material
Metals at a glance
Metals are an essential component of jewelry and not only give them shine and color, but also determine their robustness and compatibility. Here you will find a comprehensive overview of the most important jewelry metals and their properties:
Precious metals
gold
- Precious metal with a warm yellow colour and a slight red tone
- The higher the fineness (carat), the purer and more valuable
- 18 carat gold (75% purity) offers good formability and durability
platinum
- Rare, extremely robust and scratch-resistant
- Natural white color without rhodium plating
- Hypoallergenic and suitable for allergy sufferers
palladium
- Similar properties to platinum, but cheaper
- White color, robust, scratch-resistant and hypoallergenic
Silver
- Elegant, shiny appearance
- Good formability for filigree designs
- Relatively inexpensive compared to gold
Stainless steels
Stainless steel 316L
- Extremely corrosion-resistant and rust-proof
- Hypoallergenic and suitable for allergy sufferers
- Very robust and durable
Stainless steel 304
- Very good corrosion resistance
- High toughness and fatigue resistance
- Good formability and surface gloss
Stainless steel 201
- Good corrosion resistance
- Harder and more brittle than 304
- More cost-effective alternative
titanium
- Hypoallergenic and suitable for allergy sufferers
- Very corrosion-resistant and durable
- Extremely scratch-resistant and robust with low weight
Non-ferrous metals
Brass
- Warm, golden color
- Good formability for details
- Relatively inexpensive
Bronze
- Warm, reddish-brown color
- High corrosion resistance
- Robust and durable
copper
- Warm, reddish color
- Good formability
- Relatively inexpensive
At minaz we use high-quality materials such as 316L stainless steel and 18-carat yellow gold plating. Our jewelry is not only stylish, but also allergy-friendly, corrosion-resistant and durable - a worthwhile investment in timeless beauty.
Here is a comprehensive overview of the most important jewelry metals and their properties:
metal | Color | Corrosion resistance | robustness | Allergy-friendly | Malleability | Price |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
18K Gold | Warm yellow | Very good | Very good | Yes | Very good | Very high |
platinum | Naturally white | Excellent | Excellent | Yes | Good | Very high |
palladium | White | Excellent | Excellent | Yes | Good | High |
Silver | Shiny silver | Good | Moderate | Conditional | Very good | Medium |
Stainless steel 316L | Silvery | Excellent | Excellent | Yes | Very good | High |
Stainless steel 304 | Silvery shiny | Very good | Very good | Yes | Very good | Medium |
Stainless steel 201 | Silvery matt | Good | Moderate | Yes | Moderate | Low |
titanium | Gray | Excellent | Excellent | Yes | Moderate | High |
Brass | Warm golden | Moderate | Good | No | Very good | Low |
Bronze | Reddish brown | Very good | Very good | Conditional | Good | Low |
copper | Reddish | Moderate | Moderate | Conditional | Very good | Very low |
Some explanations:
- Precious metals such as gold, platinum and palladium are particularly corrosion-resistant, robust and allergy-friendly, but very expensive.
- Stainless steels such as 316L and 304 offer excellent value for money with high corrosion resistance, robustness and allergy-friendliness.
- Titanium is hypoallergenic, very robust and corrosion-resistant, but difficult to form.
- Non-ferrous metals such as brass, bronze and copper are inexpensive, but are often not allergy-friendly and less corrosion-resistant.
At minaz we mostly use high-quality 316L stainless steel and 18 carat yellow gold plating for allergy-friendly, robust and corrosion-resistant jewelry that will bring years of joy.