Each Personalized-Jewelry.com item is made to your exact specifications and made even more special with the personalization you choose. Create your custom piece to include a loved ones name, a wedding date, a birth date, religious occasion or words that inspire or touch your heart.
The time you take to build your own engagement and wedding rings can be a special way for you and your spouse-to-be to bind yourselves together. As the two of you look back over the time you spent together to create a meaningful symbol of your union, you will cherish those memories of creating, planning, and deciding how to symbolize the important aspects of your unique relationship.
Generally, couples begin by deciding on which type of metal will be used in the rings. With the choices in gold purity ranging from 24-karat to 10-karat gold plated, couples may wonder what the percentages and terminology used to describe gold really mean. A karat (K) is a unit of measure used to describe the percentage of gold in the item, with 24K being pure gold. Pure gold is soft, easily malleable, and very expensive. It really is not practical for daily wear, as it distorts or changes shape easily or can wear thin.
- 24K is pure, 100% gold.
- 18K gold is an alloy of 18 parts gold to 6 parts of another metal, or 75% gold.
- 14K gold is an alloy of 14 parts gold to 10 parts of another metal, or 58.3% gold.
- 12K gold is an alloy of 12 parts gold to 12 parts of another metal, or 50% gold.
- 10K gold is an alloy of 10 parts gold to 14 parts of another metal, or 41.7% gold. It is the minimum karat that the United States allows to be called "gold."
The gold used in jewelry is usually mixed with other metals to create an alloy. By adding other metals to gold, the color changes slightly. Nickel or palladium creates white gold; copper produces a pinkish tint, and silver gives a greenish cast. Sometimes several alloys may be combined in one design to give added variety of color and emphasis to the design. Platinum and titanium are other metals that can used to make durable wedding rings that can withstand tough daily use, and these metals are often used as mounts for diamonds because of their hardness.
Gold can also be used as a coating over less expensive metals or sterling silver. The amount of gold coating is indicated in some gold-filled jewelry by a marking such as, “1/20 12K G.F. on sterling,” which means that the coating is at least 1/20th gold by weight over sterling silver. The thicker the layer of gold, the longer it will wear before exposing the metal underneath.
Gold-plated jewelry is much thinner and will wear off more quickly. The plating is accomplished in different ways, such as electroplating or washing. These pieces are quite inexpensive and of course do not last long, but may be fine for earring posts or backs, or for items that do not receive much wearing. Be careful about possible staining or allergies to certain metals that may be exposed when the plating wears off.
When designing or buying jewelry that is worn continuously, such as engagement and wedding sets, look for the highest karat gold that you can afford.
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