Precious Metal Guide - Understanding Gold, Silver, and Platinum

​9ct yellow gold has a lighter appearance than 18ct yellow gold, which has a deeper, richer tone - which you can see in the image above. Both work fabulously well with pretty much any gemstone though!

Can I let you into a secret? White gold isn't actually white.

Most of the white gold metal used by jewellers has had a plating applied to enhance the finish and make it look 'whiter'. 

This is common practice throughout the industry and rhodium plating is widely used - we offer it as an option too. 

A rhodium plated white gold ring is shown (below right) and you can see how it compares to the 9ct and 18ct white gold rings in their 'natural' colour.

White gold colour differences

9ct white gold naturally has a slight yellow tone to it and 18ct white gold can appear quite grey. 

Some prefer it in its natural state, but lots of people favour the look that rhodium plating gives, as it brightens up the look of gold jewellery.

It is a plating, so over time will wear and most likely need re-plating. We're talking years, not months, but some people don't want to be bothered with this.

It may not have been the 'traditional' choice for an engagement ring historically, but we absolutely LOVE how amazing sterling silver and diamonds look together when used in jewellery. Plus, we're all about you doing things your way.

Pure silver's 'whiteness' is particularly attractive and looks amazing with diamonds and blue gemstones (sapphires, aquamarines, topaz). 

If your budget isn't vast and you're looking at the more affordable end of the precious metal prices, then this is an ideal choice - our silver engagement rings start from just £175

Considerations for silver jewellery

A few things to bear in mind if you're opting for a silver ring over gold or platinum...

It needs a little more love

Silver is the softer of the metals we work in. This doesn't mean it isn't durable, but it does mean more care would need to be taken of it over the years. It's wise not to wear a silver ring next to a ring with a much higher durability (e.g. platinum) as the harder metal may wear away at the silver over time. 

However, it does depend on the styles of the rings involved.

Works better with smaller gems

Envisioning a large diamond taking centre stage in your ring? Then silver may not be the best choice for the setting as it's important to have a really robust setting for an especially valuable gemstone. 

White gold or platinum might be a wiser choice, long term.

Tarnishing is more common, but fixable 

Silver does not like chlorine as it can tarnish it heavily - so swimming is a no no in silver. Care needs to be taken so that silver doesn't come into contact with other chemicals as well, such as cleaning products and strong perfumes. 

General tarnishing of silver can naturally happen over time. This is normal and something that can be removed. We offer a free refinishing service on all of our jewellery over its lifetime of wear.

Hallmark to look for on silver jewellery: 925

The '925' hallmark on jewellery tells you that it's made of sterling silver.

The number refers to the fact the quantity of pure sterling silver is 92.5 per cent. Usually, the remaining 7.25 per cent of metal is copper, to add strength and durability to the silver.

For more information on what hallmarking is and how to decipher the tiny symbols inside your jewellery, read our article on jewellery hallmarking.