Despite the growing popularity of titanium and platinum
engagement rings, gold remains the classic version of engagement rings. Gold is
hypoallergenic, durable, rust- and tarnish-resistant. It is also a
perfect match for diamonds
and other precious stones like rubies, emeralds and sapphires.
In jewelry this metal is usually combined with silver, nickel, zinc or
copper to become more durable. These alloys introduce various karat
measurement like 14-karat gold, 18-karat gold and its purest form
– 24-karat gold. One should notify that in the USA the word
“karat” refers to the gold purity, while
“carat” means the stone's weight. In international
jewel
terminology the term “carat” is both the unit of
weight and
the unit of gold purity. The karat of engagement rings is identified by
the imprint “14K”, “18K” or
“24K”
on the inside on the ring and is also called the quality mark.
Though engagement rings from 14K gold, containing 58% of gold, may be
stronger and often cheaper, they also can cause allergic reactions and
are more likely to tarnish than engagement rings from 18K gold. 22K
gold is more widespread in Southeast Asia and India because of its deep
yellow color. Engagement rings with high karat alloys are more flexible
and vulnerable, while the “diluted” ones are
stronger and
more suitable for everyday wearing.
Yellow or white gold settings for engagement rings have considerable
advantages over platinum or silver ones. Thus, platinum engagement
rings which are considered to be the elite choice are beyond the pocket
of many people, while white gold
has similar look and is much more affordable.
Gold engagement rings should be regularly cleaned using a mild soapy
solution or standard jewelry cleansers, such as alcohol and ammonia
which is especially useful for yellow gold. Nevertheless, ammonia and
other strong chemicals are never applied to engagement rings with
fracture-filled diamonds in order not to discolor them. Gold engagement
rings should be taken off while swimming or using cleansers with
chloride.
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