The Case for Solid

“Why would I want to invest in a solid piece?”

A week or so ago, I wrote a piece on gold-plated vs. gold-filled jewelry (read Why I Use Gold-Fill in My Designs for more on that!) and mentioned that in my own designs, I use 14K gold-fill and sterling silver in all my designs, or 14K solid gold (yellow, rose and white) in the case of my solid and special occasion pieces.

I got a few, “Well, if gold-fill is so great, why might I want to invest in a solid piece?” over the following week, and thought I’d write a little bit on the subject.

It’s true, gold-fill is the next best thing to solid gold when it comes to quality. Gold-fill is hypoallergenic, wears and looks like solid gold, because it’s actually a thick layer of the real good stuff bonded to a base metal (brass, no nickel, in our case). However it won’t truly last forever – and you won’t be able to hand it down as an heirloom piece, or re-sell it for much at all later. It does wear, and it won’t boil down to as much useful material even if you’re only trying to sell it as scrap.

Solid gold is the most valuable form of jewelry you can buy, and is typically a really solid (get it?) investment. It’s long-lasting, can be worn beautifully and well over a lifetime, and handed down or sold years and years after the initial purchase. A solid piece can last forever if it’s cared for properly.

Maybe you’re looking for something extra special, perhaps to celebrate a new life, an anniversary, or a once-in-a-lifetime 50th birthday. You really don’t even need a special occasion. I’m all for gifting yourself. If you’re interested in investing in the highest quality heirloom jewelry, I always recommend considering a piece from our Special Occasion (solid 14k gold or diamond-adorned) collection.

The purest form of gold is 24K, but it’s very yellow and soft. This is why 24k gold is usually alloyed with other metals to make it more durable for wear. We use 14K solid gold (yellow, rose and white) in the case of our solid and special occasion pieces. The 14K yellow gold is 14/24 pure gold alloyed with varying amounts of copper and silver. The 14K white gold is an alloy of gold and at least one white metal (usually nickel, manganese or palladium) and its properties vary depending on the metals used. 14K rose gold is pure gold alloyed with varying amounts of copper and silver. The amount of copper used determines how ‘red’ the gold is.

In my designs that contain diamonds, we use the highest standard in quality, Renaissance lab-created diamonds. All of our pieces are made to order, and handmade in our California and New York production studios. More to come on diamonds… that’s a whole other blog post.

If you have any questions, just ask! I’d love to hear from you!