14K White gold vs 18K white gold settings

[perrfectdiamond]

I've read many threads and opinions on this. Price difference is negligible and I am thinking of getting a 6 prong "tiffany" setting. 14K is more "durable"?

Thoughts? Opinions on this. I would assume either I would have to get re dipped annually? What is average price for re-drip these days?

Thanks!

 

[muskokathompson]

I got a stuller setting with their x1 alloy - never needs to be re-rhodiumed. Not sure yet about durability, but it’s a lovely colour.

 

[ringo865]

Same with the x1. But I also have white gold items that I never plate. if it came plated, I just let it wear off. If I have anything to do with ordering or designing it, I have them leave it in plated.

Or you could get platinum.

Is this for a ring? Earrings?

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I'd recommend platinum unless you get the Stuller X1 white gold that doesn't have to be plated. But platinum is not very high right now, so it's a good time to get it.

There's no telling how often regular white gold would have to be plated. That will vary based on several factors. I personally would not buy a ring that had to be replated.

 

[pyramid]

14K is more "durable"?

I have read that if wearing 18K next to 14K or 10K, that 18K is more durable as small particles like sand or dust which is 7.5 on the moh's scale as dust is quartz, can get embedded in soft gold such as 18K and then abraid the harder 14K ring next to it, the same can be said of silver.

Also read that lower carats need more work hardening when being sized as they are more brittle and get more brittle with age. Lower carat alloys such as 10K is more scratch resistant on objects but more brittle. Brittle is compared here with a glass breaking, 10 or 14K would break in a hard fall before 18K would, though not likely this would happen, just that 18K is more bouncy or elastic.

 

[pyramid]

Unplated white gold may look better with lower colored diamonds, whereas platinum has been traditionally used with DEF colourless stones. Some here like rose gold with lower colors but I think it just makes the stones look worse and would be better with yellow gold.

 

[the_mother_thing]

Some here like rose gold with lower colors but I think it just makes the stones look worse and would be better with yellow gold.

Agreed - I had a lower colored diamond set in rose gold, and I felt the reflections of the rose metal made the inside of the diamond look almost dirty. Not sure how else to describe it.

 

[WinkHPD]

Some 18 kt. alloys are whiter than some 14 kt. alloys. Some alloys are harder than others, and it has been my experience that most gold rings of either carat will need repairs including new shanks after fifteen to twenty years of regular wear. If worn hard, the repairs will be needed sooner. Prongs will almost always need to be tipped, or replaced much sooner than that. (Most often, when doing an 18kt white gold ring we will use platinum for the prongs.)

It is nice to say that one is harder than the other, so it will wear longer, and that would be true if everyone wore their rings the same. Some people are super easy on their rings and will wear them for fifty years with little obvious wear. Some people are super hard on their rings and their rings look like they have been in a cement mixer when they bring them in after six months because they just don't look as nice as they did when they were purchased.

We can discuss the metallurgical properties all day long, but without considering the wearer, we are missing an important part of the equation.

Diamond Seeker is correct that the price of platinum metal is currently less expensive than gold. However, platinum jewelry still costs more than gold jewelry. This may seem strange until the difficulty in working with platinum is properly considered. For example, platinum requires different, more expensive equipment to work with, it requires hotter torches and it takes longer to polish properly. To get an excellent polish may require eight to twelve hours of polishing, much of it prior to setting the stones, and some of it even before assembling the crown and gallery work if the insides of the head are to be properly polished. Gold pieces need the same care and planning, but gold takes the polish much more quickly than platinum. Still, because of the metal prices, there is currently much less of a gap between gold and platinum jewelry than there has been in the past, making this an excellent time to opt for platinum.

As for rose gold, bring it on. I LOVE that color, especially with well cut lower colored diamonds. I have many happy clients wearing rose gold, almost always 14 kt. as most 14 kt. rose gold alloys show more rose color than most 18 kt. rose gold alloys. The choices in color, for diamonds, and for metal are individual preferences, much like choosing chocolate or vanilla. Baskin and Robbins offer 31 flavors, but report the bulk of their sales are for chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. Personally, I have never ordered one of those flavors at Baskin and Robbins. Perhaps I just love unique things, especially if they are done with excellence.

Wink