Gold is one of the most popular options in today’s jewelry industry, and has been so ever since the ancient Egyptians started using it in engagement rings. These days, you get a horde of choices in gold, with different metals and alloys thrown into the mix to give the metal better strength and much more attractive color. This versatility makes the metal one of the best for use in engagement and wedding ring sets. Below is a quick breakdown of the different variants of gold which should help you make an informed – or simply shrewd – buying decision.
The Karats
Karat refers to the measuring unit for gold purity; you have 1 karat when there is 4.167 parts of gold in 100 of the metal. Bridal wedding rings in the US are usually made of 10, 14, 18, and 24 karat gold. The karat number here denotes the amount of pure gold present in the metal band, which is broken down into 24 parts. For instance, a 10 karat wedding ring will have 10 parts pure gold and 14 parts other metals, like copper or silver. Similarly, a 14 karat ring will have 14 parts gold and 10 parts other metals, while an 18 karat wedding ring will have 6 parts non-gold metals, and 18 parts pure gold.
Aside from the purity level, the karat mark also helps to understand the durability and hardness of a gold ring band. Because pure gold is very soft, the more the amount of other metals in the band, the better would be its strength and durability. Besides, as the karat number denotes the amount of pure gold in the metal, it directly affects the price of the ring band. Simply put, you will need to pay much more if you choose a 24 karat wedding ring, as that is the purest form used in jewelry. The sad thing is that for gold, purity equates to weakness, which means that with a higher karat, the ring is more prone to scratching and bending.
The Colors
Pure gold is yellow in color, so the color of the ring band also changes with different karat points. Usually, silver, zinc, and copper are used to “harden” pure gold, which slightly changes the color of yellow gold to a mild shade – that depends upon the amount of non-gold metals present in the piece. However, we have other versions of gold with respect to color as well, such as white gold, rose gold, black gold, green gold, etc.
The most popular color of gold used for wedding rings is white gold. That is mainly because it sports as classy an appeal as that of platinum, while still being much affordable to buy. White gold is made by mixing different metals like nickel, silver, and palladium with yellow gold. It is also plated in rhodium to get both a shiny appeal and smooth finish, such as what you see in a lot of 2 piece wedding rings these days.
Interestingly, recent studies say that rose gold is gradually leaving behind white gold in popularity. That might be because the pink hue of rose gold is more “girly” and attracts women of all tastes. What’s more, rose gold is also the most ideal option for when you want to have intricate designs and patterns on the ring band. Technically, this metal is made using a combination of pure gold and copper, and the depth of the pink color in the ring will depend upon how much copper is present in there.
The Buying Choice
Buying a top-quality wedding ring is about more than spending lots of money. It requires carefully examining the details of the ring, testing its durability and purity, checking whether the color matches your personal styling preferences, as well as weighing all the pros and cons of buying the jewelry item. Because you get an extensive pool of options with gold, you can simply categorize your needs to make the purchase a lot simpler.
Before making your choice, you should also consider what embellishments you would be adding to the metal band. For instance, if your choice was to go with a big 2 carat diamond, a 10 karat gold ring might not be good enough to achieve the looks you wanted. For better ideas, you need to get in touch with a professional jeweler and see how different versions of gold metal work for different gemstones and diamonds.
Above all, you need to consider your style when buying gold wedding rings. Yellow gold, for example, best suits traditionalists who prefer a more vintage vibe in their jewelry, and adore a warmer tone. At the same time, white gold can be the ideal option for modern brides who love brighter and cooler designs in their jewelry. Rose gold can bridge the gap between the two by offering a richer and warmer appeal, while at the same time staying chic and trendy. In fact, rose gold can be seen everywhere these days, be it on laptop skins, smartphones, or other fashion accessories.