Platinum

Platinum is a white, beautiful and exclusive metal that is used in jewellery as a 95% pure alloy. In South Africa we use copper or ruthenium for the remaining 5% depending on the technical aspects of the design. It is also the most expensive metal used for jewellery. Whereas sterling silver has a specific

gravity of 10.5 g/cmᶟ, platinum has a specific gravity of 21.5 g/cmᶟ. So not only does one pay more per gram for platinum, there are also more grams to pay for. Platinum is a very hard and durable metal. Its density makes it the most secure setting for your diamond or precious gemstone.

Palladium

Palladium is a white metal that falls in the group of platinum metals. In this group of metals palladium is the least dense and has the lowest melting point. Palladium has many of the desirable qualities of platinum. Palladium is a good metal for manufacturing jewellery because it does not tarnish, it wears well and is hypoallergenic.

Just as platinum, palladium is also used in a 95% pure alloy with copper or ruthenium as the remaining 5%. Palladium is becoming the metal of choice for a growing number of jewellery designers and is typically less expensive than platinum or certain gold alloys, making it the preference for savvy shoppers who want affordable luxury.

Gold

For millennia, gold has been used to make jewellery because of its attractiveness and rarity. Copper and gold are the only two metals that are not white, or variations of grey, in their pure form. There is no such thing as natural occurring white or red gold.

The colour of gold is altered by adding different metals to create various colours of gold alloy. Pure gold (100% purity = 24 carat) is also alloyed to change the working properties or to lower the cost of the metal. The most popular gold alloys used for jewellery manufacturing is: 9 ct (37.5% purity), 14 ct (58.3% purity) and 18 ct (75% purity).

Sterling Silver

Pure silver is generally too soft for producing jewellery; therefore, the silver is alloyed, usually with copper, to give it strength while preserving the beauty of the metal. The resulting alloy is called sterling silver and should contain at least 92.5% pure silver.

Sterling silver is relatively soft, it tarnishes and requires frequent cleaning. Some people cannot wear sterling silver due to metal allergies, especially in the ears. Gold, palladium and platinum are essentially hypoallergenic and almost everyone can wear them without any problem.