Choosing the right metal for your jewelry is crucial, as it affects both the aesthetics and the longevity of your piece. Let’s explore the different metals used in jewelry, from precious to non-precious, and dive into their individual characteristics. This will help you make an informed decision based on your preferences, lifestyle, and budget.
💡 There are countless metals used in jewelry, and while I’ll focus on the most well-known and widely used ones, it’s worth noting that the world of jewelry metals is vast and diverse!
Gold: A timeless classic with versatility
Gold has been used in jewelry for thousands of years, celebrated for its beauty, rarity, and malleability. It comes in different karat weights and colors, making it a versatile choice for any occasion.
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18k gold: Comprising 75% pure gold, 18k gold is considered high-quality and durable. The remaining 25% typically consists of other metals like copper, silver, or palladium, which enhance its strength and influence its color. 18k gold has a rich, warm hue.
👉 Perfect for engagement rings, wedding rings, and fine jewelry that will last.
✅Pros: Rich color, durable, valuable, timeless.
❌Cons: Higher price, may require more care compared to lower-karat gold.
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14k gold: With 58.3% pure gold, 14k gold is less expensive than 18k gold but still offers good strength and a slightly lighter yellow hue. This is a popular choice in countries like the U.S., but not a lot of metal suppliers offer it in Europe.
✅Pros: Durable, more affordable than 18k gold.
❌Cons: Less vibrant color compared to 18k, less common in Europe.
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9k gold: This gold alloy contains only 37.5% pure gold, with the rest made up of other metals. It has a paler yellow hue compared to higher karat golds and is the most affordable option.
👉 Perfect for fashion jewelry and those on a budget.
✅Pros: Affordable, widely available.
❌Cons: Less gold content, more prone to damage compared to higher-karat gold, goldsmiths don’t like to repair it :)
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Gold colors:
Gold is available in different colors, primarily determined by the types of metals it’s alloyed with, and perfect to match your skin tone:
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- Yellow gold: Classic and timeless, with a natural warm tone.
- Rose gold: This color results from the addition of copper, giving the gold a romantic pink hue.
- White gold: Made with metals like palladium or nickel, white gold has a sleek, modern finish and is often plated with rhodium to enhance its shine.
Silver: Affordable luxury with versatility
Silver has been used in jewelry for centuries and is known for its brilliant shine and smooth texture. It’s widely available and often used for both casual and fine jewelry.
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Sterling silver: Sterling silver is composed of 92.5% pure silver, with the remaining 7.5% usually made up of copper to increase its durability. You can often see 950 silver that is very similar, and is even less prone to have fire stains. Over time, sterling silver develops a beautiful patina, though it may tarnish due to exposure to air and moisture.
👉Perfect for everyday wear, from rings to necklaces, for engagement rings and wedding bands.
✅Pros: Affordable, versatile, easy to care for, readily available.
❌Cons: Tarnishes a bit over time, may require periodic polishing or care.
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Fine silver: With 99.9% pure silver, fine silver is rarer and more valuable than sterling silver. It is softer, which makes it more prone to scratching and breaking but gives it a brighter, shinier finish.
👉 Ideal for intricate details and less frequent wear.
✅Pros: Brighter finish, more precious than sterling silver.
❌Cons: Softer, scratches more easily, more prone to break, less durable for everyday wear. Silversmiths don’t use that one often.
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Steel: Strong, durable, and low-maintenance
Steel, particularly stainless steel, has gained popularity in modern jewelry for its strength, durability, and sleek aesthetic. It’s an alloy of iron, carbon, and other metals that makes it resistant to corrosion and oxidation.
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- Stainless Steel: Known for its exceptional strength and resistance to tarnishing, stainless steel is a practical choice for daily wear. It’s highly resistant to scratching, corrosion, and tarnishing, which makes it ideal for jewelry that needs to withstand daily use without losing its shine. It is often used in contemporary designs, offering a cool, industrial look.
Steel can’t be easily crafted by hand in the same way that gold or silver can. It’s difficult to saw or solder by hand, which means steel jewelry is usually made through industrial processes rather than traditional craftsmanship.
👉 Great for minimalist and contemporary designs.
✅Pros: Strong, corrosion-resistant, affordable, sleek appearance.
❌Cons: Cannot be handmade easily (requires machinery) so you cannot have completely custom-made steel jewelry, not as versatile as precious metals, and often not very ethical in the production process (except for wire jewelry like wire wrapping).
Plated metals: Affordable shine
Plated metals, like gold-plated brass, provide the visual appeal of precious metals without the high price. The process involves applying a thin layer of metal over a base metal (like brass) to give it the appearance of solid gold or silver.
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- Gold-Plated Brass: Brass can be coated with a thin layer of gold to mimic the appearance of gold jewelry. This is an affordable way to create pieces that have a luxurious look, though the plating can wear off over time, especially with frequent use.
👉Ideal for occasional wear and fashion jewelry.
✅Pros: Affordable, luxurious appearance, accessible.
❌Cons: Plating wears off over time, may require re-plating.
Choosing the right metal for your piece
When deciding which metal to use for your jewelry, consider the following factors:
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- Durability: For a piece that’s meant to last a lifetime, gold (18k or 14k) or sterling silver are excellent choices.
- Aesthetic: Think about the look you want to achieve—gold for a rich, warm glow, silver for a bright, polished finish, or brass for a vintage, bohemian feel.
- Budget: Brass and stainless steel are affordable options for those on a budget, while silver and gold offer long-term value and luxury.
- Eco-Consciousness: If sustainability is important to you, consider looking for recycled metals, responsibly sourced materials, or metals that can be worked with simple hand tools.
At Fig’s, we primarily work with silver (950) due to its affordability and timeless, grey aesthetic. Gold is something we adore working with and look forward to incorporating even more in our future collections and custom projects.
Additionally, it’s worth noting that while I’ve covered the most common metals used in jewelry, there are many others out there, each with its own unique characteristics and uses.
When it comes to eco-consciousness, it’s important to remember that most metals aren’t inherently "eco-friendly." Mining metals like gold, silver, and even brass has a significant impact on the environment and is often associated with poor working conditions. Fortunately, with metal mines becoming scarcer, recycled jewelry is becoming more common. However, recycled metal is often more expensive for jewelers (and, by extension, for you).
To find a balance, at Fig’s, I recycle my own silver scraps whenever possible. For example, in the new Bedrock Collection, all the textures are cast in my own recycled silver scraps. While I can't recycle enough for all my collections (as the scraps need to come from somewhere), this approach allows me to reduce waste and create beautiful, sustainable pieces.