Sterling Silver?

[ringbuyer1]

Just a question that I''m curious about. I''ll be buying my gf an engagement ring in 2007. All the rings she has are sterling silver except for one I bought her that is 18K white gold. The 18K ring has had to be replated since I bought it as the colour fades to a bit of a yellow. Soon we''ll have to do it again. On the other hand, the sterling silver rings she has had for years look great and never fade even after years.

Just wondering why sterling silver is never used for engagement rings? Is it too weak to hold the diamonds? Just wondering.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Yes, too soft for diamonds. Go with 18k wg or platinum. Some jewelers replate the wg for free if you buy the setting from them. Mine does and that was a nice selling point.

 

[belle]

would you rather have the ''whiteness'' of sterling or your diamond?

 

[ringbuyer1]

Thanks. I thought it might be too soft. Just was curious. Yes! I''d rather have the whiteness of the diamond than the band, but was just curious why sterling silver wasn''t used in engagement rings.

 

[asscherisme]

Too soft like the others said. It looks like you should definately go with a white metal. I know some love their white gold but I can''t stand that it turns so quickly. On me, I''ve never had a white gold piece of jewelry stay white more than a few weeks and this is a life time ring you are buying.

I would go with platinum if you can afford that. If not, a newer metal on the market is palladium. I don''t know much about it but its worth researching. I have heard its the price of white metal but never turns since its in the platinum family.

 

[grapegravity]

Try 19kt white gold, which does not turn yellow as 18kt....

 

[asscherisme]

That makes no sense since gold is naturally yellow so the higher the carat weight of white gold, the more yellow gold is in it and the less other material to make it white. Does 19k exist?

 

[diamondhunter10]

I have heard that sterling silver can sometimes be to soft to handle certain settings and the weights of larger diamonds.
Is she dead set on the sterling?