Published by Mat @Victoria James on Saturday, July 26, 2025
Written by Keri,
Victoria James Jewellers, Stratford-Upon-Avon.
If you find yourself wondering what the best metal for rings or other jewellery is, you’re not alone. There's various different factors to consider when buying or commissioning a new piece of jewellery and it can be a bit daunting realising just how much thought goes into it.
Luckily, that's where we come in.
Here at Victoria James Jewellers, we pride ourselves on making the vast majority of our stock ourselves in our Birmigham Jewellery Quarter branch, so we understand the full gravity of just how important it is to have the right components in a piece of jewellery. The right metal largely depends on your lifestyle, preferences and the intended use for the piece. For example, how often will it be worn? Is it something as significant as a wedding band or engagement ring? Perhaps it's a statement pendant or earrings that won't recieve as much wear? Or alternatively an every day piece that will be worn to within an inch of its life. There's so much to consider.
If you'd like to pop in and have a chat about it in person, our expert team will be happy to walk you through it all, but if not, read on!
Sterling Silver.
The most popular silver alloy on the market, sterling silver is the most affordable metal we use to make some of our jewellery. In its purest form, silver is actually a very soft and malleable metal and is susceptible to bending or scratching far easier than other metals with the same aestheic values, such as platinum or white gold.
Hallmarked 925, sterling silver contains 92.5% pure silver, mixed with 7.5% of other alloys to strengthen it enough for everyday use. This, along with its low price tag make it perfect for use in every day jewellery - strong enough to withstand the occasional knock, but still flexible enough to bend if enough force is exerted onto it.
Silver is often used alongside semi-prescious gemstones such as amethyst, topaz and citrine to create truly stunning pieces of jewellery that won't break the bank and can be worn every day with ease.
Gold.
One of the most expensive naturally occuring substances, gold makes up a small percentage of the planet's composition in the Earth's crust. The scarcity of it, along with its unique physical properties and historical significance contribute significantly to its high value. Gold is one of the most popular and sought after prescious metals, and can be used in countless different ways - not just in jewellery making!
Natural gold appears just as the name suggests - in a yellow golden colour. Different qualities of gold, ie, 9ct gold, 18ct gold etc, are composed of different concentrations of natural gold which alters not only the colour, but structure aswell. Different colours of gold, such as rose and white gold, are achieved by adding different concentrates of various alloys to the existing gold content. For example, rose gold has a somewhat pink-ish hue, with a higher content of copper present, softening the vibrant yellow colour and complementing all skin tones.
Aestheically, white gold looks almost exactly the same as silver; the truth of it is that they couldn't be more different! Yellow gold is mixed with a higher content of white metal alloys such as silver and palladium and then coated with rhodium to give it the brilliantly bright silver colour we all know and love.
As time goes on, gold jewellery will eventually wear. This is largely due to the other alloys that are mixed with the gold content wearing at a faster rate than the gold itself, therefore jewellery with a higher content of gold will be more durable and last a lot longer.
9ct Gold.
9 carat gold is hallmarked 375, which means that only 37.5% natural gold is present, with the other 62.5% being made up of other alloys such as silver, copper and zinc. This is beneficial as it will bring the price of your piece down dramatically, and will also be a lot less susceptible to bending, due to the higher content of stronger alloys that are mixed with the gold content to achieve 9ct.
If a piece of jewellery made in 9 carat gold is worn every day for many years, it may lose some of its lustrous yellow colour and parts of it may wear away. This is because the other alloys present in the piece are not as durable as gold. This can be remedied by undergoing a good clean and polish, but 100% of the colour still may not return.
This doesn't mean it will break after a year though! It remains one of the most beloved and commonly used metals in high street jewellers.
18ct Gold.
Often preferred for its balance of gold content and strength, 18ct gold is one of the most resilient metals to use in jewellery making. Stamped 750, it has a much higher content of natural gold (75%) so appears as a much deeper yellow golden colour, compared to 9ct.
18ct white and yellow gold are our most used metals for the jewellery we make, and is the perfect material to choose for a significant piece of jewellery such as wedding bands or engagement rings due to its durability and resistance to discolouration.
22ct Gold.
Second only to 24ct gold (pure gold, which is far too soft to fashion jewellery from), 22ct gold is the purest form of gold used to make jewellery. Hallmarked 916 with an incredible 91.6% of pure gold, its brilliantly vibrant yellow colour makes it particularly sought after for Indian jewellery.
As 22ct gold does not have as much of a mixture with other alloys, it is still a very soft metal which will make it easier to manipulate and bend. However, as it has the highest gold content of any form of gold used in jewellery, it will be one of the longest lasting pieces of jewellery you will ever own (provided it is not worn every day and is cared for appropriately).
Platinum.
One of the most prescious metals on the planet, platinum is one of, if not the least reactive metal known to mankind, which means it won’t tarnish like sterling silver when exposed to the air. As it is highly resistant to corrosion and tarnish, and is one of the hardest wearing metals to make jewellery from. Platinum is one of our favourite metals to use for the jewellery we make (hand-in-hand with 18ct gold). It also has many industrial applications - for many years, platinum has played a critical role in controlling harmful vehicle emissions, acting as a key component in catalytic converters, which are used to reduce harmful emissions.
Platinum is stamped (hallmarked) 950, meaning it has a whopping 95% pure platinum mixed with 5% of alloys such as iridium, rhodium, ruthenium, palladium, copper, or cobalt. Because of its purity and durability, it is perfect for substantial jewellery that will need to last, such as wedding bands and engagement rings, or jewellery containing prescious gemstones like diamonds, emeralds, rubies and sapphires.
In the current market, platinum is actually a less expensive metal to buy than 18ct gold, giving it another reason to be the perfect choice for a high quality piece of jewellery!
So as you can see, there are several metals and materials to choose from when delving into the world of jewellery; hopefully this guide has made your decision a little easier!
We know jewellery inside and out, so you can rest assured knowing we will always honestly advise you as to what components suit your specifications the most.
Come and see us today to find the perfect piece of jewellery for you or your loved ones.