At Payoja Jewel, our accomplished artisans skillfully transform the finest precious metals, sourced directly from the earth, into exquisite rings, necklaces, pendants, and earrings. While gold, platinum, and silver remain the most widely used metals, the popularity of metals like palladium is on the rise.
Understanding Gold Metal
Gold, symbolized as Au on the periodic table, is a precious metal synonymous with luxury. In its purest form, gold is bright yellow, remarkably resilient, highly malleable, and naturally found in the Earth’s crust. Used historically for monetary systems, gold continues to be a significant part of the modern economy. Its versatility in crafting intricate jewelry patterns, coupled with its resistance to tarnish and corrosion, has further fueled its popularity in the creation of wedding and engagement rings, earrings, pendants, necklaces, and bracelets.
Gold Purity
The karat system, rating purity on a scale of 9 to 24, determines the alloy composition of gold. Ranging from 24 karat (almost entirely pure gold) to 9 karat (37.5% gold), each level has unique attributes, influencing the color and strength of the jewelry.
- 24 Karat Gold: The metal is almost entirely made of gold in its purest form, containing very little alloy metal. Because pure gold is so soft and malleable, it is frequently combined with other metals, including silver and copper, to create jewelry.
- 22 Karat Gold: At 91.7% purity, this level of gold is still too soft to be used for jewelry and is not as strong as 14K or 18K gold.
- 18 Karat Gold: Of this alloy, 25% are alloy metals and 75% are gold. It has been shown that the ideal ratio of gold strength to purity is 18 karat gold. A selection of excellent 18-karat gold jewelry is available at Brilliance.
- 14 Karat Gold: Of 14 carat gold, 58.3% is pure gold and the rest is made up of alloy metals. It is not advised to use any gold purity lower than 14 karat gold for fine jewelry.
- 09 Karat Gold: 37.5% of the metal is made up of gold at this rank. This is the lowest purity at which gold in the US can still be regarded as gold; it is not utilized to make fine jewelry.
Types & Colors of Metal
Platinum
- Being exceedingly rare and valued more than gold, platinum is also referred to as the “king of metals.” As far as making jewelry goes, it’s also the heaviest metal. King Louis XVI of France declared platinum to be the sole metal suitable for royalty, and Spaniards called this unusual metal “patina,” or “little silver.” platinum is regarded as the perfect metal for setting expensive diamond jewelry because it is strong, resilient, has a high melting point, resists corrosion and chemical attack, and is not readily scratched. Being one of the most preferred metals for diamonds, it has a distinctive white shine and its neutral color wonderfully brings out the innate flame and brilliance of a diamond.
- The sign for platinum, or plat, is “Pt,” and it can be up to 95% pure. Platinum is hypoallergenic due to its high purity level, making it a good choice for anyone with sensitive skin or allergies. The typical marks for platinum are 900 or 950 points, which signify the metal’s genuineness. For jewelry to be branded as “Platinum” or “Plat”, the metal content must be at least 95% platinum.
Yellow Gold
- Most jewelry has a yellow hue because pure gold is too soft to use alone. To counteract this, different amounts of metals, such copper and silver, are added. In addition to copper and silver, 22k yellow gold (more on the ‘k’ classification below) typically contains some zinc as well.
White Gold
- White gold is very popular right now and is seen by many as chic and attractive. Its silvery white color adds to its uniqueness and allure. Similar to yellow gold, white gold is colored white by combining it with additional alloys like palladium, nickel, or zinc. Occasionally, to enhance its appearance, it is also coated with rhodium, an even whiter metal.
Rose Gold
- The color rose gold is visually pleasing and has recently become well-known. When copper is mixed with yellow gold in the right proportion to get the ideal rose color, an amazing pink hue is produced. The stronger the proportion of copper, the more intense the pink or red color.
Silver
- Similar to gold, silver was among the first metals that humans utilized. It was pure silver, often known as fine silver, a white, glossy, and pliable metal. It may be polished to a superior gloss and is thought to be the most reflective metal. Silver is represented by the Latin letter “Ag,” which stands for argentum, which signifies white and brilliant.
- Evidence suggests that ornaments and decorative pieces made of silver date as far back as 4000 B.C., and for many centuries, silver was used as currency alongside gold. Pure silver is soft, thus in order to make it hard, it is alloyed with copper. Sterling silver is the most popular alloy that is mixed with silver to give it endurance.
Palladium
- As a member of the platinum group, palladium is among the world’s rarest metals. It is also known as “Noble metal” because of how well it resists oxidation and corrosion. Palladium is the ideal alternative to white gold since it is strong, glossy, and a naturally occurring white metal. It is substantially less expensive than platinum because it is less dense.
- Palladium is a well-known stylish metal that is frequently used to create diamond engagement or wedding bands. Additionally, this metal is hypoallergenic, making it appropriate for those with delicate or allergic skin. It guarantees that the jewelry stays white at all times, much like platinum metal. Since palladium is highly malleable and can be used to detail elaborate jewelry, it is favored by many jewelry makers.
Additionally, there are various hues of gold that most people are not aware of.
- Green Gold:
- Composed of pure gold, copper, silver, and zinc, it is one of the common hues of gold. Depending on the alloys used, green gold can have a variety of hues, from light to deep green.
- Purple Gold:
- Purple gold is a variant that is made by combining aluminum and gold. But because of its brittleness, it’s not as frequently utilized in jewelry.
- Blue gold:
- Blue gold is one of the less common hues of gold and combines gold with indium, iron, or gallium.
- Grey Gold:
- Grey gold is the color that is produced when pure gold is mixed with iron, manganese, copper, or silver.
Black gold: There are several methods for creating the black gold hue. For example, to make cobalt oxide, pure gold is combined with cobalt and heated to a particular temperature. Another popular technique for producing black gold is electroplating, which involves coating gold jewelry with a black finish, typically made of ruthenium or black rhodium.
