Precious Metals, Say What?

WHAT ARE PRECIOUS METALS ANYWAY?
The word “precious” conjures to mind something of extreme value such as a solid gold ring. Precious metals are among some of the most valuable substances on Earth. What makes a metal “precious”? Is gold a more valuable metal than silver? How are precious metals used in jewelry? We will explore these questions and more in this blog post all about Precious Metals.

WHAT MAKES A METAL PRECIOUS?
The rarity of the metal makes it precious. Precious Metals also possess desirable characteristics such as: Shine, Finish, and Durability which happen to also make precious metals great for jewelry. Only eight metals are considered precious which include: Gold, silver, platinum, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium, and osmium.

Random Fact: Precious metals made up currency for many countries in the past. In fact, The United States left the Gold Standard in 1933, but there were remnants of the system still present up until 1973.

Precious metals naturally occur in nature. They typically aren’t man-made. Each metal has a low reactivity rate chemically. This gives them their durability. They do have industrial uses but are best known for their use in jewelry.

IS GOLD MORE VALUABLE THAN SILVER?
GOLD – is probably the most well-known precious metal in the world. Gold comes from mines primarily located in China, Australia, the United States and South Africa. Gold is highly conductive and resists corrosion. Many electronic devices use gold in different components. Some dentists use gold in their tools. Gold is heavily used in jewelry and there are various types of gold used in jewelry to create different looks and to provide different levels of wearability.

SILVER – While gold has traditionally been valued much higher than silver due to its high luster and malleability, silver is a valued metal because of its use in various industries and its similar beautiful properties. Like gold, silver has been used throughout human history as currency and as decoration, and is used in some of the same industries today that use gold, such as electronics and technology.

PRECIOUS METALS and JEWELRY
PLATINUM – is 15 times rarer than GOLD and is extremely dense yet can be easily formed and manipulated while retaining its durability. Platinum resists wear and tear, which makes it an ideal choice for jewelry. As with GOLD, PLATINUM is usually karated or mixed with other metals to make is more malleable when used in jewelry. Traditionally PLATINUM is karated in three different purities: 850 Platinum (85%), 900 Platinum (90%), and 950 Platinum (95%) when used in jewelry.

GOLD – As mentioned previously is the most well-known precious metal in the world. When used in jewelry gold is almost always mixed with different metals to make it stronger which alters the purity of the gold. Naturally, the purer the gold, the more valuable it is. There are several different purities or karat of gold used in jewelry. The most common include: 10 Karat (47.7%), 14KT (58.3%), 18KT (75%) and 22KT (91.7%). Fine Gold or 24KT gold can be found in jewelry and is listed as 99.9% pure. The purity standard found in the United States for Fine Jewelry is 14KT.

SILVER – has been a precious, valued metal since ancient times. Pure silver has a white hue. A softer metal, it was once considered more valuable than gold. While commonly used in jewelry, silver has utility in decoration, eating utensils, and electronics. Like gold, silver must combine with another alloy to become stronger. Copper is a common choice. Silver comes in either “FINE” or “STERLING”. “FINE” Silver is 99.9% silver and is traditionally too soft for use other than maybe a fine coat over another metal. “STERLING” Silver is at least 92.5% (925 Silver) silver content and no more than 7.5% copper or other metal content. 950 Silver or 95% Silver is also considered “STERLING” as it meets the minimum Sterling Standard.

RHODIUM – is a noble metal and a member of the platinum group. Rhodium is a bright, silver-white metal with a high reflectivity for light which makes it a perfect choice for covering other precious metals such as white gold which by nature is slightly yellow in color. Rhodium is also commonly used as an alloying agent to harden platinum. So, while jewelry is not usually crafted from Rhodium, Rhodium plays a significant role in the jewelry industry.

PALLADIUM – has been used in jewelry since 1939. Palladium is a rare element alternative to platinum when making white gold. Palladium is considered an environmentally friendly metal as it is a by-product from mining platinum. When considering the four big precious metals used in jewelry (Gold, Platinum, Silver, and Palladium), Palladium is the rarest and most expensive metal. Palladium must test 550, 950 or 999 parts per thousand in order to be considered Palladium. The majority of jewelry crafted from Palladium is 950 Palladium or 95% Palladium with the remaining 5% being composed primarily of Ruthenium and a few other trace elements. Palladium is 40% lighter than platinum.

Random Fact – William Hyde Hollaston, originally discovered Palladium in 1803 and named the element after the Greek goddess, Pallas, and the asteroid, Pallas.  Pallas was the Greek goddess of warfare, wisdom, and handicraft.

COPPER – while NOT a precious metal is still a vital component to the jewelry industry. Copper is often alloyed with Gold and is the primary alloy in Rose Gold as Copper provides the red/orange color. Copper is also a great metal to craft jewelry from as it is malleable and ductile, however, it lacks the high commodity price levels that are associated with precious metals thus making it ineligible for the designated title of “precious”.

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?

Q JEWELRY works in all precious metals along with a variety of other mediums, so no matter what you are looking for we are able to help. Furthermore, we can guide you to the best metal choice for crafting an item based on your lifestyle or aesthetic. Knowing and understanding each metals properties can assist in providing years of enjoyment from your jewelry. Seems like a lot of information, don’t worry…. stop in and we will guide you through the rest!