metal options for rings

[redfaerythinker]

This is probably a silly question but, aside from personal preference... What are the pros and cons of gold vs. sterling silver in a ring? If you do have a personal reason aside from durability, please feel free to share those as well. Thanks!

 

[chrono]

Silver is softer so you cannot do much fancy design work.
Silver will tarnish so upkeep might be more of an issue.
Silver can be very white though, much whiter than white gold but some people think it is too white.

 

[ma re]

Date: 7/28/2009 8:11:06 AM
Author: Chrono
Silver is softer so you cannot do much fancy design work.
Silver will tarnish so upkeep might be more of an issue.
Silver can be very white though, much whiter than white gold but some people think it is too white.

I might be wrong, but I think this softness allows for more choices when it comes to decorative techniques. Gold is sometimes (certain alloys, especially white gold) quite brittle and not suitable for fine detailing as much as silver. That''s why it''s easier to do things like granulation with silver than it is with gold, as gold has to be of high purity and specific alloy. I''m not an expert, but that''s my understanding.

Gold also has a higher surface hardness so it will hold it''s surface finish longer, and it also has a higher tensile strenght so it will not break as easily.

You also have a better chance of getting electrocuted while wearing gold instead of silver

 

[QueenB29]

I love silver and I often mix it with my white gold. To me, at least, silver is just as beautiful, and so much more affordable. I don''t mind having to occasionally polish my silver pieces. But I''ve found that the more you wear a piece of silver, the less it tarnishes. It''s when it just sits in your jewelry box for months, that it tarnishes badly.

 

[chrono]

Mr Ma Re,
You have highlighted my poor choice of words. Let me rephrase it as that with the softness of silver, the fancy work will get worn down a lot sooner than something done in white gold. The etching in my silver bangle is mostly worn down after only a few years of daily wear. And you are correct that it has a tendency to break easily. I’ve already broken 3 silver bangles.

 

[Stone Hunter]

I personally view SS as a more casual metal. Could be because I usually see it used for more casual rings and earrings.

But lately I''ve been thinking about mixing my WG with some SS on the same finger. And some PSers have gotten rings from etsy that are SS and YG in the same ring. Maybe mixed metals will be the new trend.

 

[Lady_Disdain]

Date: 7/28/2009 8:52:08 AM
Author: ma re

Date: 7/28/2009 8:11:06 AM
Author: Chrono
Silver is softer so you cannot do much fancy design work.
Silver will tarnish so upkeep might be more of an issue.
Silver can be very white though, much whiter than white gold but some people think it is too white.

I might be wrong, but I think this softness allows for more choices when it comes to decorative techniques. Gold is sometimes (certain alloys, especially white gold) quite brittle and not suitable for fine detailing as much as silver. That''s why it''s easier to do things like granulation with silver than it is with gold, as gold has to be of high purity and specific alloy. I''m not an expert, but that''s my understanding.

Gold also has a higher surface hardness so it will hold it''s surface finish longer, and it also has a higher tensile strenght so it will not break as easily.

You also have a better chance of getting electrocuted while wearing gold instead of silver

Mr Ma Re - the relative softness or hardness of silver or gold doesn''t influence granulation. Granulation is based on eutonic alloying: metal in a solid state will "dissolve" into one that is already liquid (the principle behind using mercury to extract gold from ore). In granulation, fine silver granules are held in place with a mixture of glue (which will be burned off, but hold the little balls in place before the bond is formed) and copper. This is heated until the copper and silver form the bond.

Granulation can be done in both gold or silver, but it is easier in silver (because of the way it alloys).

Personally, I love silver, specially the very white surface and the many different patinas it can take. I dislike rhodium plated white gold, which feels "fake" to me (like gold plating low carat pieces). I also like platinum a lot, but it is very hard to work with (very high soldering temperature, finicky, etc).

The price of silver is another positive factor, since I dislike spending money on settings when it could go on beautiful stones!

 

[ma re]

Thanks for an explanation LD

Makes more sense than my theory, although I wasn''t thinking so much of softness/hardness as much as toughness (but I was still way off).

 

[Indylady]

Date: 7/28/2009 9:03:45 AM
Author: QueenB29
I love silver and I often mix it with my white gold. To me, at least, silver is just as beautiful, and so much more affordable. I don''t mind having to occasionally polish my silver pieces. But I''ve found that the more you wear a piece of silver, the less it tarnishes. It''s when it just sits in your jewelry box for months, that it tarnishes badly.

Ditto! I have the Tiffany Nature ring which I wear every single day, and I haven''t cleaned it in a while because I just love the patina that it has and don''t want to ruin it. (It hasn''t tarnished since I''ve been wearing it...but in the beginning I had to clean it pretty often because it would tarnish very quickly)