Fine jewelry has multiple components that go into creating the whole piece to appear as it does. Out of all the factors that can affect a jewelry piece’s appearance, the color of the metal plays an important role in increasing its appeal. By selecting the right color, you can transform the look of the precious stones and the whole design altogether. A comprehensive guide to choosing the right metal color is provided below to help you create the best bespoke jewelry.
1. Selections Available in the Market
When it comes to metals that are used for jewellery making, the variety consists of gold, silver and platinum. Within gold, you can select between yellow gold, white gold or rose gold – each name suggesting the metal’s color. Silver and platinum appear to have a similar color tone as white gold but differ in their strength, durability and price.
Platinum is considered to be the most expensive of all metals and appears silver in color along with grey undertones just as silver metal. However, it is stronger and more resistant to any scratches, corrosion or other forces that are brought to the piece when you wear it. This makes it a favorable choice for jewellery pieces that are crafted to be worn on a daily basis. It is also malleable, which means that it can be molded to make any design that you wish to create with it.
White gold contains a yellow tone within its silver color and is as strong as yellow gold. It is also more expensive than other gold metals as it contains silver in its mix. The rose gold metal, however, trumps the other two gold colors in terms of its strength and durability. As it has a mix of copper within its shade, it can be used without any plating as well. These selections are unique in their own style and content and have the true capacity to transform the look of any jewellery design.
2. Deciding on the Purity
If you have chosen gold as your primary choice of metal for jewellery, then selecting on a particular purity is necessary. The measurement unit of this is carat (K) and the higher it is on the number scale with 24 divisions, the purer the metal will be. The purity refers to the percentage of other metals being combined to create a particular carat of gold that decreases as the carats increase.
The highest being 24K is the purest gold available that is very soft and extremely malleable. Jewellery is usually not constructed in this purity as it is more likely to get scratches and wear down in the long run. It is also not safe to use this gold to hold diamonds and other precious stones together as it is not very strong and durable.
As for the other metals, platinum is available in only one standard whereas silver can be found having many qualities. The best of them all is sterling as it combines a lot of silver in its content and is best used for jewellery items. Selecting on the right kind of purity is important for your jewellery design to hold itself together and stay intact for many years to come.
3. The Design
If you plan on incorporating any precious stones – be it diamonds, rubies, emeralds or other black stones, the design of your jewelry will definitely have added intricacy. Each stone goes well with a particular type of metal color and therefore they should be selected and made in the correct combination.
Rubies are best suited for yellow gold as the color of the stone is further enhanced by the metal. Emerald also follows a similar combination style and can be created to reveal its beauty in this manner. As for diamonds, the color of the precious stones matches well with every metal color due to its neutral shade of brilliance. Black stones in particular, look perfect when set in white toned or rose gold metals. It is also recommended to choose the stones and metals depending on your skin tone as the jewellery piece should complement your overall appearance.
Using these tips to guide your selection in metals, you can create bespoke jewelry that proves to be a perfect fit for the occasion you have in mind. To receive assistance and further guidance, visit our Cagau store today and hear the recommendations of our fine jewellery experts to bring life to your jewellery design.