Fine Jewelry Metal Guide

K Gold


When making a piece of moissanite ring, lab diamond ring, or other fine jewelry and considering the budget and style, metal materials are also an essential part of gold jewelry. Metal materials commonly used are K gold, platinum, and silver. Here we take a closer look at these precious metals.

  K gold is an alloy of gold and other metals fused, and its full name is Karatgold; the "AU" or "G" is the international symbol used to indicate the purity of gold. One of the characteristics of gold is that it is highly malleable and therefore difficult to set in various delicate styles, especially when set with diamond, pearls, gemstone, and jade that can easily be lost. Therefore, people add a small amount of silver, copper, zinc, and other metals to gold to increase the strength and toughness of gold, so made of gold jewelry, also known as K gold. K gold comes in various colors, including white gold, yellow gold, rose gold, black gold, etc. "K gold" is the natural yellow color of gold itself, "K white gold" is a white alloy of gold with palladium or nickel; A white alloy still mainly composed of gold. Because of its white color, white gold is the most easily confused white metal with platinum but is an entirely different metal from platinum. White gold is less expensive than platinum and gold and is now widely used in jewelry making.  when gold with copper, it takes on a rose gold color.

  • 1. Yellow series k gold jewelry: gold jewelry is always a favorite of many women. Although it is traditional, single style, wearing k gold jewelry women, the taste's graceful and noble temperament and elegant atmosphere is the best.
  • 2. white series of k gold jewelry: pure white k gold jewelry is the most classic style. Whether studs, pendants, or rings, a unique female temperament,, and taste can not help but emanate.
  • 3. Red series of k gold jewelry: red represents passion, so women who wear red k gold jewelry exude a passionate, active temperament and taste from the inside out.
  • 4. Colourful series of k gold jewellery: colourful k gold jewellery will surely capture the young women. Shy and lovely, bird-like temperament and taste are the feminine charms that come with coloured k gold jewellery. 
K gold jewelry is characterized by low gold use, and low cost can be formulated into a variety of colors, improved hardness, and is not easy to deformation and wear. K gold according to the amount of gold content and divided into 24 k gold, 22 k gold, 18 k gold, 9 k gold, etc. K gold measurement method is: pure gold for 24K (i.e., 100% gold content), 1K of gold content is about 4.166%. According to international standards, K gold is divided into 24 kinds. However, as jewelry with K gold kinds is less than these, the world use of jewelry materials is not less than 8 K. So, jewelry with K gold kinds is 17 kinds.

The gold content of each open gold are (in brackets for the national standard):

  • 8k=8*4.166%=33.328%(333‰)
  • 9k=9*4.166%=37.494%(375‰)
  • 10k=10*4.166%=41.660%(417‰)
  • 12k=12*4.166%=49.992%(500‰)
  • 14k=14*4.166%=58.324%(583‰)
  • 18k=18*4.166%=74.998%(750‰)
  • 20k=20*4.166%=83.320%(833‰)
  • 21k=21*4.166%=87.486%(875‰)
  • 22k=22*4.166%=91.652%(916‰)
  • 24k=24*4.166%=99.984%(999‰)
    • The more popular jewelry materials are 14K gold and 18K gold; Let's take a closer look at the difference between 14k and 18k


14k GOLD


14K gold indicates 58.5% gold content in the jewelry. 14k = 100%/24*14 = 58.333% (585‰). For identification purposes, the gold content of 14K gold is generally agreed to be 58.5% internationally. The remaining 41.5% is other metals. 14K gold can be made in different colors, such as white, yellow, and rose, known as 14K white gold, 14K gold, and 14K rose gold.


  • 14K white gold: 58.5% gold + silver + nickel + zinc
  • 14K yellow gold: 58.5% gold + nickel + silver + zinc
  • 14K rose gold: 58.5% gold + copper + silver + zinc 
14K gold is hard, durable, and flexible and can be set with various gemstones. Its richness, novelty, and diversity of styles can fully meet people's fashionable personality needs. The price is also moderate, so people increasingly love 14K gold. and it is a hot precious metal in the jewelry market and is gradually becoming a fashionable consumer trend.


18K Gold


18K gold is an alloy containing at least 75% gold, i.e., 18/24 gold, and the remaining 25% other precious metals, including platinum, nickel, silver, copper, and palladium. 18K gold jewelry has the lovely value of gold. It has the advantage of being malleable, hard, and colorful due to its perfect composition, which allows it to be used in the design of jewelry in complex and exquisite ways. It is also the ideal ratio of malleability, hardness, and color. Due to its 25% content of other metals, 18K gold can also be produced in different colors, such as white, yellow, and rose, known as white 18K gold, 18K yellow gold, and 18K rose gold. In the world of jewelry trends, K gold is the mainstream; 18 K flexibility is good, does more styles, and is more delicate, but because 18K contains 75% gold and 25% of precious metals, wearing and rubbing for some time, wear off the plating will change to its own slight yellow. At that time, you may have to ask for a refurbishment in the shop.


  • 18K white gold: 75% gold + silver + nickel + platinum + zinc or 75% + palladium, a slightly greenish-yellow white colour
  • 18K yellow gold: 75% gold + nickel + silver + zinc
  • 18K rose K-gold: 75% gold + copper + silver + zinc
  • 18K black K-gold: 75% gold + strong iron
    As we know, most of 14k gold and 18K gold matel will include Nikel, but some people are Nickel Allergy, we should we do? you can contact your jewelry manufacturer to custom a Nikel free jewelry.



Platinum


Platinum, abbreviated as Pt, is a naturally white precious metal. According to national precious metal jewelry standards, only platinum can be called white gold. In addition, only jewelry with a platinum content of 850‰ or more can bear the proprietary hallmark of platinum - Pt. The hallmark is followed by a thousand marks indicating the purity of the platinum (platinum content), and platinum jewelry usually bears the purity mark of Pt850, Pt900, Pt950, Pt990, or Pt999, which is like platinum. It is like an identity card for platinum and provides a guarantee of its quality. Platinum is used extensively in jewelry making and is so flexible that just one gram of platinum can be drawn into a wire over a mile long. It simply shifts out of place. Both white and yellow gold needs to be alloyed with other metals to make jewelry because they are not as durable as platinum and are more prone to wear and tear in comparison. So we need to be very careful when wearing them.

Platinum characteristics:

  • 1) Highest purity, good luster, and non-allergenic: Platinum is white, pure, natural, an expression of perfection, and a true reflection of its inner self. The most popular platinum jewelry is PT950 jewelry, with an available platinum content of 950‰, which does not fade or change color and can retain its luster over time. The natural white luster of platinum reflects the true brilliance of diamonds. The purity of platinum is also very suitable for skin wear, as it contains no impurities, so platinum does not cause allergic reactions to the skin.
  • (2), Rarest: Platinum is the rarest precious metal in the world and is a sought-after treasure for those with a taste for life. Platinum is 30 times rarer than gold and can only be mined in very few places around the world. If you poured the world's newly mined platinum into an Olympic standard swimming pool every year, it would not be deep enough to cover the back of a foot, whereas gold could fill as many as three swimming pools. The rarity of platinum makes it more prestigious and distinctive and allows you to express your personality.
  • 3 ) Only skilled artisans dare to make it. Platinum has a higher melting point than gold and requires more experienced workers.
  • 4) The most stable, malleable: timeless, platinum's density and weight make it more durable than other jewelry metals. One six-inch square (15cm) cube of platinum weighs 165lbs (75kg), the weight of an average man. Platinum is heat and acid resistant, does not wear out, and holds precious jewelry securely and steadily. All precious metals leave scratches, and platinum is no exception. However, scratches on platinum only move the metal, not reduce its volume. If a blemish appears on visible platinum, it can be refinished by a qualified jeweler and is an excellent choice as a precious metal.
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925 Sterling Silver


925 Sterling Silver: 925 silver is 92.5% silver with 7.5% copper and other alloys, improving hardness and luster. It is mainly used to make fashionable silver jewelry with more sophisticated techniques and is recognized as the sterling silver standard by international standards.

Silver jewelry is available in a wide range of styles and prices, keeping up with fashion and making it easy to match with clothing.

It is divided into three main categories: bright silver, primary silver (handmade silver), and Thai silver. These are divided into inlaid silver, set with precious stones, and plain silver, which is not.

Bright silver: By electroplating rhodium or other electroplating materials on the surface of silver jewelry, gives the silver a luster like white gold and isolates the silver from the air, which can keep the silver jewelry from oxidizing for a longer period of time, as long as the plating is not damaged.

Raw Silver: Silver itself is not processed in any way and is made by semi- or fully handcrafted techniques, giving the silver jewelry a rustic and natural style.

Thai silver: vintage style silver jewelry, through artificial sulphurization, so that the silver oxidation is old, this type of silver style is more individual, highlighting the own silver style, and yellow and white gold jewelry distinguished, a variety of styles, both noble and elegant type, but also casual personality type, loved by many fashionable people. It is popular with many fashionistas. It is commonly known as Thai silver because of the maturity of the process in Southeast Asian countries.

How to maintain and clean your jewelry

Many people like gold and silver jewelry but know very little about its maintenance, and some even think it is challenging to maintain. We understand why jewelry will be lost color or become black; we need to spend a little thought in daily life; you can let yourself wear the fine jewelry as good as new.

Maintain and clean gold jewelry methods 

1. When wearing 10K gold , 14Kgold and 18k gold inlaid jewellery, try to avoid contact with chemicals.

The original color of K gold is golden yellow, while the white K gold we see is the color after electroplating. If there is frequent contact with chemicals (e.g., skincare products, hand soap, vinegar, etc.), the plating will easily be corroded and reveal the original color of K gold. For this reason, please remove your jewelry when applying and removing make-up, and do not wear your diamond ring for cooking, washing, performing chemical experiments, etc. Before doing so, gently place the jewelry in a special jewelry box.

2. Avoid bumping or rubbing your jewellery against hard objects such as metal.

Although diamonds are hard, they can be cracked, and precious metals such as K gold and platinum can also be scratched by friction or squeezed and deformed, resulting in unattractive jewelry. Therefore, it is not advisable to do strenuous physical or sporting activities when wearing a diamond ring. In this way, you can wear elegant taste, but also protect the diamond ring is not easy to damage.

3. Avoid placing jewellery in an overly cold or hot environment

Metal tends to expand and contract, so the jewelry's temperature can affect it. Placing your diamond ring in an overly cold or hot environment will impact the solidity of the diamond setting. It may even cause the diamond to loosen and fall off, resulting in unnecessary damage. Therefore, do not place your jewelry in places that are too cold or too hot, and try to avoid areas with significant differences in temperature between hot and cold, such as cold storage and bathrooms.

4. often gently wipe with a soft cloth, but do not use the chemical composition of the hand soap and another cleaning

When wearing a diamond ring, it will inevitably contact many items, so it is easy to be contaminated by dust or oil. You can always wipe it gently with a soft cloth, but do not use chemical-based hand soap to avoid rusting the precious metal. You can also ask the staff at the shop where you buy your jewelry to help you clean it regularly so that the dust, oil, and other impurities can be removed, which will avoid damage to the jewelry and make it look new. 

The discoloration or fading of K gold jewelry is closely related to human sweat. 99% of human sweating is water, and the other 1% is the body's waste and harmful substances, such as chloride, lactic acid, urea, urea ammonia, etc. When these substances contact the silver and copper in K-gold jewelry, a chemical reaction occurs, resulting in silver chloride and copper sulfide and a dark black chemical salt. These chemical salts are the leading cause of the tarnishing of K gold. The chemical salts often fall off the gold jewelry and contaminate the wearer's skin, leaving an apparent black stain on the skin.

Some cosmetics also contain fine, hard particles, which can constitute another type of tarnish that can wear away at K gold jewelry. Environmental factors can also cause gold jewelry to lose its lustrous color. For example, in drier regions, the air contains more fine dust, which can form a kind of "human sandpaper" when contaminated with the human body, irritating K gold jewelry with excellent chips and local black stains. It is also worth noting that talcum powder or moisturizer contains similar particles, which can also dull the color of karat gold jewelry, as described above

Maintain and clean silver jewelry methods 

  • silver jewelry is not worn to clean and then put away, preferably with an airtight pocket to prevent oxidation black. If the wearer sweats a lot, you can wipe the surface with a soft cloth every day to maintain the luster and remove dirt. Silver jewelry with white gold plating on the surface should preferably be polished with a special silver polishing cloth purchased from silver jewelry brand shops. Note: Silver polishing cloths contain maintenance ingredients and cannot be washed.
  • no electroplated white gold silver jewelry; daily cleaning can be done by yourself. For example, squeeze some toothpaste, add some water, scrub with a soft cloth; the crevices can be brushed with a delicate soft-haired toothbrush, and then rinse with water. (The silver jewelry with gemstones cannot be wetted so as not to affect the solidity of the glue, it is best to be cleaned by the professional staff of the shop)
  • silver jewelry process variety, maintenance methods also vary, can not be generalized, for many online maintenance methods can only be used for reference. It is best to ask the shop professionals to avoid their improper operation, resulting in damage to the beloved silver jewelry.
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