Jewelry metals guide at Kirin Jewelry

At Kirin Jewelry, metal choice in our jewelry is based on your market and budget. For example,

if you are a fine jewelry wholesale/retailer, you can choose our jewelry which metal is 18k gold or 925 sterling silver rings,

if you are a fashion jewelry wholesale/retailer, you can choose our jewelry which metal is brass with gold plating.

There are three types of jewelry metals(gold, sterling silver, brass) out there for both women's and men's jewelry alike.

Our quick guide to understanding metal types is here to help sort them all out. Let's dive in!

types of jewelry metals

Some of the most common metal types used to make jewelry are

gold, silver and platinum. Others include titanium, tungsten,

tantalum, palladium, cobalt, stainless steel and so many others.

Each one has its benefits and differences surrounding durability,

comfort, luster, beauty and cost. At Kirin Jewelry, the metal types

used to make jewelry are gold, sterling silver and brass.

types of gold metals

Gold purity is measured in karats. When a metal is 100% pure, like 24K gold, it is too soft and malleable to create long-lasting jewelry.

Consequently, it must be alloyed with other metals to give it strength. Here’s a quick breakdown

of the different gold karats you’ll encounter and what they mean:

• 18k gold: 18 parts gold, 6 parts other metals by weight (75% pure)

• 14k gold: 14 parts gold, 10 parts other metals by weight (58.3% pure)

• 10k gold: 10 parts gold, 14 parts other metals by weight (41.7% pure) 

Gold is alloyed with specific metal types to give it a white, rose or yellow hue.

Depending on your style or priorities, each of these colors offers distinctive characteristics and benefits.

types of sterling silver metals

Like 24K gold, pure silver is too soft for making jewelry and will lose its shape over time.

Usually, Sterling silver means 925 sterling silver, is alloyed with metals like copper to create a harder metal,

and the finished jewelry will be with white gold plating, yellow gold plating, or rose gold plating to keep shine. 925 Sterling silver’s affordability and appearance make it great for gift-giving.

types of brass metals

Brass is a metal alloy, which means it is a metal made up of multiple elements. It is a mixture of the elements copper and zinc.

Differences in the percentages of copper and zinc can produce variations in the color and properties of brass.

More zinc makes the metal stronger and more ductile, and it makes the color more yellow than red.

The finished brass jewelry usually with white gold plating , yellow gold plating, or rose gold plating, its appearance same as

sterling silver with gold plating, but give you a large look at a great price.

Brass is affordable too making it the material of choice among many artisans and jewelry lovers.