You’d be forgiven for thinking silver and gold are the only metals used in jewelry. Truth is, they’re the most commonly purchased type of metal and a popular choice for every age group. They’re also not always the only or best choice. When jewelry shopping, it’s essential to know what metal you’re purchasing, including its pros and cons. We’ve listed below the top 6 types of metals used in jewelry, along with the benefits and downsides of each.

Gold

Gold is one of the most commonly used metals in jewelry. It’s soft, malleable, and easy to work with. This allows for near-unlimited shapes, sizes, and customizations. Due to its soft nature, other metals are added to gold jewelry to help stabilize its structure. Because of the additional metals, pure gold jewelry is rare and expensive. Most stores will sell gold (rated in karats) between 14k and 22k, with pure gold being 24k. 

Silver

Silver, or sterling silver, at one point was considered more valuable than gold. That’s since changed, but its popularity hasn’t. One of the most affordable of all precious metals, sterling silver is quite strong. Pure silver is almost as soft as gold, so other metals (usually copper) are added for strength. If you decide to purchase sterling silver, be sure to clean and maintain it well. Silver can tarnish quickly, but this is easily remedied with some warm water and soap.

Platinum

This vibrant, bright white metal is as rare as it is expensive. Some estimate this precious metal is over 30x rarer than gold, making it a premium investment. Platinum is also one of the hardest, strongest metals you can buy, leading to jewelry that can last generations. Unique to platinum is the ability to become more lustrous as it ages. Unlike other metals that tarnish and fade over time, platinum maintains its strength and looks.

Titanium

Strong as steel at only half the weight, Titanium is a budget-friendly option for those looking for class and durability. It resists tarnishing and scratches and, much like platinum, maintains its shiny looks as time passes.

Tungsten

The heaviest and hardest of the metals listed here, tungsten is lustrous, strong, and hypoallergenic. It’s also quite affordable, making it one of the most popular choices for wedding bands. It’s also a very safe metal, breaking under pressure instead of bending or pinching. 

Stainless Steel

This metal is very budget friendly and strong enough to withstand daily wear. You’ll generally see stainless steel used in watches, earrings, bracelets, and other common jewelry pieces. Easy to clean, this metal is silvery-white in color and stands up to tarnishing quite well.

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