Choosing the right metal for an engagement ring is crucial, yet simple. When presented with the choices of white gold, yellow gold, or platinum, you need only pay attention for a few days. If a woman wears yellow gold, then the choice is clear. If a woman wears silver jewelry, then white gold or platinum are your choices for an engagement ring. While white gold and platinum appear almost exactly alike when new, a white gold ring will, over time, begin to turn yellow. White gold is made up of 75% yellow gold and is rhodium-plated. This is the standard for all white gold jewelry. As the rhodium plating wears away, the ring will appear slightly yellow. White gold is, nonetheless, a stunning metal that lasts for years and years, depending on how well it is taken care of. Platinum is a much stronger white metal that will not change as long as it is properly cleaned.
PlatinumAmong the rarest of metals, platinum is more valuable than gold. While annual worldwide production of gold amounts to over 1500 tons, platinum production adds up to only about 160 tons. It is found in very few places, with South Africa being the most platinum-rich country. | |
Rose GoldRose gold is a gold and copper alloy commonly used for specialized jewelry because of its reddish color. It is also known as red gold and pink gold. Due to its popularity in Russia in the early 19th century, it is also sometimes referred to as Russian gold, although rarely. | |
White Gold
White gold is gaining popularity because it has the overall look of platinum, but is less expensive. When purchasing a diamond engagement ring, white gold is a great setting for diamonds of color ratings D-I, enhancing the colorlessness and sparkle of the diamond.
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Yellow GoldThis is the most common color for gold, as it naturally forms this way. For use in jewelry, it is usually alloyed with silver and copper. The purity of gold is expressed in karats (k or kt), not to be confused with the unit of weight for diamonds, which is carats or carat weight (ct or cttw). |