Yellow Gold Engagement Rings
Yellow gold engagement rings remain to be the most popular, classic choice despite of the fact that white gold and platinum rings sales have increased over the last decade.
About Yellow Gold Engagement Rings
Gold is a great material for jewellery because it is durable, malleable and resistant to tarnish. It is also hypoallergenic so it would suit even the most sensitive of skins.
Characteristics
Gold cannot be used on its own because it is too soft. For jewellery, it is usually alloyed with metals such as silver, copper, zinc, and nickel in order to make it stronger. This is why gold jewellery comes in different karats. The karat designates how many parts of the jewellery is gold and how many parts is made of other metals. Gold in its purest form is called 24-karat, but 18k is the industry standard and can be considered high quality when it comes to gold rings. The 22k gold variety is popular in Southeast Asia and in India and has a deeper yellow hue. The higher karats designate softer and more flexible material so they are used in more intricate pieces, and are mostly used for yellow gold engagement rings.
Setting for the diamond
Strength is an important detail to consider when it comes to setting diamonds and other gemstones on gold engagement rings. Many yellow gold rings use platinum, titanium and other settings to increase their strength and density. This is especially important since diamond is an exceptionally hard stone and therefore requires a durable and stronger prong to support it.
Gold is great with most gemstones, particularly those that have vibrant colours such as rubies and emeralds. If you’re looking for a unique engagement ring that goes beyond conventional diamond settings, this is a suitable option.
Maintenance
Just as with any other type of jewellery, yellow gold engagement rings require proper upkeep. For starters, you don’t want to get your ring in contact with chlorine or any other cleaning agent because it causes the gold to dissolve. Make sure to remove your jewellery before you get into a hot tub or into the swimming pool. You might also want to be careful when using cleaning brushes because they can scratch the ring particularly if it has a high karat value.
To clean a gold engagement ring, you need to use a solution made up of water and mild soap. There are also special jewellery cleansers that you can use for this purpose. Ammonia is especially great with gold as it helps brighten the yellow hue, but don’t use the substance on fracture-filled diamonds because it can make your stones discoloured or cloudy.
It is perfectly fine to wear a gold engagement ring the whole day, although some may have trouble mixing and matching yellow gold with their other daily accessories. If you’re not going to wear it, make sure to store your ring in a cloth box away from other jewellery that can scratch it. It would also be great to store it separately because the diamond setting on the ring can also damage your other accessories.