HELP! Is silver SOFTER or HARDER than 14k gold?

[singer]

Well, I looked it up online and the answer is actually hard to find! People's opinions differ on this topic apparently. So, ladies...if you know...is sterling silver harder or softer than 14k gold? I want to get a temporary silver/cz band to wear with my new 14k white gold engagement ring, which has a lot of engraving work on the sides. I'm not sure what ring I want yet, and people have already asked me when I'm getting married (been married 4 1/2 years with two kids...lol), so I'm thinking a temporary silver ring should solve that dilemma. I don't want to wear a band next to it though if the silver is HARDER than gold and will scratch or ruin my e-ring. BTW, (in the nicest way possible) I'm not asking for other advice...such as wearing a spacer ring, etc. I just want to know if silver is harder/softer than 14k gold.

Here is my e-ring:
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/singers-new-halo.157582/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/singers-new-halo.157582/[/URL]

And here is the temp ring I'm thinking about getting:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000J2MA3O/ref=noref?ie=UTF8&s=jewelry&psc=1

Thanks in advance!

 

[yssie]

Not a good plan - the issue isn't hardness so much as that softness allows the softer material to pick up grit made of *much* harder material (both gold and silver are pretty "soft" - as in, easy to scratch) which will maul your gold engraving - thread on the same topic w/ more explanation here [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/silver-on-white-gold.154699/#post-2815379#p2815379%20gold/silver']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/silver-on-white-gold.154699/#post-2815379#p2815379%20gold/silver[/URL]

 

[slg47]

q for yssie...I am getting drop jackets made that I plan to wear with my studs (not all of the time, but sometimes)

I was thinking of getting them in silver or Argentium silver to minimize costs (or rhodium plated silver? does anyone rhodium plate silver? I seem to remember reading that Scott Kay sterling pieces are rhodium plated...I have one and it has not tarnished). Anyway, would this be a bad idea? I certainly don't want to ruin my studs, they are like my FAVORITE. I assume I could just get the part that attaches to the stud made in WG and the rest made in silver?

 

[that_someone_special]

A lot of commercial quality silver is rhodium plated.. just check bluenile. I'm not a fan of it.. it looks fake to me.

 

[yssie]

q for yssie...I am getting drop jackets made that I plan to wear with my studs (not all of the time, but sometimes)

I was thinking of getting them in silver or Argentium silver to minimize costs (or rhodium plated silver? does anyone rhodium plate silver? I seem to remember reading that Scott Kay sterling pieces are rhodium plated...I have one and it has not tarnished). Anyway, would this be a bad idea? I certainly don't want to ruin my studs, they are like my FAVORITE. I assume I could just get the part that attaches to the stud made in WG and the rest made in silver?

I definitely wouldn't worry about it for earrings/drops - it's different for rings IMO because we use our fingers *so* much, all the time, so our rings are exposed to all sorts of dirt and grit and they bang and rub against each other all day long, everyday - I guess unless perhaps you have particularly dexterous ears and regularly do acrobatics with them..

In all seriousness though, if they're going to be the sort of dangles with a loop that slips over your stud's posts none of this is an issue for you since your earlobes will both protect them from foreign particles and hold them steady in-place; the other sort - where there are dangles - if they're very dainty/thin loops/hooks and you wear them daily I would think you might have to worry about getting those parts specifically patched up in a decade, maybe? People do wear super-thin chains with pendant weights for years and years... if they're sturdier and only get occasional use I wouldn't worry about it!

 

[slg47]

q for yssie...I am getting drop jackets made that I plan to wear with my studs (not all of the time, but sometimes)

I was thinking of getting them in silver or Argentium silver to minimize costs (or rhodium plated silver? does anyone rhodium plate silver? I seem to remember reading that Scott Kay sterling pieces are rhodium plated...I have one and it has not tarnished). Anyway, would this be a bad idea? I certainly don't want to ruin my studs, they are like my FAVORITE. I assume I could just get the part that attaches to the stud made in WG and the rest made in silver?

I definitely wouldn't worry about it for earrings/drops - it's different for rings IMO because we use our fingers *so* much, all the time, so our rings are exposed to all sorts of dirt and grit and they bang and rub against each other all day long, everyday - I guess unless perhaps you have particularly dexterous ears and regularly do acrobatics with them..

In all seriousness though, if they're going to be the sort of dangles with a loop that slips over your stud's posts none of this is an issue for you since your earlobes will both protect them from foreign particles and hold them steady in-place; the other sort - where there are dangles - if they're very dainty/thin loops/hooks and you wear them daily I would think you might have to worry about getting those parts specifically patched up in a decade, maybe? People do wear super-thin chains with pendant weights for years and years... if they're sturdier and only get occasional use I wouldn't worry about it!

yep, this is what I was thinking. good to know it should be OK.