Choosing

Do they have a preference for gold, silver or copper?

Some people would wear more gold but don't due to expense. This can on occasions be overcome by gold plating if the piece is not subjected to too much wear and tear. A piece could also be cast in brass : bright brass looks remarkably like gold.

If you have an equal volume of metal, gold is heavier than silver. Therefore some items are not suitable to be made in gold in the same way as they have been in silver. e.g. bottom earrings - these would just be too heavy in gold, but if requested could be modified so that they are hollowed out and then cast in gold.

Another illustration is a chain : you will need the same volume as in silver, but it will weigh a lot more in gold.

For a special piece it is best to have it made in silver first to be sure of the size and style before committing to gold. As gold is much more expensive, waste becomes a significant cost !

This is particularly important with wedding rings as this is the only ring that many people wear, so they find sizing the ring difficult, and they are supposed to wear it at all times and on the correct finger at least until their divorce. If it is made in silver first they can wear it for a few days to be sure that the size is correct and then it can be adjusted if necessary and then made in gold.

Non-precious, but still beautiful, metals.

Aluminium

Option for 10th Wedding Anniversary Present

Brass

Heavy

Bright Brass : Can look just like gold, good alternative for cast pieces.(but is lighter than gold)

Option for 7th Wedding Anniversary Present

Bronze

Copper

Colours : pink --> oxidised. Can get brilliant effects when it is heated and these can be trapped permanently by coating in enamel.

Green wrists or fingers : consider plating or enamelling.

Option for 7th Wedding Anniversary Present

Gilding metal

Steel

Tin

Silver

Sterling

92.5% silver.
The most common silver used in the UK because of its ease of use, good appearance and strength.

Fine

Britannia

Can withstand higher heats without distortion, so more suitable for items that are going to be enamelled.

Cast

Solder

Several different forms depending on their melting point.
All react slightly differently and have a different colour. These subtle changes can be used to good effect in patterns, and the solder can be made to appear a blue colour when the piece is suspended in the fumes of ammonia.

25th Wedding Anniversary

Gold

9K

18K

24K

yellow

white

red

green

cast

50th Wedding Anniversary

Gold plate

I love gold with silver and can have a lot of fun adding it to cause a highlight. Plating can be a good option especially on areas that do not get a lot of wear.

In this 'calyx of the kidney' the recesses are plated, whereas the outside which gets more wear is left silver. I think the contrast adds an extra dimension.

Here the entire sterling silver cufflink is plated with gold. Cufflinks do not get a lot of 'handling' once on and plating is a good option. A cufflink this size in solid gold would not only be quite heavy, but would inevitably be rather expensive. (But what is a few hundred pounds between friends ?)

If the plating does wear off, then I would be happy to replate it for a small fee.

Gold foil

Platinum

Rhodium plate