Gold Jewelry Station

A gold ring is just a gold ring, right? Wrong! The more you investigate this stunning piece of finger jewelry, the more varieties and options you will find. First of all, gold rings are generally never made of pure gold. This yellow metal is surprisingly soft and for jewelry purposes would simply be impractical. The wearer would always be getting scratches on it, and it would warp and bend quite easily. In jewelry, gold rings have other metals added, such as silver, palladium and nickel to form more durable alloys which are more able to withstand the daily trials they will need to endure.

Pure gold is classified as 24 carat (ct). When you start shopping for gold accessories, such as rings, bracelets and earrings, you will see the quality marked in carats. In the USA, 14 carat gold jewelry is popular; across the pond in the UK, it is far more common to see 9 carat and 18 carat gold at the jeweler’s store. So in the USA, 14 carats means that 14 parts in 24 is gold, and the remaining 10 parts is other metal (or metals) to form the alloy. These are all examples of yellow gold and a whole variety of different gold rings can be found, either as simple metal bands, or rings with various gemstones set into them.

Some people consider yellow gold to be very formal, or even old-fashioned. They tend to prefer the more modern look of white gold. White gold rings are made from gold alloyed with varying quantities of silver and copper, to produce the 10, 14 and 18 carat white gold jewelry that is most commonly available. It is often thought that the silvery white color of this jewelry is the white gold itself, but in reality, this metal alloy is formed in a range of colors, depending on the exact amounts of the other additives – anything from pale yellow or light brown to pale pink! The shiny reflective white color is actually rhodium plate deposited on the surface.

If you are in the mood to really push the boat out and choose a stunning piece of jewelry, then there are lots of gold rings that are made from two tone gold, so you get the best of both worlds, with a chance to wear yellow and white gold at the same time.

And once you have spent time perusing all the gold options available, you will only be scratching the surface of what is available. Next stop: which gemstone to pick!