The metal is the part of a piece you live with. It sits against your skin, takes the knocks of an ordinary day and decides how the piece will look in years to come. A ring goes everywhere your hands go, while a pendant or a pair of earrings leads a much quieter life, so the right metal depends on the piece as much as on the colour you love.
For a ring you’ll wear every day, the usual choices are 18ct gold, 9ct gold, platinum 950 and palladium, and which metal for a ring you wear every day compares those four in detail. For pieces that take fewer knocks, such as pendants and earrings, sterling silver is a good choice too. Colour, how the metal wears, how much looking after it needs and your budget usually decide between them, and the hallmark, where a piece carries one, tells you which metal you have.
This guide goes through each metal in turn, then which kinds of jewellery each one suits.
What do 9ct, 14ct and 18ct gold mean?
Carats measure how much of the metal is pure gold, in 24ths. Pure gold is too soft for most jewellery, so it’s mixed with other metals that add strength and set the colour. The more gold in the mix, the richer the colour.
| Gold | Pure gold | Hallmark | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9ct gold | 37.5% | 375 | A paler colour, and the most affordable of the three. Depending on the alloy, it can be harder than 18ct gold. |
| 14ct gold | 58.5% | 585 | Between the two: a warmer colour than 9ct gold, and generally firmer than 18ct gold. |
| 18ct gold | 75% | 750 | The richest colour of the three. It’s generally softer than 9ct gold, so fine scratches can show sooner. |
A professional polish refreshes 18ct gold that has picked up fine scratches, although each polish removes a small amount of metal. You may also come across 22ct gold, hallmarked 916. It’s 91.6% gold, deeper in colour again and softer still.
All three are in our wedding ring builder in yellow, white and rose, so you can see how your choice affects the price of the same band.
Are yellow, white and rose gold all real gold?
Yes. The colour comes from the other metals in the alloy, not from the amount of gold, so 18ct yellow, white and rose gold all carry the same 750 hallmark. Rose gold takes its warmth from copper. Yellow and rose gold have their colour all the way through, so a polish brings back the finish without changing it.
White gold is a little different. Its natural colour is a soft, slightly warm white, so it’s usually plated with rhodium for a bright, crisp finish. That plating wears gradually, and how soon depends on the piece and how it’s worn: a ring rubbed every day is likely to show it sooner than a pair of earrings.
We re-plate white gold in our workshop in Ashford; re-plating a ring costs £50 and takes up to a week. Why white gold turns yellow explains what’s happening.
Is platinum 950 worth it?
Platinum 950 is 95% platinum. It’s naturally white, so there’s no plating to wear away, and it’s dense, so a platinum ring feels noticeably heavier than the same ring in gold. Some people love that weight on the hand; others prefer something lighter.
Platinum still marks. Over time its surface settles into a soft patina, which can be polished bright again if you prefer. It tends to move metal around as it wears rather than losing it as readily, which is one reason it’s so often chosen to hold diamonds, but claws and settings still need checking from time to time.
The trade-off is price: platinum’s material cost, its density and the work of making the piece all show in what you pay.
Is it worth it? If you want a naturally white metal with no plating to refresh, and you like the feel of a heavier piece, it often is. If weight or budget matters more, palladium or white gold may suit you better.
What is the difference between palladium 500 and palladium 950?
Palladium belongs to the same family of metals as platinum. It’s naturally white, it never needs plating, and it’s much lighter than platinum, so a wide band feels less heavy on the hand.
The number is the purity: palladium 950 is 95% palladium and palladium 500 is 50%, and each is hallmarked with its own number. How a piece wears depends on the alloy and the design, and the choice of palladium styles can vary, so it’s worth asking about the piece you have in mind.
Whether palladium costs less than platinum depends on metal prices at the time and on the design. Palladium 500 and palladium 950 are both options in the wedding ring builder, which shows the price as you choose.
Is sterling silver good for jewellery?
Sterling silver is 92.5% silver, usually with copper making up the rest for strength, and it’s hallmarked 925. It’s bright, affordable and lovely for pendants, earrings and bracelets.
It’s also relatively soft, and it tarnishes as it reacts with the air, so it needs the occasional polish with a soft cloth; how to look after your jewellery shows how.
Our birthstone pendants are sterling silver, set with cubic zirconia in birthstone colours rather than real gemstones. Birthstones by month lists the colour for each month.
Which metal suits which kind of jewellery?
How much wear a piece takes matters as much as the metal itself.
- A ring worn every day takes more wear than anything else you own. 18ct gold, 9ct gold, platinum 950 and palladium all suit it; sterling silver is soft for daily wear on the hand.
- Bracelets and bangles knock against desks and worktops, so softer metals and white gold’s plating tend to show wear sooner than they would on a pendant.
- Pendants and necklaces get far less wear, so every metal here works well, sterling silver included.
- Earrings lead a quiet life too. If you have sensitive skin, ask what the posts and fittings are made of, as they sit against your skin all day.
If you’re buying for someone else, think about how they’ll wear it as well as what they like. How to choose a gift that lasts covers the rest.
Can you wear different metals together?
Yes. Mixing yellow gold, white gold and platinum across different pieces is a matter of taste.
Rings worn side by side on the same finger are worth more thought. Different metals can wear against one another where they touch, and how much depends on the shape and fit of the rings. Matching your wedding band to your engagement ring is a sensible option, but it isn’t a universal rule. How to choose a wedding band goes into it.
How does the metal change the price?
Four things set it:
- Purity. 18ct gold contains twice the proportion of pure gold found in 9ct gold, although the finished piece isn’t simply double the price.
- Density. Platinum 950 is dense, so a piece of the same size uses more metal by weight than one in gold or palladium.
- Metal prices, which move, so comparisons change over time.
- The work involved in making the piece.
So there’s no fixed order from least to most expensive. The fairest comparison is the same design in each metal.
How can you tell which metal a piece is?
Look for the hallmark. In the UK, gold, silver, platinum and palladium above a small exemption weight must be independently tested by an assay office and hallmarked before they can be sold as such. The number is the part to look for:
| Number | Metal |
|---|---|
| 375 | 9ct gold |
| 585 | 14ct gold |
| 750 | 18ct gold |
| 916 | 22ct gold |
| 950 | Platinum 950, or palladium 950 when it sits with palladium’s own hallmark |
| 500 | Palladium 500 |
| 925 | Sterling silver |
Very light pieces are exempt: gold and palladium under 1g, platinum under 0.5g and silver under 7.78g. A small pair of studs or a light sterling silver pendant may carry no hallmark at all.
UK hallmarks explained shows how to read every mark, and our commitment to hallmarking sets out how we check what we sell.
Which metal should you choose?
- For a naturally white piece with no plating: platinum 950, or palladium if you’d like it lighter.
- For gold at its richest, in yellow, white or rose: 18ct gold.
- For gold at a more accessible price: 9ct gold, or 14ct gold for a little more colour.
- For pendants, earrings and bracelets on a smaller budget: sterling silver, if you’re happy to give it the occasional polish.
Our advice: try two metals on side by side before you decide. Platinum 950 and 18ct white gold, or 18ct yellow and rose gold, can look quite different against your skin, and that’s far easier to judge in person than from a photograph.
Compare the metals with us
Browse 9ct gold, platinum 950 and sterling silver jewellery, or build a band in the metal of your choice in the wedding ring builder.
If you’d rather compare them in the hand, book a time with us in Ashford. Tell us what the piece is for and how it will be worn, and we’ll help you compare the options.
Frequently asked questions
Is 9ct gold worth more than 18ct gold?
No. The same piece costs more in 18ct gold, but that doesn’t make 9ct gold a lesser choice: it’s a popular metal for wedding rings and everyday jewellery.
What is the difference between platinum and white gold?
Freshly plated white gold and platinum 950 can look very alike. The difference shows over the years: white gold’s rhodium plating wears and needs refreshing, while platinum stays white all the way through.
Is platinum hypoallergenic?
Platinum 950 is often a good choice for sensitive skin because it’s 95% platinum, but individual sensitivities vary, so it isn’t a guarantee. If you’ve reacted to jewellery before, mention it when you’re choosing and ask about the exact composition of the alloy.
Does sterling silver tarnish?
Yes. Keeping it in a pouch or a box when you’re not wearing it slows that down.
