| Wedding Ring Metals for |
| Steve Midgett Mokume |
Metals used in the creation of top quality Mokume Gane must possess certain metallurgical qualities. Most important to the consumer are of course the color of the different alloys and their durability. At STEVE MIDGETT MOKUME, each metal we use was developed or selected based on a number of aesthetic and technical criteria. We believe the following metals represent the finest group of modern alloys in the jewelry industry.
Click on the following names to jump to information about these fine metals:
Our 18 K yellow gold is a full yellow color with terrific wear characteristics. 18K signifies that the gold is 18 out of 24 parts pure gold (75%). The remaining 25 percent is made up of other metals to give it the most desirable qualities. This alloy contains a higher than standard amount of silver and offers an excellent contrast to the other metals with which it is matched. 18 karat is the standard for European fine jewelry and is far superior to 14 karat, which remains the norm for jewelry manufactured in the U.S.
This alloy works extremely well in the rigorous forming and patterning process it must undergo to produce our mokume. As with all 18K golds this metal is formulated with 75% pure gold with the addition of palladium, which lends both optimum working and color attributes to white gold. Even though the alloy is 75% gold the gray/white color of the palladium dominates, and this metal shows no yellow cast. The jewelry industry considers this the finest white gold available and we are proud to offer it in our rings.
Our 18 karat red gold offers the best color of any red gold on the market. Containing 75% pure gold, the remaining 25% is mostly copper. It is the copper which lends the gold its rich red color, while the gold in the alloy contributes the beautiful glow and non-corrosive characteristics associated with all high karat golds. In combination with our 18K yellow it creates a ring of subtle and everlasting beauty.
Platinum is considered the finest metal for jewelry. It is an extremely dense metal with a specific gravity nearly double that of silver. Platinum has a very high melting temperature and is difficult to work with. Our 950 platinum is 95% pure platinum with the remaining 5% of the alloy being made up of other metals to give it the proper color and working characteristics. Platinum will never tarnish or oxidize and is the most durable of all metals. If you want the very best, consider platinum.
Palladium is a member of the platinum family, and like platinum, is an extremely noncorrosive metal. It is much lighter in weight and has a rich gray color. Its predominant use in the jewelry industry is for diamond settings as a less expensive alternative to platinum. It offers a beautiful contrast in our silver and palladium mokume bands and is a metal which we expect to see utilized more and more by jewelry designers.
Of all the metals known to man, silver is the whitest. Sterling silver is the world wide standard for silver jewelry and contains 925 parts fine silver and 75 parts copper. It is the copper that adds strength and hardness to this metal which in its pure state is quite soft. We highly recommend this metal combined with palladium in our silver and palladium mokume bands.
STEVE MIDGETT MOKUME from Earthshine
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