A lot of jewelry buyers always wonder which is the best metal to set their diamond and precious gemstones in? Although choosing the metal is personal preference, every customer should know the basic characteristics and strength before they make a final decision.

Gold

Gold's natural color is yellow. It is measured in a term called "Karat". The purest form of gold is 24 Karat or 99.99 % pure. The purest form of gold is extremely soft. 24 karat gold is extremely soft and can be easily molded into anything. It is made into jewelry in primarily in the Middle-East, Asian and Southeast Asian countries. Further classifications of gold are as follows;

• 22 Karat Gold or .916 % pure,
• 20 Karat Gold .833 % pure,
• 18 Karat Gold or .750 % pure, (used mostly Worlwide)
• 14 Karat Gold or .583 % pure, (used mostly in the USA)
• 10 Karat Gold  or .416 % pure (least amount legal in the USA)
• 9 Karat Gold or .375 % pure (least amount legal in the UK)
• The other parts are alloys mixed with gold inorder to increase strength or change it's color.

White gold, rose gold, etc. are manufactured when alloyed with other metals such as nickel, zinc, etc. White gold has been extremely popular in the recent years along with a steady increase. The young couples along with new generation of baby boomers now prefer white gold.

One of the biggest disadvantages of white gold is the fact that it has to be rhodium (same family as platinum) plated on a regular basis inorder to maintain it's bright white finish. Gold when mixed with alloys results in white gold, which has a faint yellow tone to it. This tone resurfaces with regular wear and tear within 6 - 18 months. Although the rhodium plating process if inexpensive (USD $ 25.00 - $ 45.00), it does involve polishing and cleaning of the ring thoroughly, minimising the final weight of the item. Over a period of few years (generally 3-5 years), the ring will not be wearable and the diamonds/gemstones will have to be reset into a new mounting.

White gold and yellow gold rings require regular check-ups every 6 months if you wear it daily. The checkup should include the prongs, bottom shank and the level of rhodium plating.

Platinum

Platinum is the purest metal used in jewelry today. On an average it is 90 % to 95 % pure. Platinum appears in a greyish-white color in its natural form. Being rarer than gold, it is also costlier than gold. Infact, platinum is almost 30 times rarer than gold. It is corrosion-resistant, does not tarnish in air, possesses remarkable resistance to chemical attack, excellent high-temperature characteristics and stable electrical properties. Platinum is denser than gold and feels heavier than gold. Other Metals in the platinum group besides platinum are Rhodium, Ruthenium, Osmium, Palladium, Iridium.

Platinum is also hypo-allergenic, just like surgical stainless steel. You, thus, cannot have an allergic reaction to platinum. Individuals, who are allergic to lower karatage gold due to the nickel content in 14 karat or 18 karat gold, should use platinum instead. Since platinum is 95% pure and the other alloy used is iridium, which is hypo-allergenic, it is the ideal metal. When you hit a platinum ring it displaces itself, unlike gold which flakes off. In 100 years your 10 grams platinum ring will weigh 9.90 grams and an equivalent weighing gold ring would probably be 6.00 grams. It is strongly recommended to set your important diamonds, gemstones and jewelry in platinum for this exact reason.

Palladium

Palladium is in the Platinum family, which involves Osmium, Rhodium, Platinum, Palladium, Ruthenium and Iridium. Palladium has similar chemical properties to Platinum. It is as hard as Platinum and perfectly fit for making jewelry. Palladium looks just like platinum and is slightly lighter in weight. In it's raw form platinum looks greyish white while palladium looks silverish white. The major difference is price. It is less than half the price of Platinum and is equally good in strength, stability as well as looks. Palladium just like platinum is hypo-allergenic. It does not need any kind of rhodium plating to maintain it's bright white finish.

In the last couple of years there has been a subtle shift from white gold to palladium. The equilibrium reached between Gold and Platinum by Palladium has been the major cause of it. The price of palladium being less than that of platinum but at the same exhibiting more strength than gold along with less maintenance has driven it's demand.

Jewelry is a matter of personal choices and expressions. Choosing your metal is a part of that along with the thoughts of longevity. Most pieces of jewelry are handed down generations. Some get it and are proud of it while others want to give it and want to be proud of it. So choose wisely!