The Silver Lining: Know Your White Metals
The Silver Lining: Know Your White Metals
So you’ve decided you want to purchase a silver-colored piece of jewelry (also known as “white metals”), but you see many options, like Sterling silver, rhodium, white gold, platinum and stainless steel, as well as pewter, titanium, aluminum and tungsten. So what’s the difference, and more importantly, which one is the best?
Surprisingly, they all look very similar. However, there are many differences, such as hardness/durability, cost, maintenance, weight and allergy concerns. To help you narrow down your search, I decided to give you an overview of each of the most popular white metals. Please use this blog article as a reference guide to help you with silver jewelry shopping. I hope it helps!
SILVER is a natural element with a light grayish-silver hue, which is found in Peru, Poland, Norway, Canada, the United States, Mexico, and Bolivia. Silver is a very soft metal, so it must be alloyed (mixed) with one or more other, more durable, metals to make jewelry with it, which is referred to as “Sterling silver.” Sterling silver jewelry is stamped with “925” which means it contains 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% other metals, usually copper; but Sterling silver may contain zinc, germanium, silicon, platinum and sometimes even nickel.
Since Sterling silver is an alloy, it will eventually tarnish, especially in humid environments. Although Sterling silver will scratch, it will not rust or corrode, which means tarnished Sterling silver jewelry can be polished/restored back to its original condition. Pure silver is hypoallergenic, as is copper, which is usually the other metal found in Sterling silver. However, if your Sterling silver contains nickel, it will not be hypoallergenic. Gemsicles’ Sterling silver pieces are made with pure silver and copper, and they do not contain nickel. Silver currently costs approximately $18 per ounce, which makes it a great (and inexpensive) jewelry choice.
NOTE: The silver alloy Argentium was created in 1991 and contains a greater amount of pure silver (either 93.5% or 96%) than Sterling silver, with the remainder being made up of germanium, copper and other metals. Argentium costs more than Sterling silver, but it is also lighter and whiter, more durable and 7 times more tarnish resistant than Sterling silver. I personally prefer Sterling silver over Argentium which, to me, looks and feels a little like pewter.
WHITE GOLD is a silvery-white alloy of approximately 50-60% pure gold which has been mixed with approximately 40-50% other metals (usually nickel, zinc, copper, silver and/or palladium), which makes the gold harder and whiter. White gold jewelry is usually plated with rhodium, which protects the white gold, prevents tarnishing and gives it a mirrored, silver finish. However, once the rhodium plating wears off, the white gold is exposed and less protected. The rhodium plating will have to be reapplied, which can be expensive. Additionally, every time the piece is re-plated, a layer of the gold is polished off, which decreases the piece’s value.
Although gold is an element, white gold is an alloy because it is pure gold mixed with other metals. Pure gold costs approximately $1,800 per ounce. The cost of white gold depends on the percentage of pure gold as well as the amount of rhodium in the plating. A white gold piece may cost more than a yellow gold piece (due to the high cost of the rhodium plating), but white gold is usually less expensive than platinum. Although gold is hypoallergenic, white gold often contains nickel, a common allergen. Once the rhodium plating wears off, the nickel is exposed and can cause an allergic reaction.
PLATINUM is a natural element with a bright, shiny white, silvery hue. Since platinum is hypoallergenic, does not tarnish and is very durable, it is a great choice for wedding bands, engagement rings and everyday jewelry. Additionally, platinum is a very hard and heavy metal which does not scratch easily, so it is perfect for setting diamonds and other gemstones. Platinum is a low-maintenance metal which may need occasional professional polishing. Platinum costs approximately $850 per ounce.
RHODIUM is a natural element with a light greyish-white hue. Rhodium is the rarest metal on Earth and, therefore, the most expensive (around $8,500 per ounce). Rhodium is a byproduct of platinum and is only found when mining for platinum. Rhodium is naturally hypoallergenic and is very durable, but it is brittle. Due to its expense and brittle nature, it is not used in its pure form for jewelry-making. Instead, rhodium is always used as a plating. Rhodium makes a wonderful plating because it will not tarnish. However, rhodium plating will wear off and eventually requires re-plating to restore it to its original condition.
TITANIUM is the hardest natural metal element on Earth, and it has a dark grayish-silver hue. Titanium is hypoallergenic, corrosion-resistant, lightweight and durable, 7 times the strength of platinum and one-third the weight. Titanium is more scratch resistant than gold or silver. Titanium is a popular metal choice for men’s wedding bands; however, it does scratch easily and titanium rings cannot be resized.
TUNGSTEN is a natural element with a steel-grey hue, and it currently costs approximately $1,650 per ounce. Although tungsten is the strongest metal on Earth, it is very brittle and scratches easily, so tungsten jewelry will need frequent polishing. Tungsten is naturally hypoallergenic, but due to its brittle nature, many jewelers prefer to work with tungsten carbide, which is harder and more scratch-resistant than tungsten. Tungsten carbide is an alloy of tungsten mixed with nickel and sometimes cobalt and, therefore, tungsten carbide is not hypoallergenic. Although tungsten carbide may contain nickel, the nickel is trapped inside the alloy and not exposed to the skin. However, cobalt can also cause an allergic reaction. Tungsten carbide is harder than tungsten and more scratch resistant. Tungsten and tungsten carbide are popular metal choices for men’s wedding bands; however, they cannot be resized.
NIOBIUM is a very strong natural element with a silver hue, which can be anodized (colored) in other colors. Niobium is corrosion-resistant, hypoallergenic and very inexpensive (approximately 55 cents per ounce). Niobium earwires are a great option for people with nickel allergies or sensitive earlobes.
ALUMINUM is a very common natural element on Earth, which makes it very inexpensive (less than 10 cents per ounce). Aluminum has a natural silver hue, but it can be anodized in other colors. Aluminum is malleable and does not tarnish or corrode easily; however, it is fragile and prone to bending and denting. Aluminum jewelry can be worn in water, but it is not hypoallergenic.
NICKEL is a natural element with a silvery white hue. Nickel is a durable metal which does not tarnish easily. Nickel is very inexpensive, around 40 cents per ounce, but it is not hypoallergenic. In jewelry-making, nickel is sometimes used in alloys to make other metals whiter and more durable.
STAINLESS STEEL is an alloy of iron, chromium, nickel, molybdenum, manganese, silicon, copper, nitrogen, carbon, phosphorus, titanium, and/or sulphur. Stainless steel is strong and durable, and it will not bend, break, rust or corrode with normal wear. Stainless steel is very inexpensive, at less than $1 per ounce. Although stainless steel contains nickel, the nickel is trapped inside the alloy and is usually not exposed to the skin, which makes stainless steel hypoallergenic. Stainless steel is a popular new trend in jewelry-making because it is inexpensive, hypoallergenic and easy to work with. However, when buying stainless steel jewelry, we recommend 316L surgical stainless steel, which is a common stainless steel used in medical implants. 316L surgical stainless steel is a prettier, brighter, whiter alloy which is more expensive, more durable and more hypoallergenic than regular stainless steel; and it is also less corrosive.
PEWTER is an alloy of tin and copper with a light silver hue, which can be antiqued. Pewter is a very soft alloy, which can be easily dented or damaged. Pewter is not hypoallergenic. Although pewter does not tarnish, it will naturally oxidize, giving it an antiqued appearance.
GUNMETAL is not an element or an alloy, but rather “gunmetal” is the term used to describe metal platings with a grey background with hints of blue and/or purple. The term “gunmetal” comes from the alloy of copper, bronze and zinc which was historically used to make guns.
Click here to contact me or to shop Gemsicles, www.Gemsicles.Etsy.com
Click here to join the Gemsicles Gift Club, receive today's GEMber-only coupon code, and automatically be entered in ALL of our jewelry giveaways, http://eepurl.com/g4luJT