White gold, platinum, palladium….at a casual glance, several of the most popular precious metals look similar. However, each has unique qualities, and your aesthetic, lifestyle and budget will all play a part in deciding which precious metal is right for your one-of-a-kind engagement ring.
Platinum
One of the rarest elements on earth, platinum is a white precious metal with a rich lustre. It is hypo-allergenic, tarnish resistant, and heavier and more durable than gold, all of which make it an excellent choice for engagement rings. Platinum doesn’t wear away over time, nor does it lose any metal if you scratch it, and any dulling patina that develops can be polished away by your jeweller. Being extremely hard, with a very high melting temperature, platinum takes a great deal of skill to work into jewellery. That, along with its rarity, make platinum a luxury choice for engagement rings.
Gold
The traditional material for wedding jewellery, gold is both classic and versatile. Because pure gold, also known as 24 karat gold, is a very soft metal, most gold jewellery is actually alloyed, meaning that other metals are blended with the gold to make it more durable and/or change the colour. A gold engagement ring will usually be 18 karat gold, which means it contains 18 parts pure gold to six parts alloy. The most popular gold colours are:
Yellow Gold
Yellow is the natural colour of gold, and the higher the karat of your gold ring, the more yellow it will appear. Because pure gold is so soft, gold rings are vulnerable to scratching and other impact damage, although they will not tarnish, rust, or corrode. A yellow gold ring can be repaired or resized by most jewellers.
White Gold
White gold is actually yellow gold alloyed with a white precious metal, usually nickel or palladium. To increase its lustre, white gold is almost always plated with rhodium, which increases its shine and makes it more resistant to damage. Rhodium plating will gradually wear off over time, revealing the more matte metal underneath. To return it to its lustrous best, we recommend bringing your rhodium plated white gold jewellery into the store for replating every six to 12 months.
Rose Gold
Rose gold is gold alloyed with copper, which lends it a distinctive pink tinge. The higher the copper content, the redder your rose gold will appear. Its warm colour is flattering against all skin tones, and it has a special appeal for lovers of vintage-style jewellery. The added copper in rose gold makes it more durable than yellow or white gold. However, because copper is not hypoallergenic, rose gold is off the table if you’re prone to metal allergies.
Palladium
Part of the platinum family, palladium is a rare, silver-white precious metal. Until quite recently, it was most commonly used as an alloy in white gold, but since the early 2000s palladium jewellery has increased in popularity. It’s softer and less durable than platinum, but harder than white gold, and doesn’t require rhodium plating to increase its shine. Like all noble metals, palladium is hypoallergenic and does not tarnish or corrode.
One more thing...
The relative prices of precious metals are in flux, meaning that while palladium and platinum were once costlier than gold, this is no longer always the case. So don’t assume that one of the rarer precious metals is beyond your reach if you’ve heard that it’s “worth more than gold”. Speak to our consultants for up-to-date advice on the best precious metal for your engagement ring.