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What is the Best Choice of Metal in Jewelry Design?
What is the Best Choice of Metal in Jewelry Design?

Many jewelry designers would want to make jewelry using different types of metals wonder on which metals would bring the best returns. Finding the perfect piece of jewelry presented with various metals can be quite tasking. Well, all jewelry designers must understand the difference between base metals and precious metals. Let us dive in to understand what base metals and precious metals are and get which of these is the best choice.

Precious Metals

What are precious metals? These metals are considered to be of high end-value in society due to their rarity and high economic value. Precious metals come in a wide range and designers have a variety of precious metals to choose from. They include Gold, Platinum, Palladium, Silver, Gold Vermeil (Gold plated over sterling silver). Some precious metals such as Gold, Silver, and Platinum are noble metals. This means that they are highly resistant to corrosion.

Gold

Gold is soft and malleable. For this reason, it is mixed with other metals like silver or zinc to make solid and wonderful jewelry pieces that can be worn for a longer period. Gold is cherished by most designers and is used for making jewelry designs in wedding rings, earrings and necklaces.

Silver

Don’t you love sterling silver? It is versatile, has a stunning look, and is cherished by a vast majority because of these. Not only that, it is the best option for people on a budget because it is affordable than gold. Jewelry designers find it great for everyday use because of its durability and it does not react with the skin.

Vermeil

Vermeil is a precious metal owing to its composition, gold, and silver. A gold layer is applied to sterling silver to make vermeil. The gold layer used in making vermeil jewelry in the United States must be of high quality. The minimum purity must be 14k with a thickness not less than 2.5 microns. Vermeil has no allergies since it is made of hypoallergenic metals. It is durable and the jewelry pieces created from vermeil look like solid gold.

Gold plated jewelry is also just like vermeil. However, the difference comes in on the base metal used in gold plating. The base metal could be brass or copper, which is low quality than silver. Unlike vermeil, there are no specific requirements set for gold plated jewelry, and the gold layer may be less than 2.5microns.

Platinum

Platinum is becoming a popular choice for jewelry designers because of its beauty and physical properties. It is silvery-white, highly durable, and can be mixed with other metals. Besides, it is resistant to tarnish, making it ideal for making rings, bracelets and everyday jewelry. However, Platinum is extremely rare and therefore pricier than other metals.

Palladium

This metal is also silvery-white in color, just like Platinum. Jewelry designers fancy it because of its color, density, hardness and tarnish-resistant nature. For designers looking to make lighter pieces of jewelry that require low maintenance, Palladium would be an excellent choice. Furthermore, its price is affordable than Platinum.

Base Metals

Base metals are an excellent choice for jewelry, though they are not precious metals. They are a mixture of few metals that are combined to form one base metal for jewelry. Metals that are durable and commonly used as base metals include copper, aluminum, tin, zinc, nickel, and lead. It is important to note that base metals can be plated. However, the plating wears out eventually, and replating may be needed. For jewelry designers who need to make desirable jewelry that is super affordable, base metal is the way to go. Let us have a look at a few of the base metals.

Aluminum

This metal is soft and does not rust. Besides, you can add custom colors to aluminum. However, when aluminum comes into contact with oxygen and water, it oxidizes. The oxidized layer then forms a layer preventing the aluminum from further corrosion, which is good news!

Copper

Copper is a soft metal and has a bright reddish-orange color. Because it is a highly reactive metal, it darkens and gains patina. It discolors the skin when worn in jewelry designs like a wedding or engagement ring and tight-fitting bracelets.

Nickel

Nickel is an alloy of copper, zinc, and nickel and is usually silver in color. However, it has no sterling silver component whatsoever. Jewelers find nickel components attractive because it costs less than sterling silver. Though jewelers and jewelry designers need to be aware that it may cause allergic reactions in some people. The law provides regulations on nickel’s use in jewelry.

Lead

Lead has been used to make jewelry pieces despite being a heavy and toxic metal, being that it is a cheap base metal. It does not degenerate therefore harmful to the environment. Also, it is harmful to human beings when ingested as lead accumulates in the human body. Jewelers are advised to comply with the strict laws by maintaining a low percentage of lead weight in their designs.

Why Is Precious Metal a Better Choice Than Base Metal for Jewelry Designers?

  1. Precious metal keeps its value and is a worthy investment
  • Jewelry made from precious metal will keep most of its value when the plating fades or in case of damage, while base metal jewelry will become worthless.
  • During difficult economic times, one can use precious metal jewelry for tender as they produce better returns. For example, families could get by the great recession of 1929 by selling their precious jewelry.
  1. It’s easier to make money from precious metal jewelry
  • Most customers understand and appreciate the value of precious metals. As a jeweler, you will not have to sell precious metal in large quantities to get money since customers will pay a hefty amount for a good piece of jewel made from precious metal. Meanwhile, base metal costs less because it is imported from overseas at a low cost and their prices are market-driven and will not be worth the time or effort put in.
  1. Precious metal jewelry is of high quality and lasts longer compared to base metal jewelry. Moreover, when it comes to conserving the environment, precious metal is ideal because base metals have negative environmental impacts.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Is gold-plated brass jewelry considered precious metal?

No. it is not a precious metal. It doesn’t matter how good the plating is done, it will eventually fade out and you will end up with a piece of worthless brass jewelry with an ugly faded gold plating.

  1. How about gold-filled jewelry?

Gold-filled jewelry is 5% of the total weight of gold bonded to copper/brass core. So, 95% of the jewelry is still base metal. A gold-filled layer will last much longer than most gold plating. However, it is still not considered a precious metal. Also, gold-filled jewelry can only be made from gold-filled sheets or wires, it cannot be made from casting. It imposes relatively high restrictions on the design.

How to test silver jewelry findings

There are a lot of articles talking about how to test silver. Many techniques are only suitable for silver bars and silver coins. Testing silver jewelry or findings is unique. It is worth another article to cover this specific topic and share our years of experiences in trading and testing silver jewelry and findings with you.

  • Stamping and marks on jewelry findings

Almost everyone knows to look for a 925 mark on the surface of your jewelry or findings. However, this method becomes tricky when it comes to jewelry chains and findings. Please note “925” mark is not on all authentic sterling silver pieces. For example, jewelry making bulk chains that are sold by the foot do not have the 925 mark. It’s just impossible or too expensive to stamp on every single link of the chain. Some small jewelry findings are not marked 925 as well. For example, jump rings don’t have 925 marks for the same reason as jewelry footage chain. When you place an OEM order with manufacturers for small silver findings, you can choose whether or not to stamp. Having that said, if you bought some silver jewelry findings that have no mark at all, don’t panic. It doesn’t mean it’s not real silver. You may just need to do further testing if you want to find out.

Be aware of other marks besides 925.  For example, “925 FAS” mark could mean “Fused Alloy Silver”. That is not authentic sterling silver. Some other letter marks may be a brand name for your jewelry, don’t be confused. Ask your seller if you are not sure.  Tibetan silver is not 925 silver, it only contains 30% silver. However, do not confuse Tibetan silver with Thai silver. Thai silver is sterling silver or could contain even more than 92.5% silver. “ALPACA” mark is for Alpaca silver or Alpaca Mexico silver. It is not sterling silver either. The same can be said for German silver.

  • Magnetic test on jewelry findings

This works for most silver jewelry findings. However, it has some limitations that you need to be aware of. Do not use this method for certain findings like clasps. In order to let clasps function, some non-silver parts are needed, like the spring, which cannot be made of pure silver. As a result, many clasps will react to a magnet. Just run magnetic testing on the part that should only contain silver. For example, chain links, jump rings, blanks, etc.

Certain rhodium plated findings may have a very weak magnetic reaction. Rhodium does not stick readily to silver. In order to stick them together, a thin layer of other metal will be used. That may cause weak magnetic reaction. Please be aware of this when you test your rhodium plated pieces.

  • Oxidize test on jewelry findings

Put a droplet of bleach or oxidize solution on silver to test its authenticity. If it turns a dark color, then it is silver.  This method works well for silver jewelry or findings without any plating. However, many of today’s silver jewelry pieces have anti-tarnish plating or other kinds of plating on top of silver, so only applying the oxidizing test on the surface may not be enough. Don’t panic though if your silver item cannot be oxidized. Scratch the surface with filling at least half way down, and then do the oxidizing test on the exposed rough silver part. With the surface removed, you can then tell if your piece is solid silver or if it just has silver plating.

  • Acid test

You can purchase acid testing kits online around $10. It comes with acid solution and a testing stone. Follow the instruction that comes with the kit. Sterling silver should turn into dark red color. Brown is for 80-90% silver. Green is for 65-75%.

Same as in oxidize test, make sure remove the surface plating layer when doing the acid test.

  • What tests do not work for jewelry findings?

There is mention to many other silver testing methods on the internet. For example, Ice Test, Sliding Test, Ring (sound) test, Density test. They are more suitable for testing bigger and heavier silver objects, such as silver bars and silver coins. They do not normally work well for small jewelry findings.

What about sophisticated XRF and Electronic tests?

If you have a questionable silver piece that you don’t want to apply any intrusive testing, you can consider an XRF (X-Ray Fluorescence) test or Ultrasonic electronic test. However, as a jewelry trader for many years, I do not normally recommend this test for jewelry findings. Both electronic and XRF test will cost you money and are not 100% reliable when you don’t want to break the silver object apart. Check out this Youtube video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89ATeNy3DIo) and see how a fake silver bar passed XRF test. Please note even the Ultrasonic machine used in that video can be fooled too. Most of the silver findings are not very expensive, it is better off to do an intrusive but cheap oxidize or acid test mentioned above.

As an importer and distributor, we routinely test our silver products. The same test techniques we use can also be used by most jewelry designers, sellers, or buyers. Out of all the testing methods we mentioned above, we recommend the oxidizing and acid tests.  Always purchase from companies with a good reputation too. AZ Findings only sources silver jewelry chains and findings from the best manufacturers in the Industry. We only find new manufactures from the best industry trade shows to ensure our product quality and give ourselves, and our customers, a peace of mind. I hope this article is helpful to you. Leave a comment if you have any questions or call us at 1-888-500-1586.