Metals
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February 10, 2023
How times change. Thirty years ago, selecting a wedding band was a simple choice. You could have gold (white or yellow), and maybe choose a pattern and some diamonds. Today, however, is another story all together. Tungsten, cobalt chrome, platinum, titanium, and palladium have all been added into the mix. So, how do I pick the metal that is right for me, you might ask? It's not as hard as you might think. An examination of the properties and pricing of the metals should clear up, or at the very least, narrow your choices down a bit. There are two basic groupings of metals used in wedding bands; precious and alternative. Precious refers to valuable metals such as gold, platinum, and palladium. Alternative is everything else. That was easy, right? Now for the slightly harder part: looking at what each of these metals has to offer. We will start with the precious metals. ...Read more » -
November 17, 2022
Warm up the winter months with a jewelry trend perfect for creating bold and brilliant looks, even in the coldest winter temperatures. If you're not already familiar with yellow gold jewelry or how to wear it, no worries! We'll go over everything you need to know about this trend: why it's so popular right now; where you can wear it; how to stack your favorite pieces; and more! Get ready for winter with the yellow gold jewelry trend! The yellow gold jewelry ...Read more » -
August 10, 2020We’ve all been there: we open up the jewelry box, pull out an old favorite, only to find the once shiny silver is now dull and tarnished. You can clean your sterling silver, but wouldn’t it be nice to store your jewelry and not have to clean it when you pull it out to wear? In fact, preventing tarnish is much easier than cleaning tarnish, and keeping your sterling clean and tarnish-free will help your silver jewelry last longer. We’ve got a few great tips for keeping your sterling silver jewelry clean and tarnish-free. Find out how to keep that sterling silver jewelry looking as beautiful as the day you bought it. ...Read more »
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November 20, 2017Platinum - A Diamond's Best Friend. Surveys reveal that more than 80% of women looking to be engaged, prefer Platinum for their engagement ring setting. This highly desirable and precious metal is the best compliment to a diamond because it is Pure, Rare and Eternal. Purest and Rarest of Metals Typically, a piece of platinum jewelry is made up of 95% precious platinum. Compared to 14K gold which is 58.5% gold, or 18K gold which is 75% gold, platinum's purity makes it naturally hypoallergenic especially for those with sensitive skin. Platinum is 30 times more rare than gold, which is why the world's finest diamonds and gemstones were only set in platinum. Naturally White and Never Fades Platinum's everlasting white metal never reflects color into the diamond it showcases. Unlike white gold that requires rhodium plating every 12-18 months, platinum will never fade or change color. Platinum is eternally white. ...Read more »
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December 04, 2014Every person likes something different when they are looking for fashion pieces of jewelry. Customers like different shapes and colors of stones along with different metals. There are certain metals and stones that can be worn on an everyday basis with no real potential for damage and then there are stones that should be worn with a bit more care and a little less often. Stones that can be worn everyday with little or no worry to you, the customer, are Diamonds, Sapphires, Rubies, and ...Read more »
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February 12, 2014The other day, I had a couple come in and ask about platinum. As it turns out, they had purchased a platinum ring from another jeweler and were very unhappy with the ring. They told me they thought it would not scratch, bend or dull like gold because it was a harder metal. I examined the ring and found it to be in excellent condition, however she had bent a prong on the center diamond and it was indeed dull. I explained I could straighten the prong and return the polish to it. She thought she should not have to do anything like that to a platinum ring, this is not true. Here are 4 facts about platinum that you should know about purchasing platinum jewelry: 1. Platinum ...Read more »
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February 05, 2014There are so many things that couples have to think about and plan when it comes to their special day. There is everything from the dress down to what the place settings are going to look like. One thing that is often left to be dealt with later is the rings. Couples wait till they are about a month away from their weddings to go shopping for their rings. This can be dangerous in many cases. When shopping for a man's wedding band: Most of the time the man's ring is the easiest one to get. Most men just want a ring that fits well and looks nice. Most don't care about the metal or if it has diamonds. This isn't to say that there aren't men that do care about these aspects, but the real thing to consider is that they are not trying to find a ring that fits well with another ring, like women are. ...Read more »
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September 18, 2013The other day a customer came in with a ring she purchased about a year ago. She asked me, "Is it just me, or does this look like my white gold ring is turning yellow to you, too?" Before I could answer, she promptly informed me the store where she purchased it told her it was 14kt white gold. She felt she was misled and the ring was some base metal that had been plated and she was obviously upset about the situation. Unfortunately, we run into this in the jewelry industry far too often. Why? Because we as jewelers do a poor job explaining the metals and gemstones we sell. We are also guilty of assuming that everyone has all the basics of jewelry knowledge that we possess. These two items lead to more confusion and anger on the part of our guests than anything else we do. What does 14kt really mean? ...Read more »
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April 22, 2013Many of us like to help in keeping the Earth a clean place to live. We see it on Pinterest all the time; ways to make detergents and homemade cleaners and we pin them thinking it's a great idea. This stops us from having to buy the awful chemical items and we help lessen then amount of bottles in landfills. One of the common properties of sterling silver is that tarnishes. Tarnish on sterling silver jewelry is most often removed by with a specially treated polish cloth or by dipping jewelry into a liquid chemical created especially for this purpose. Here is a way to remove tarnish on your sterling silver jewelry with harmless substances found in just about every kitchen. 1. Put a heatproof ...Read more »
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August 30, 2012Palladium is a precious white metal and a member of the platinum group of metals. It has become particularly popular as a jewelry metal recently as the price of gold has increased. Palladium is strong and durable, but yet weighs less than platinum; allowing bigger and bolder jewelry designs to be created and worn with ease. One of the great features of palladium is that it shares the strength of platinum, but not the price.It's naturally white so it will retain its brilliance for life, unlike white gold which may need to be rhodium plated over time to keep its bright white color. Those allergic to some other metals will love palladium's ...Read more »
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