Can I Wear My Gold Ring While Roofing?

From time-to-time we’re asked how much wear and hard use our precious metal jewelry can stand up to. Jewelers have been answering this question for ages. This question comes up most often in regards to rings which are the most “in the line of fire.”

While precious metals vary in their hardness and durability, we always advise customers to avoid wearing fine and treasured jewelry in situations where the jewelry could be exposed to chemicals or come into contact with hard and abrasive surfaces. That’s a polite way of saying “NO! Do not wear your gold ring while roofing!” (By the way, that is an actual question we received.)

Some people (hmmm …. I’d say mostly men) seem to think that because precious metal is more expensive than non-precious metal, it should be more durable. But it’s precious because it’s rare, not because it’s indestructible.  Like silk compared to denim.

Sterling Silver is the softest of the precious metals. Gold is harder, but still a relatively soft metal. The hardness of gold increases as the purity decreases. The alloy that is mixed with the gold is actually harder than the gold, so the larger the percentage of alloy, the harder the piece. This means that 10k gold is harder than 14k gold, which is harder than 18k gold.

The two hardest precious metals are platinum and palladium. Palladium, is actually harder and lighter than platinum, and makes an excellent choice for an everyday ring such as wedding rings. Platinum is a hard, but heavy metal, and at the top of the pricing pyramid as it’s more scarce. A harder ring will stand up better to dings and dents, but it will still scratch, so you still need to take care with it.

Precious metals make for the finest jewelry, but all fine things need special care. Take care of your jewelry and, please, DO NOT wear your gold ring while roofing!

 

Mazel Tov! Sorella Introduces Hebrew Jewelry

We’re very excited to announce the addition of our Hebrew Jewelry collection beginning with Hebrew Name Rings and Hebrew Message Rings.

These elegant and unique rings hold names and words in the classic Hebrew Alef Bet. We provide a selection of names and phrases to choose from or you can provide your own. Simply send us your name or message spelled out with the names of the letters of the Alef Bet and we’ll convert them into our elegant Hebrew font.

Sorella’s Hebrew Rings are available in 6mm and 8mm widths and can be created in your choice of precious metal – sterling silver, 10k yellow or white gold, 14k or 18k yellow, white or rose gold, palladium and platinum. Choose one tone or two tone metals and add diamonds or birthstones if you wish. Our wide variety of options let you create a ring that is truly special.

Sorella’s Hebrew Rings celebrate the wonderful Jewish heritage and traditions. They make a wonderful gift for bar mitzvah, bat mitzvah, and graduation and well as to celebrate any special moment in life. Personalized jewelry is only limited by your own imagination.

New Initial Pendant With Loads of Style

We’ve just introduced a new initial pendant with simple clean lines and loads of style.  Each petite Two Initial Square Pierce Pendant is 1/2″ square with the background “pierced” (e.g. cut out) and your two initials set inside the square.

Two very different lettering styles are offered that create two very different looks. The Anna lettering style is very contemporary and a bit funky. The Lucca style is classic and elegant. You choose which style is your match.

The pendant is offered in your choice of our full range of precious metals – sterling silver, 10k yellow and white gold, 14k and 18k yellow, white and rose gold, palladium, and platinum.

The pendant looks great on either a small link chain or just a simple silk cord.

This is a piece that will always be in style and will quickly become a favorite.  I put mine on a month ago, and haven’t taken it off yet! A wonderful personalized jewlery gift for the special women in your life … including yourself!

Anna

Lucca

Sterling Silver is Sizzling

White metals are definitely hot right now and sterling silver is especially sizzling. The appeal is its shiny, sparkling white color and it’s affordability.  More and more fine jewelers are creating spectacular jewelry in sterling silver.

While we offer almost all of our pieces in the range of metals from sterling silver, to 10k, 14k, and 18k gold, palladium, and platinum, we’ve been surprised at how much personalized sterling silver jewelry we  sell. Certainly affordability plays a big role, but what we hear again and again from our customers is “I just like sterling silver.” So, we’ve listened and will be adding more pieces in silver to our collection.

When you’re shopping for silver jewelry, one thing to always ensure is that you’re buying “sterling silver,” the finest of silver alloys. Not all silver jewelry is sterling. Sterling silver (also known as .925 silver) contains 92.5% by weight of silver and 7.5% by weight of other metals, usually copper.

Palladium – The Other Precious White Metal

Palladium was discovered in 1803 and has been used in jewelry since 1939. But it is much less well known than other precious jewelry metals as the structure of palladium makes it more challenging for jewelers to work with.  That’s all changing, however, as jewelers and consumers discover the wonderful attributes of this beautiful metal.

Palladium is a naturally white precious metal with a lustrous silvery-white color. Unlike white gold which is naturally yellow and has alloys added to it to change the color, palladium is white in it’s natural state and will not fade. It is also a very hard and durable metal making it a wonderful choice for everyday jewelry such as wedding rings.

As the price of platinum has risen, palladium has become a popular platinum replacement. Palladium is slightly whiter, much lighter and about 12% harder than platinum. It is also significantly less expensive, usually falling in a similar price range as 14K gold.

Recent advances have produced a new alloy of palladium that is perfect for jewelry manufacturing, offering consumers an ideal substitution for platinum at reasonable cost. The most common combination of the metal is 95% palladium and 5% ruthenium, known as 950 Palladium. All Sorella Palladium personalized jewelry is made with 950 Palladium.