White Metals: Part One – Silver

jodiegearingMetal Knowledge4 Comments

So you’re thinking about purchasing a special piece of jewellery. You’ve started to take note of the jewellery the recipient already wears and through that research you’ve come to the conclusion that they like silver coloured metals best. You’ve gazed at several jewellers’ dazzling window displays, and you’re now totally baffled by the range of sparkly white metal pieces that … Read More

White Metals: Part Three – Platinum and Palladium

jodiegearingMetal Knowledge2 Comments

Platinum: the most expensive of the precious metals. But what is it about this precious metal that makes it stand out from the crowd? And how does it differ to Palladium, one of its sibling metals? I hope to answer all these questions and more in this article all about Platinum and Palladium, the final piece of my third part … Read More

White Metals: Part Two – White Gold

jodiegearingMetal Knowledge3 Comments

White gold is a very common choice for jewellery – especially engagement and wedding rings. White gold was originally developed to give a cheaper alternative to Platinum which became very fashionable in the 1920s, and so white gold has often seemed its poor relation.  Although its natural colour is warmer than the cold white of Platinum, white gold is normally … Read More

Why white gold should not be Rhodium plated

jodiegearingMetal Knowledge, Rhodium plating100 Comments

White gold is one of my favourite precious metals and is still a popular choice for bespoke jewellery. However, I worry it is often chosen as a budget white metal option as opposed to Platinum rather than being selected for its own merit. This is because white gold is traditionally Rhodium plated; what you see in jeweller’s windows is actually … Read More

Why is my white gold tarnishing?

jodiegearingMetal Knowledge, Rhodium plating11 Comments

You’ve got a new beautiful white gold ring you have worn for a few months, but then you notice the metal around the back of the ring and the setting have changed colour. Patches of your ring are a totally different shade of white, and next to the bright silvery areas that remain, these patches almost look yellow. Is your … Read More

Recycling Jewellery: Reimagining Unworn Gemstones & Precious Metals

jodiegearingAdvice, Case Studies, Commissions, Metal Knowledge

I have seen a real increase in customers enquiring about reusing metal and gemstones from existing jewellery. Very often, it is broken and unworn items or, even more commonly, inherited pieces that are not to the client’s taste but hold immense sentimental value.  Increasingly, people are considering upcycling these pieces into something new rather than having them go to waste … Read More

Rose Gold

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Rose gold, also called red or pink gold, has re-gained popularity in recent years as an alternative to white metals and yellow gold. This copper coloured metal has become so popular we now see its warm tone replicated in interior design, with ‘rose gold’ coloured taps, handles and lamps, and also in our technology with ‘rose gold’ coloured mobile phones and … Read More

Dipping or flashing white gold

jodiegearingMetal Knowledge, Rhodium platingLeave a Comment

When looking at white gold jewellery in a high street jewellers, the sales assistants will often talk about having it ‘dipped’. Another term sometimes used is ‘rhodium flashing’. Both of these terms conjure images of simple and almost magical processes involving either vats of liquid metal or zapping the piece of jewellery with a special rhodium gun! I don’t blame the sales … Read More

Rhodium Plating Yellow Gold

jodiegearingMetal Knowledge, Rhodium plating2 Comments

Although yellow and rose gold have seen a real resurgence in recent years, I am still finding that majority of the clients I work with are looking for white metal in their commissioned pieces. When it comes to inheriting jewellery, a lot of classic designs were made in yellow gold (perhaps with Platinum settings or design details) which sometimes does … Read More