Types of gold jewellery

Types of gold jewellery

Gold jewelry is a timeless addition to any wardrobe- the color of gold has been considered attractive since antiquity. Nowadays, there are many ways to obtain the golden aesthetic without going over budget- by buying different types of gold jewelry. But what exactly are you getting? We’re here to give you the rundown about the five types of gold jewelry commonly found in today’s market.

Yellow Gold

Natural gold and color-saturated alloys are what give yellow gold jewelry its rich shine. The alloys most commonly used, are copper with a red hue, and silver featuring a green hue. An expert mixture of copper, silver and pure gold gives this precious metal its signature warmth. Let's see some pro's and cons of yellow gold.

-pro's of yellow gold jewellery :

• Vintage and classic color appearance.
• Easy to work with during repairs and require less maintainence.
• Complements lower colored diamonds nicely and this could lead to substantial savings.

-cons of yellow gold jewellery :

• Lesser engagement ring designs to choose from due to lower popularity.
• Harder to match with fancy color diamonds and gemstones.
• More prone to scratches and may require rebuffing to restore luster.

White Gold

A silvery white character is what makes white gold jewelry so appealing. In order to make the gold white, it is combined with metal alloys that are white in nature and plated with an extremely hard element called rhodium. Although strong, rhodium may wear away over time. Replating is a simple process that can be done to restore whiteness to your jewelry. Let's see some pro's and cons of white gold.

-The pro's of white gold jewellery :

• White gold is a lower cost alternative to platinum with a similar appearance.
• Neutral color enables good matching with different color gemstones/diamonds.
• Hard rhodium coating offers good protection against wear and tear.
• White gold is stronger than yellow gold due to the harder alloyed metals.

-cons of white gold jewellery :

• May cause skin irritation if you are hypoallergenic to nickel.
• Require more maintenance as rhodium needs to be recoated periodically.
• Ring resizing or servicing would require an additional plating step and a higher expense

Rose Gold

The beautiful pink hue of rose gold jewelry is created by using a copper alloy. Again, the overall percentages of metal alloys is the same for rose gold as it is for yellow or white, there is just a different mixture in what alloys are used. Let's see some pro's and cons of rose gold.

-Pros of rose gold jewellery :

Rose gold tends to be more durable than white or yellow gold, and it’s actually quite affordable. Thanks to celebrates like Lauren Conard, this is one of the trendiest metals of the moment.

-Cons of rose gold jewellery :

Rose gold is not as easy to find as white or yellow gold rings. Also, since rose gold is gold mixed with copper, it’s not a good metal for those who are allergic to copper.

GOLD PLATED JEWELLERY

Gold plated jewellery (sometimes called ‘gold plaque’) contain the least amount of gold. Gold plate is created by applying a thin layer of gold (usually between 0.175 microns and 2.5 microns thick) over a base metal using electrical or chemical deposition. Flash plated or gilt refers to very thin and often badly wearing gold plated finishes which are usually less than 0.175 microns thick.

Of all the alternatives to solid gold, gold plated jewellery usually contains the least amount of gold. As such it will wear more quickly, especially if flash plated.

-Pros of gold plated jewellery

The main pro is that the price will be a lot lower than other finishes given the small amount of gold. Also wear on gold plated jewellery can often be repaired by having it plated again by a manufacturing jeweller or specialist gold plating business.

-Cons of gold plated jewellery

The significant downside is how easily gold plated (and especially flash plated) finishes will wear through to the base metal beneath. Those with metal allergies are likely to find that the solid gold finish will wear quickly enough that the base metal beneath may give them problems sooner rather than later, especially for pieces like rings and bangles that take a lot of wear and tear.

Vermeil

The industry standard definition of vermeil is sterling silver that is plated with 10k gold with a minimum of 2.5 microns in thickness for long-wearing durability.

-Pros of gold vermeil jewellery

The main pro is simply affordability. Gold vermeil is a good alternative to solid gold. It won’t wear quite as well as gold filled, but most jewellers are able to create this finish much more easily than gold filled. In addition, like regular gold plated jewellery, the finish can be repaired by re-plating.

-Cons of gold vermeil jewellery

The cons here are the same as with gold plated jewellery, but in the case of gold vermeil the plating is almost always heavier than standard gold plated metal, meaning it will wear better and the finish will last longer, especially with proper care.