You have made the decision to ask your partner to spend the rest of their life together with you, and nothing says forever (and sustainable) like lab grown diamonds. Now that the “easy” part is out of the way and you’ve already chosen your ring design, all you are left with is to pick what metal type to go for with your lab grown diamond engagement ring. We shall cut right to the chase to let you know that the most common and popular choice to go for is 18K White Gold. If this was all the affirmation you needed, skip the rest of this article and lock that in. If you’re still undecided or have a fascination with shiny things, do carry on reading. At any point in time, feel free to seek out any one of our consultants to find out which lab grown diamond ring might suit you and your partner best.
Sterling Silver is not an obvious choice for engagement rings due to its status as a lesser precious metal compared to gold and platinum. Due to its higher maintenance nature of being prone to tarnishing and scratching, we would not recommend this for an engagement ring unless affordability is a main factor, or if you were going for an oxidised silver kind of effect.
This is where most people get stuck on. Do I want champagne, rose, white or yellow gold? Do I want it in 14K or 18K? What exactly are the differences?
As mentioned in the spoiler above, 18K white gold is the most popular choice. First of all, the silver colour of white gold is the most neutral colour for a band and has taken over yellow gold in the modern age to be the go to choice. However, white gold is rhodium plated which may fade over time into a soft champagne colour, you may replate it from time to time to restore your jewellery piece to its original lustre easily.
The good old vintage yellow gold may remind us of jewellery from our parent’s generation. However, if you are going for a vintage and classic design, it'll look just the part. Not to mention that yellow gold has lasting beauty that improves over time. Being more malleable than platinum, it is ideal for incorporating fine intricate designs into your jewellery.
Rose gold is a more trendy option but is usually reserved for daily wear jewellery and not associated with the premium of an engagement ring or wedding band. However, if you are going with an avant-garde design and want to stand out from the crowd, rose gold is a good way to do so. Unlike white gold, rose gold does not require plating and its pink tinge is a result of a mixture of copper with gold. The more the copper composition the redder the metal.
Champagne gold is probably the least known option for gold which looks like a mix of yellow and rose gold. It creates a more subdued and gentle look as the colour is not as bold as the yellow gold.
Another way to choose the colour of your gold is to match it with your skin tone. While it is not an exact science, you can use it as a point of reference. Cooler (fairer) skin tones match well with white gold, whereas warmer (darker) skin tones match well with yellow and rose gold. A neutral skin tone would then be an open canvas for all colours of gold. However, it ultimately boils down to preference; you might have a warmer/darker skin tone and love the contrast that white gold brings. Either way, the majority of engagement rings and wedding bands end up being white gold.
After setting your heart on the colour of gold, you are now faced with the decision of whether to go for 14K or 18K white gold. The real difference lies in the purity of gold - 14K consists of 58.3% pure gold, whereas 18K is 75% pure gold. The reason we do not use 100% pure gold for jewellery is due to how soft pure gold is. As a result, 18K is slightly less durable than 14K gold. If you and your partner lead a more active lifestyle and do not want the hassle of maintaining the rings as much, 14K would be the better choice. However, due to the purity of gold, 14K lacks the richness in colour found in 18K gold. Marketing also plays a part where since you’re already going for the best materials for your engagement ring in the form of a diamond, you should go for the purer 18K gold to show your partner how much you love them.
While there are many practical considerations when choosing between 14K and 18K gold, the most common reason to go for 14K is usually the affordability of it over its 18K counterpart where you can expect about a 20% price difference.
If you have decided on white gold as your choice of metal, why not consider platinum too? Platinum retains its silver colour permanently as it is not plated with any coloured coating, and it is more durable than gold, keeping its fresh look for longer. As platinum rings are about 95% pure platinum, it is a great choice for people with more sensitive skins. Despite its lower spot price compared to gold, platinum often demands a premium price due to the increased cost of craftsmanship associated with working on the metal. If you are going for a very luxurious and premium ring, platinum is a great choice to complete that package. One last consideration is that platinum rings are not able to be remelted and recrafted into a ring of another design. So if you are unsure what design your partner is looking for, stick with gold, and there is a chance to recraft the ring if you so desire.
If you are still unsure about which metal to go for after reading all this, trust that you can’t go wrong with 18K White Gold. Feel free to reach out to our consultants at any time and we guarantee you The Better Experience.
.png)