Silver or Gold Jewelry

The two titans of precious metals: silver and gold. Both beautiful, both classics, but which should you choose? With this guide, we’ll walk you through the characteristics, styles, and care for gold-toned and silver-toned jewelry. Then you decide which silvers, golds, or mixed metal styles have a place in your jewelry collection.

The standard measurement of gold is the karat, which is divided into 24 parts. Pure gold is 24 Karats, meaning 24 out of 24 parts are gold. Because pure gold is too soft to be used for jewelry, it is combined with other metal alloys to increase its strength. For instance, 14K gold is 14 parts gold and 10 parts other alloys, while 10K gold is more durable, with 10 parts gold to 14 parts other alloys. Alloys used with yellow gold include copper and silver. Rose gold is created by combining gold with large amounts of copper. When creating white gold, pure gold is combined with copper, zinc, and nickel (or palladium). 

Maintaining gold jewelry’s beautiful appearance all comes down to the proper care. First, be aware the higher the purity of gold the more upkeep it may need. The purest 24k gold and 18k gold are softer and prone to scratches, while 14k gold and 10k gold are more scratch resistant.  

Over time gold jewelry’s luster can fade, but bringing gold pieces to a jeweler for polishing can restore its shine. If you choose to clean gold jewelry at home use with warm water and mild dish soap to gently polish and dry it completely with soft cloth. Gold jewelry holds up to everyday wear, but removing pieces during exercise or more manual tasks help can protect pieces from damage. 

Silver-toned jewelry can be made with a variety of metals from white gold to platinum, titanium, tungsten, cobalt, and stainless steel. Silver jewelry needs different levels of care depending on the metal you choose. The longest lasting silver-toned metal for jewelry is platinum, which is highly durable and only needs occasional polishing over time.    

Alternative metals like titanium, tungsten, and cobalt are all tarnish resistant. Stainless steel can rust, but with regular polishing it can last for decades. White gold is the softest of the silver-toned metals and can be scratched from heavy use or improper storage. Durable platinum and alternative metals will be your strongest options if you live a more active lifestyle, while you will need to be more mindful if you wear white gold jewelry.