Stones are the centerpiece of every ring, but metals are the foundation. There are many factors that go into choosing the right metal for your piece, such as lifestyle, personal aesthetic, and price. When it comes to gold, sorting through all the different options can be tricky. What is the difference between 14K and 18K gold? Between white gold and platinum? What golds go best with which stones? Well, never fear…Kristen Baird is here! In this blog, I’m sharing all my expert knowledge so your jewelry shopping experience can be as good as gold. (See what I did there!)
Colors of Gold
The first question most people ask me when it comes to gold jewelry is whether yellow, white, or rose gold is “best.” The answer is simple: whichever you like best! There are certainly trends when it comes to gold. Rose gold was all the rage a few years ago, and now yellow gold is HOT HOT HOT. But none of them truly go “out of style.” (Honestly, gold has been in style since the ancient Egyptians, so I think we can trust it to stay that way!) Your fine jewelry will outlast any particular craze, so it’s best to pick what you genuinely like. Some colors also look great with certain stones. For example, I love combining yellow gold with blue sapphires, tanzanite, and emeralds, white gold with citrine and peridot, and rose gold with rubies and aquamarine. Ultimately, though, it’s up to you!
Gold Alloys
Most people have heard the phrases 14K gold and 18K gold, but they might not have a real understanding of what they mean. All gold jewelry is an alloy, a blend of gold and other metals such as copper and zinc. This is because 100% pure gold is far too soft and easily damaged to be usable as everyday jewelry.
Fortunately, 18K gold is 75% pure gold and 14K gold is closer to 60% pure gold. 18K is considered fine jewelry and is the Kristen Baird® standard for gold. All of my gold production pieces are crafted in 18K yellow or rose gold. (Platinum also available - more on that later!)
When it comes to commissions, there may be circumstances where 14K is the right option, so I always like to advise my clients when working one-on-one. There is also 10K gold jewelry, but I find this to be too brittle for my complex jewelry designs, so I don’t personally use it.
Yellow Gold
18K yellow told is a rich, buttery yellow color. (You can see the contrast with 14K yellow gold in the image above.) It pairs beautifully with any skin tone and gemstone color, which is one of the many reasons it has always been popular. I especially love pairing yellow gold with deep gemstone colors, such as blue sapphires, green emeralds, and red rubies.
18K yellow gold creates heirloom-quality jewelry that can be passed down through generations. You can't go wrong with this classic!
Rose Gold
18K rose gold is a beautiful deep rose color. While rose gold ebbs and flows in popularity, it always comes back around. By building jewelry in 18K rose gold, I ensure that the value of the piece will remain consistent over time and make for gorgeous heirloom jewelry. I personally love making jewelry in 18K rose gold and recommend it to anyone looking for something extra-feminine and unique!
Platinum and White Gold
In general, white gold can be quite brittle. For this reason, I prefer to work in platinum most of the time. Platinum offers all that gorgeous true white shine and, as a bonus, isn’t going to scratch or break easily. All of my fine jewelry production pieces are available in 18K yellow, 18K rose gold, and platinum.
However, I do sometimes use white gold for commissions. In this case, I will usually select 14K white gold, as it is more durable. One thing to note: white gold is still gold so the yellow undertone will show through if it’s left in its natural state.
Rather than going with platinum, some jewelers prefer to plate white gold with rhodium for extra brightness. This is a matter of preference, however, I find the upkeep necessary for rhodium plating to be challenging, and I always want my jewelry pieces to be practical in addition to beautiful. Rhodium needs to be re-plated every six months or risks wearing off. For this reason, I do not offer rhodium plating on my jewelry.
Mixing Metals
If you follow my jewelry, you know that I love to create unique pieces that break some of the traditional “rules” of jewelry making. One of those rules is “never mix metals.” Well, you can’t tell this Southern girl what to do! I love mixing different gold tones along with colored stones in a single piece.
One of my favorite techniques is to use a contrasting metal for a bezel setting to really make a gemstone stand out, like I did in these commission pieces. How sweet and romantic is that rose gold and aquamarine combo? I’m also obsessed with the way a yellow gold bezel makes blue sapphire pop. Let me know your favorite in the comments!
Sustainability
It wouldn’t be a proper blog about gold without mentioning a little more about where my gold comes from. As part of the Kristen Baird® Jewelry commitment to sustainability, we go out of our way to use recycled metals and to know that our sourcing is ethical - without mining it ourselves. Speaking of which, I went gold mining in North Carolina when I was in college. Let’s just say, it was depressing to only find a few tiny salt-sized specs of gold after a full day of “fun” work. Major respect to those who do this on the daily! For fun, I'm hoping to eventually "dig up" a few photos of my “once in a lifetime” gold mining experience. Stay tuned...
Anyhow, our primary metal supplier uses 100% recycled materials and has been certified by the Responsible Jewelry Council and CSC Global Services. In addition to the “social” aspect, I love being nifty, thrifty, and resourceful so I have come up with a few ways to reuse, recycle, and reimagine all the colors of gold in my studio. It works out nicely for both myself, my clients, and the world!
I hope this information gives you confidence when shopping for gold jewelry. If you have any additional questions, don’t hesitate to reach out or leave them in the comments!
