Metal Options for Engagement Rings

When choosing a precious metal for your engagement ring, it's essential to consider your lifestyle, design preferences, and skin tone. At Agape Jewellers, we aim to make this process effortless and enjoyable. Here's a breakdown of some popular options:

Yellow Gold
Yellow gold is known for its timeless elegance and warm hue. However, pure 24k yellow gold is too soft for everyday wear. To enhance its strength and durability, we mix it with alloys such as silver and copper. 

Rose Gold
Rose gold, also often referred to as red gold, contains more copper than yellow gold, giving it a distinctive pinkish-red tone. This metal is not only romantic and unique but also durable, making it a popular choice for modern engagement rings.

White Gold
White gold starts as yellow gold, which is then mixed with other white metals such as palladium to achieve its alloy. After crafting, the jewellery is plated with rhodium, giving it a brilliant, pure white finish. Over time, the rhodium plating can wear off, causing the metal to develop a slightly warmer tone. We recommend replating white gold every 12-18 months to keep it looking fresh and bright. 

Platinum
Platinum is a naturally white metal that doesn’t require plating, making it a low-maintenance option compared to white gold. It’s dense and more durable than gold, ensuring your ring remains pristine over time without the need for regular upkeep. This makes platinum an excellent choice for those seeking a combination of elegance and practicality; for this reason we recommend platinum over white gold if budget allows.

To learn more about the benefits of platinum, click here

Metal Carat

9k & 10k Gold:
9k & 10k gold is less malleable than higher karat gold due to its higher content of metal alloys (9k - 37.5% pure gold | 10k - 41.7% pure gold), making it less likely to bend out of shape. However, it can be more brittle and has a softer yellow tone than high carat golds. 9k & 10k are the most affordable gold options.

14k Gold:
14k gold offers a balance between durability and gold content, with 58.5% pure gold. It is more durable than 18k gold and has a good mix of strength and rich colour, making it a popular choice for engagement rings and other fine jewellery. 

18k Gold:
18k gold contains 75% pure gold, offering a richer colour and higher abrasive hardness. This means it wears better over time and is less prone to scratching.

At Agape Jewellers, we most commonly use 14k gold as it provides a great balance of quality, durability, and colour, but we are happy to accommodate different preferences if you have another choice in mind.

If you are unsure what to choose for your piece, our expert team is here to help guide you.