling silver, it must contain at least 92.5% pure silver.

Sterling silver's versatility and affordability create limitless options for fashionable jewelry.  While sterling silver can tarnish or darken, it is easy to return silver to its natural finish with proper care and cleaning.

Platinum

Platinum's luster complements the sparkle of diamonds and gems.  Its finish can range from a bright polish to a soft matte texture.

Jewelry made with platinum will have markings of Platinum, Pt, or Plat, meaning that it contains at least 95% pure platinum.  If marked "iridplat," it contains 90% platinum and 10% iridium, another platinum group.

Platinum's strength assures you that your most precious diamonds and gems will be protected and secured.  Platinum's purity makes it hypoallergenic and thus the perfect choice for those with sensitive skin and its durability makes it ideal for wearing every day, as it sustains very little metal loss over a lifetime of wear.  Some wearers of brightly polished platinum jewelry may not like the "patina" that platinum naturally develops with time but the bright shine can be restored with a simple repolishing. 

White Gold

White gold gets its color by mixing yellow gold with alloys like nickel, zinc, and palladium.  Due to the variety of the alloys used, white gold colors will vary.  Sometimes white gold is covered with rhodium plating to create a bright, pure white finish.

White gold is available in karatages up to 21 karat; it is not possible to have 22K or 24K white gold.  18K gold is 75% pure, 14K is 58.5% pure, and 10K (the lowest karatage legally sold as gold jewelry in the U.S.) is 41.7% pure.

White gold is more affordable yet still durable and precious alternative to platinum.  It doesn't tarnish like silver.  But some rhodium-plated white gold can "yellow "over time and may need to be occasionally replated with rhodium.  However, some manufactures are creating white gold alloys that are white enough to not need rhodium plating.  Be sure to ask your jeweler about these newer alloys.  When gold is alloyed with nickel, it can be allergenic to a small percentage of wearers who have sensitive skin.  In response, many refiners and manufactures are now offering white gold that doesn't contain nickel.

Palladium

Palladium gas garnered much attention from jewelers since it offers many of the benefits of platinum - bright white color, purity, and strength - at a more affordable price.  Jewelry designers are taking advantage of palladium's strong, light characteristics and creating new white metal jewelry that is solid and bold but affordable.

Palladium, like platinum, is a very pure metal.  Look for 950 Palladium, which means that the metal used is 95% pure, and usually mixed with 5% ruthenium.  Sometimes jewelers use a 90% palladium /10% iridium combination.  Both ruthenium and iridium, like palladium, are among the group of metal related to platinum.

Palladium does not require plating to maintain its lustrous white color, and it is hypoallergenic.  It will not tarnish.  However, palladium is neither as rare nor as heavy as platinum

Titanium, Tungsten Carbide, Stainless Steel

The metals' steely, gray appearance especially appeals to men.  Titanium also has a unique property that allows it to be transformed, using heat or chemicals, into bright colors like blue, purple, and black.  The metals are often used in inlay designs, with contrasting metals and patterns in rings and bracelets.  Jewelry made from these metals often feature contemporary designs in rings, bracelets, cufflinks, earrings, money clips, and necklaces.

Unlike the precious metals - platinum, gold, silver and palladium - these metals are nearly as rare. Titanium is the ninth most common element found on earth; stainless steel was created in a laboratory.  The alternative metals have the dual benefits of being very strong, and also lightweight.  And they are durable.  In fact, tungsten is considered the world's hardest metal substance; it ranks 8-9 on the MOHs hardness scale (diamonds are a 10).  It is roughly ten times harder than gold and four times harder than titanium.

Titanium, stainless, and tungsten carbide offer affordable alternatives to precious white metal jewelry.  They are non-corrosive and hypoallergenic.  Jewelry made using these industrial metals is scratch resistant and will retain its polish longer than other metals.  When used in chain or link bracelets, the metals are less likely to snap or break - making the need for repair infrequent.  However, their strength also limits their applications.  They are so tough that resizing rings is sometimes difficult - though many manufacturers do offer a resizing service to retailers who cannot resize the rings themselves.

Jewelers of America, INC.