A Survivor's Guide to Jewelry Buying - About Metals
Learning About the Noble Metals
If you’re being honest, is the thought of picking out jewelry intimidating? Do you hear words like “clarity” or “rose gold” and feel a little anxious? You’re not alone! Jewelry buying can be a landscape full of uncertainties with a plethora of options. From platinum to gold, silver to copper, diamonds to sapphires, the options look overwhelming. It may seem as if the safest option is buying from a familiar name in jewelry where everybody else is shopping.
We want to offer you the opportunity to purchase jewelry as unique as your love story. Ultimately, we want to put the power of jewelry buying into your hands so you can make informed decisions regarding pieces that last a lifetime. More than that, we want our customers to understand what they are looking for while confidently avoiding pitfalls along the way.
What’s our first step? Understanding the different kinds of metals and their properties.
What are noble metals?
These metals can be worked by hand (soldered, cut, and hammered). This malleability makes platinum, gold, and silver practical and smart choices for the jewelry industry. Titanium, cobalt, and tungsten carbide are sometimes used in Men’s wedding bands. However, these are not considered noble metals since they lack malleability.
Noble metals are known to resist oxidation and corrosion in moist air. In other words, they’re rust resistant. Additionally, they possess varying degrees of resistance to acids such as those found in cosmetics and lotions. This is good news for those who want their jewelry to last while enjoying the things they love.
Gold, silver, platinum, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, iridium, and osmium are all considered noble metals. These are known for their properties mentioned above and they also make beautiful additions to jewelry whether you’re wanting a necklace, ring, or bracelet.
Moreover, gold, silver, and platinum have their own specific characteristics. These metals occur all around the globe, but they are not in large enough quantities to render them less valuable. Also, they’re considered precious metals and have been used as a form of currency throughout history. Different cultures consider these metals beautiful, sensuous, and glamorous which only increase their appeal.
More than anything, we enjoy the chance to work through questions with our customers. Communicating the art and science of jewelry is our number one goal, and we look forward to walking you through the different steps of jewelry buying as we give you a glimpse into our personable take on our craft.