Appropriate Metals For Custom Designed Jewelry

Which Metal Is The Best Choice For You

Jewelers don't have it easy these days fabricating jewelry designs. Raw materials cost much more making it increasingly difficult to keep the metals you love in stock. The investment is, in many cases, prohibitive.

Then, to make matters more urgent, increased demand for precious metals has risen. Precious metals are a limited resource and rare. The increased worldwide demand drives the price of natural resources even higher.

The Old Style is New Again
And there's a good reason for this - many of the older antique styles are lighter and have thinner widths.

Filigree and pave' designs have recently been making a comeback. The pave' design is many tiny diamond chips which, when laid together, give a look of metal and also reflect your diamond stones better. These intricately woven designs are less dense creating an open flow that consequently uses less metal.

On the downside - more labor and expertise is involved, so don't expect this to lower the cost of your custom designed wedding jewelry.

Many design studios are using copper in their custom jewelry.

Copper has also seen dramatic price increases but is still affordable. Combining copper with white gold takes advantage of their contrasting colors, which can be very attractive.


Of course, engagement rings and wedding rings will always be a necessity. With gold and platinum the metals of choice; higher prices prompt creativity. Innovative design can help keep wedding jewelry affordable by using these limited resources sparingly. More creativity combined with imagination can keep less beautiful.

Despite its strength, platinum is a very supple, workable metal making intricate designs and details far easier to achieve than with gold. Since it is so pure, platinum jewelry is the perfect hypoallergenic accessory for those who cannot wear gold. Part of the reason people cannot wear gold is often associated with the alloys involved in the jewelry making process. Since platinum jewelry contains very little alloy, it is a good choice for those who are sensitive to metals.

When purchasing platinum jewelry, it always pays to ensure you get a guarantee that it is platinum you’re purchasing. Platinum content is invariably expressed as the amount of pure platinum the jewelry contains in parts per thousand, so it shou ld be marked with “950”.

Jewelry that contains only 850 or 900 parts per thousand of pure platinum is marked "Plat". Make sure you ask your jeweler to explain platinum content and markings, if you have concerns about the purity of the metal in your jewelry.

Platinum jewelry, like other types of metal jewelry, can become scratched, but a scratch won't damage platinum in the same way that it damages other precious metals. Platinum jewelry will maintain its color, brilliance and weight even when scratched, while other metals may lose their luster or become blemished or discolored.

Because this metal is so versatile and rare, platinum jewelry makes a very special gift. Many people own gold jewelry, while far fewer boast jewelry made of platinum. If you want to choose something truly unique and exceptional for that special someone in your life, consider platinum.

Platinum is a dense white metal, stronger than gold, and makes an ideal metal for custom designed jewelry.

Platinum jewelry has taken a little change over the past few years, especially since the price has risen along with gold. In order for the industry to keep prices competitive, they have started to classify Platinum Alloys with the 800pt or 850pt marks etc - which is quite acceptable as they are not using the word platinum (which indicates the pure metal).

While that term (800pt) may be a little misleading, especially if it were not brought to the purchaser’s attention, it is never the less quite acceptable. Keep the above in mind when you go shopping for platinum jewelry so you know what you’re buying and its worth.