There are a few feelings one gets when walking into a jewelry store: excitement, bewilderment, and almost always confusion. The multitude of options, materials, and prices can make choosing a piece of fine jewelry quite daunting. The first thing many people ask me is the difference between materials that are used for jewelry. From yellow gold in 14, 18, and 24 karat to white gold in 14 and 18 karat and nowadays with the resurgence of rose gold in both karat weights and of course the ever popular platinum, the choices are endless!
Different gold karat weights indicate the different amounts of pure gold used in each piece. Anything stamped with “14K” will generally indicate that the piece is composed of 60 percent pure gold while the remaining 40 percent are mixed alloys. An 18K piece will be comprised of approximately 70 to 75 percent pure gold and so on and so forth. These percentages are universal regardless of which color gold you choose. Anything that is stamped with “PLAT” is a platinum piece that is made up of about 92 percent of that specific metal. The higher the percentage of precious metals used, the softer and more fragile that piece of jewelry will be. Since jewelry, and specifically wedding rings will be used every day, the decision of which material to use becomes a very important one. For example, I would not recommend a high karat weight or a platinum piece for someone who works heavily day-to-day with his or her hands due to the piece of jewelry’s susceptibility to damage. Of course the decision often times comes down to aesthetics, but at Ro,Ma Jewelers we like to get a sense for how the jewelry will be used in an attempt to help influence the decision. If the decision is solely based on the beauty and purity of a piece, then the higher karat weights will be the clear choice.
At Ro,Ma Jewelers we strive to understand the customer’s needs before selling them a piece of jewelry. Tailoring pieces to each individual customer insures a lifetime of wear and use. Stop by and see us soon!
For more information about Ro,Ma Jewelers, call 661-254-6414 or visit www.romajewelers.com.