JEWELERY (rings, specificially): GOLD, PLATINUM, WHITE GOLD, SILVER?What's the best?

Question

I just want to know: What's the difference between Titanium, White Gold, Platinum, Gold, etc etc....I don't really know much about this sort of thing, and I may have even called them the wrong names! How much are they (rank most to least expensive) and quality, also. I really don't like gold (color) all that much, so if you'd make a recommendation on what to get as an alternative, I would appreciate that. Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

Okay, well my family owns 7 jewelry stores, so I'm the right person to answer this question, haha. Okay, well gold & white gold are the exact same price, because it's the same thing. What happens is PURE gold is sort of an orange color, but gold is SO soft, that if you made a ring, necklace, etc. out of PURE gold, it would first off be too hard to work with because of the softness, and second, it'd get all bent out of shape by barely touching it, so when you're going to make jewelry out of gold, you have to mix it with other metals. In different countries they use different metals in the gold mixture, Mexico's gold and a few other countries use copper in their gold, which is why it's a little bit darker, and also where you hear stories of people getting stains on their hands (some people's skin reacts that way to the copper). Other countries such as Italy, China, etc. use nickel and a few other metals in the mixture for their gold mixture. To make white gold, at the end of the process, they add a chemical to the finish of it which brings out the white of the nickel which was mixed into it. But in reality, there is no such thing as NATURAL white gold just out of a mine, the color is artificially brought out. That is why white and yellow gold cost the same, because it's the same thing, just white gold has a finish to it to bring out the white color. Oh, and there is also something called "rose gold," it's sort of a pinkish color, and this is done by putting a chemical which makes the color of the copper in the gold mixture show. Also if you notice, there is 4k, 6k, 8k, 10k, 14k, 18k, 21k, 22k, & 24k gold. This means how much gold was used in the mixture. The higher the number, the more gold it contains. 14k gold is the most common used, it contains about half gold, half metals and is a perfect mixture to work with. 24k is the closest you'll come to purest gold, it's about 95% pure gold, rest metals. 10k and under, isn't even considered gold anymore as it contains about 20 something% gold and down. Personally, I wear 18k, always. Also the more gold it contains (higher K rating) the more orange-ish, more expensive, more soft. The less gold it contains (lower K rating), the less orange it is (and more of a light yellow), harder it is, and cheaper...

As for platinium, it is ridiculously expensive, but only because there is less of it in the world then gold. But in reality, gold is much more of a precious metal. Platinium is too hard, which makes it hard to work with, a lot of times when you're working with it to make something, it's not flexible enough to bend to make a certain design, or etc. so it just breaks. Also lets say you have a platinium ring, and you want to size it or need some repair done to it, it's much more pricey and takes longer then gold, because of the fact that it's hard to work with and if more platinium needs to be added for the repair it costs more because like I said, platinium is more expensive then gold. But if you like the look of platinium, then just go with white gold, it looks EXACTLY the same, is cheaper, a much better metal to work with, etc...

..Oh, and silver, is really cheap, actually worth almost nothing, and I really don't recommend it. Apart from not looking very nice in the first place, after a while it turns into a very opaque color and just looks like old metal. Also, it turns black after a lot of use and is nearly impossible to take off, even with professional cleaning.

As for titanium, that's not considered a precious metal, I don't think anyone even makes jewelry out of it, haha.

If you live in the Southern California area and are planning to purchase jewelry or something, let me know. Like I said, my family owns 7 jewelry stores.

Hope this helps, ciao!

P.S. - I see a lot of you people call gold "18 carat, 24 carat" etc. Carats is the system of measurement for diamonds, as in a 1 carat diamond, 2 carat diamond, etc. Gold mixture is rated in KARAT, with a K., and also, no, white gold is not more expensive then yellow, if someone said that at a jewelry store they wanted to rip you off. Also, platinium is NOT the best, it only started to get fame for a while because rappers started using it, and the only reason they started using it, is because it's more expensive. Celebrities always wear what they know the public can't afford, all though they end up looking tacky and ridicioulous. But in an actual jeweler's opinion, gold is still the most beautiful, and best precious metal to work with. Just thought you people should know, ciao.

Answer 2

Well, i am not sure about titanium, but white gold is actual gold that is coated with something to take the color of platinum. Platinum is really good. it last long and it is expensive. although, white gold has a low selling price if u were to sell it it has a higher buying price.. i have no idea why...
I fu were looking for something to keep for a really long time, i would suggest gold wud be the better option, then platinum and then white gold.

Answer 3

Platinum, 24 carat white, yellow or red gold, than 18 carat, 14 carat and 10 carat, then Sterling Silver, then Titanium which is not used for Jewelry.
White Gold is not coated, neither is red, its just the way the minerals are in the gold that make it that colour.

Answer 4

Titanium-strongest of the metals listed here, it's also very light weight. It has a silvery-white color (similar to silver, but more gray), and it's most used in men's jewelry, not women's. It's the least expensive, but it will hold up better than any other of these metals for everyday wear. It won't scratch or dent, and it doesn't tarnish as easily as silver or gold.

Silver-the next least expensive, it's a silvery-white color that holds up well to everyday wear. It's stronger than gold, but not as strong as platinum or titanium. It's very common in costume and fashion jewelry, but not found that much in the fine jewelry, like engagement rings.

Gold-the karat will depend on the price, softness, and quality of the jewelry. White, yellow, rose... are all just different colors of the same metal. They occur naturally, but the exotic colors are more expensive than yellow. 10K is the lowest (and hardest) of the golds, while 24K is pure gold, and it's very soft. 14K is the standard for rings.

Platinum-the most expensive of the metals, second strongest, it has a silver-white color (similar to actual silver, but more white). It will hold up very well to everyday wear, but requires a bit more care to keep it looking it's best.

Since you don't like the color of yellow gold, and you want a ring, I would suggest silver. Titanium tends to look too much like costume jewelry, while platinum is just too expensive. White gold would be softer, and easily scratched, dented... Silver is a bit of them all, not too pricey, won't damage as easily, and wears well as jewelry.

Answer 5

Platinum

Answer 6

silver is obviously the cheapest..and not very god quality...

gold/white gold is my favorite..i have a white gold diamond princess cut ring...everything i wear is white gold. gold/white gold come in different carats (18K/24K maybe others) the higher carat..the better quality

platnium is the best..most expensive..you cannot damage it at all.

titanium is good for MENS jewelry..its not scratchable..or breakable..my husbands ring is a titanium.

Answer 7

i don't know much about metals but I think Platinum is the most expensive and silver is the least.

Answer 8

i think the white gold suites u better...its a bit expensive than the yellow gold...

Answer 9

I prefer white gold..It's very beautiful and special too...

Answer 10

i could explain here. but if you want a more envoled answer i.m. me and ill tell you all about it personally i perfer yellow gold and sterleing silver.