For many friends who buy jewelry for the first time, in addition to some questions about gems, they often encounter such questions about jewelry and metal materials: for example, What kind of material is “white gold”?
What is the difference between 18K gold name bracelets and platinum? Today, we will talk about the problems of jewelry metal materials.
Confusing “white gold”
For many consumers, “white gold” is a very confusing concept. Many people think that the white metal on the name necklaces jewelry is “white gold”. In fact, the so-called “white gold” usually has two materials, one is white 18K gold, and the other is platinum. 18K gold refers to an alloy with a gold content of 75%, and its main element is gold, which is Au. The color of gold is yellow custom name necklace, and 18K white gold is made by adding other 25% metal elements. The common platinum on the market is an alloy with 95% platinum content, namely PT950. Its main element is Pt, that is, platinum is white in nature.
18K white gold will fade?
Regarding to 18K white gold, many people often ask the question: Will 18K white gold customized necklace fade? The 18K gold that is worn for a long time may have a color change, but this is not the fading that everyone understands. Since the gold is yellow, even if 25% of other metal color is added, the color of the 18K white gold cannot reach the silver white color that everyone thinks, and it will have a pale yellow color. Finally, the 18K white gold presented in front of everyone is the result of a thin layer of rhodium on the surface. After a long period of wearing, the surface coating of 18K platinum monogram necklace may be worn to reveal the original pale yellow color of 18K white gold, which is what many people say will be “faded.” But once this happens, recoating will restore the color.
Analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of 18K gold and PT950
Advantages of 18K gold: In terms of material, 18K gold is more difficult to be deformed because it is mixed with other metals. It can be more firmly embedded with diamonds, and it is easier to make complicated and varied processes. In terms of aesthetics, 18K gold has a rich selection of colors, the unique rose gold mothers rings color also lining the Asian skin color; in terms of price, 18K gold is also relatively affordable and has a wide range of applications, so maintenance and recycling are very convenient.
Disadvantage of 18K gold: Compared to platinum, the silver white color of white 18K gold is obtained by metal surface coating. When the surface coating is worn, it will reveal its own color. However, re-plating can solve this problem.
Advantages of PT950: From the material point of view, platinum has excellent stability, anti-corrosion, anti-oxidation and anti-allergic. In addition, platinum is only displaced if it is scored, and it will not lose quality and can resist the erosion of the years; The bright luster of platinum and the unique white color can better match the sparkle and brilliance of the diamond itself, and the white luster remains unchanged for a long time.
Disadvantages of PT950: Due to the high platinum content of platinum products (Pt950), the biggest disadvantage of platinum ring setting is that the hardness is slightly lower. Compared with 18K gold, it is not strong enough, it is more easily deformed, and it is easy to produce scratches. Moreover, the hardness defects also make the craft slightly limited, so the style is not novel and changeable.
Photo by Jacek Dylag on Unsplash
