Materials for Diamond Ring Settings

When people buy jewelry, besides thinking about gemstones, they also need to think over and pick ring styles or materials. The main metals for ring settings contain platinum, K gold, palladium and other stuff. Let us learn all details about these setting materials together.

Platinum is a extremely rare natural white precious metal. It has special traits: it will never fade after you wear it, and its chemical character is stable. That makes it a perfect pick for ring holders. Platinum has high density, so it can hold and protect diamonds or other jewels really well. It will not bring allergic reaction to people who wear it, so people with sensitive skin can wear platinum jewelry without any trouble at all. Besides, it is a pure white metal, so it will not mess up the color of inlaid gems. For example, diamonds look more clear and bright when they are set on platinum rings.

If you want check what metal your ring setting is made of, you can look for the platinum mark “pt” carved on the band. They are divided into pt990, pt950, pt900, pt850 and more, it all depends on the percentage of platinum inside the metal.

Gold is a traditional precious metal, and it also take an important part in old wedding jewelry. Just like its name tells you, gold’s original color is yellow. The mark for gold on ring settings is “Au”. If pure gold jewelry have gold content over 99 percent, they get marked “pure 990”. If gold content pass 99.9 percent, the mark will be pure gold “999”.

Natural gold metal is quite soft, this make it hard to fix gemstones tight inside the ring. Usually people mix other precious metals such as copper, nickel to add extra hardness to gold. Different mixed materials create different colors, so ring settings can be silvery white, yellow or rose gold color. People call this mixed metal K gold. The most common types are 18K gold and 14K gold.

Because some K gold looks silvery white, some people name it “white gold”. But they are not natural white metal. Factory put a layer of silvery metal plating on its surface. Many people think 18K gold will lose its color as years go by. If the production craft is good enough, fading do not happen easily. Even if it fades someday, shops can re-plate it to get back its original color. K gold’s hardness is a little higher than platinum, and its price is cheaper than platinum too. So it is also a common material for diamond ring holders.

Rose gold is an alloy mixed by gold, copper and other metals. When makers add more copper into the alloy, the rose tone become richer and more obvious. There are two main reasons why many people love rose gold. First one is its hidden meaning: white K gold stand for friendship, yellow K gold stand for loyalty, and rose gold stand for love. Second, rose gold matches all kinds of skin tones well, it looks pretty no matter light or dark your skin is.

Palladium is another silvery white metal, it is one member of platinum group elements. Factories use palladium widely in aerospace and other high-tech industries. Palladium share many same features with platinum: it will not lose shine or fade, the material is very soft, and it will not cause skin allergy to wearers. But its density is lower, so it get worn down easily after long time wearing. Compare to platinum, palladium’s color look a little duller.

The mark for palladium on ring settings is “pd”. According to the metal percentage, palladium ring settings are sorted as pd990, pd950 and other types.

Many shoppers only focus on how big or clear their gemstone is when shopping jewelry, but ignore how important the ring setting metal is. A bad metal can scratch your skin, lose color quickly or fail to hold your expensive gem safely. Before you pay money for a ring, you should think about your skin condition, daily wearing habits and your budget, then pick the most suitable setting metal for yourself. Platinum fit people with sensitive skin who want long-lasting bright white rings without re-plating. 18K gold is a budget-friendly choice with strong hardness to lock gems tight, and rose gold satisfy people who love romantic looks. Palladium is lighter but easier to wear thin, so it suit people who do not wear rings every single day. Knowing these metal facts can help you make a smarter choice next time you shop fine jewelry.