Every Jewellery Metal Ranked (Some Are Terrible)

Video Description

Jewellery metals are often marketed as if they’re all premium, but the reality is very different, and many consumers don't know the difference until their ring breaks or their finger turns weird colours. In this video I rank the most common jewellery metals from best to worst based on durability, workability, and long-term wear. I’m Mason, a jeweller and founder of Urban Sterling. On this channel I explore the materials science and craft behind jewellery. The industry is extremely opaque, and a lot of the information about how jewellery actually works tends to stay inside workshops rather than being explained clearly. My goal with this channel is to open that up a bit, looking at the materials, physics, and craft behind jewellery so you can understand why certain metals and stones behave the way they do. If you’ve ever wondered why some rings last decades while others wear out in a year, or why different alloys feel and perform so differently, this video should give you a solid overview of the strengths and weaknesses of the most common jewellery metals. My work: https://urbansterling.co [THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR ALL THE SUPPORT BUT YOU'RE OVERLOADING MY SERVER LOL. Working on upgrading it now.] My book: https://urbansterling.co/readblackbook/?source=youtube Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:30 Tungsten Carbide 01:06 Stainless steel and titanium 01:25 Flash plating and gold vermeil 02:00 Copper and Brass 02:33 925 Sterling Silver 03:08 Rhodium White Gold 04:29 Palladium White Gold 05:27 950 Platinum 05:58 24k Gold 06:38 999 Fine SIlver 07:13 Purple and Blue Gold 07:47 Green Gold / Electrum 09:00 Yellow Golds 18k / 9k / 10k / 14k 10:45 A Challenger Approaches 12:10 Conclusion Music: Clair de Lune – public domain performance Nocturne in E-flat Major – public domain performance Gymnopédie No.1 – public domain performance “Shona” by Jake Chudnow Used with permission, thanks Jake :D https://www.youtube.com/jakechudnow DISCLAIMER: I am a jeweller, not a qualified materials scientist or gemologist. I've made all efforts to cross reference and validate any technical information via multiple sources but metallurgy is full of edge cases and complexity. There may be incomplete information presented here and many claims are based on my personal preferences and experiences.