Learn about our Metal and Finish Options

We offer all traditional metal and finish options along with some less common, more
innovative, options. Bespoke pieces can be made with pretty much whatever metal and finish a
client can imagine. All of our made to order pieces are offered in the following metals and
finishes:

Yellow and Rose gold:
18k: 18k alloys use 75% gold mixed with other metals that allow the alloy to be used to
manufacture jewelry. 24k gold is too soft to set diamonds in and too easily scratched and
deformed. 18k is the highest gold content alloy that can be reliably used to manufacture
diamond jewelry and it is the heaviest gold option. These alloys are essentially tarnish free.

14k: 14k is a well balanced alloy containing 58.3% gold that has become extremely popular for
diamond jewelry. It is a little harder, and a little less expensive than 18k. The increased
hardness makes it more resistant to scratching and deformation than 18k. It weighs a little less
than 18k. In terms of looks, it comes down to client preference. 14k yellow and rose gold look a
little different than their 18k counterparts and it is up to the client to choose what they prefer.
These alloys are essentially tarnish free.

9k: 9k gold alloys contain 37.5% gold, so they cost substantially less than 14k or 18k. Some
people love the look of 9k. It is substantially harder than 18k or 14k, making it highly durable. It
weighs noticeably less than 14k or 18k. With proper care tarnish should not be much of an issue
and, if a piece does tarnish, polishing will restore the original finish.

White gold:
18k, 14k, 9k: White gold alloys contain the same amount of gold as their equivalent karat
yellow or rose gold counterparts. Their hardness, durability, and weight characteristics are also
about the same as their yellow or rose gold counterparts. The primary difference is the finish.
White gold is finished with a plating process.
Traditionally this finishing process was done with about 1 micron of rhodium, which is a metal
in the same group as platinum. This is the method still used by top quality manufactures and
the method we use at Atelier Incensa. Newer methods involve thinner plating (as low as .05
microns), or cheaper substitutes for rhodium. Rhodium is what gives white gold that iconic
white shine while adding no color to the diamonds and allowing for the best light performance.
Since white gold is rhodium finished, 18k, 14k, and 9k white gold are visually identical. Rhodium
is a very hard metal, so it is more scratch resistant than gold. All properly maintained rhodium
finished pieces are tarnish free.

Platinum:

950 platinum is an alloy containing 95% platinum. This alloy is good for jewelry production and
is very durable. It is about as hard as 9k gold, so it holds up better than 18k or 14k gold in terms
of scratch resistance and deformation. 950 platinum is the heaviest precious metal option. It
has a similar look to rhodium, but it is not quite a bright. Some people prefer 950 platinum to
be used with no plating process, like yellow or rose gold, and some people prefer for it to be
rhodium finished, like white gold. The finishing choice comes down to the client’s preference in
terms of looks and maintenance. Whether rhodium finished or not, 950 platinum is tarnish free.

925 Sterling Silver
925 silver, an alloy containing 92.5% silver, is a great precious metal, and the most affordable
option, for diamond jewelry. It offers the most flexibility in terms of finish options. It is hard
enough to set diamonds in and it shares the level of scratch resistance with whatever metal it is
finished in. It weighs about the same as 9k gold. A lot of people love the ability to change the
look of their 925 silver pieces when they have them refinished. Like white gold, our 925 silver
pieces are finished with a plating process. Unlike white gold, the finish is not limited to only
rhodium. Basically, our 925 silver uses the same maintenance schedule as white gold, but with
more options:

Rhodium finished: This uses the same finishing process as white gold (1 micron of
rhodium plating). It will look visually identical to white gold and have the same level of
scratch resistance. It has the same maintenance schedule as white gold, but the client
has the option to stay with the rhodium finish or switch to a vermeil option whenever
they have it refinished according to the maintenance schedule. All properly maintained
rhodium finished pieces are tarnish free.

Vermeil: Vermeil is a thick, 2.5 micron, layer of gold plated over 925 sterling silver.
This is not the usual “gold plated” jewelry. “Gold plated” jewelry can be plated at various
thicknesses, but it is typically about 20 times thinner than vermeil. Vermeil is thick
enough to not let any base metal, in this case 925 silver, influence the appearance. It
looks identical to the solid gold version of whatever karat and color the client chooses.
We offer 18k and 14k Vermeil in both yellow and rose gold. Like their solid gold
counterparts, 14k will offer slightly better scratch resistance. Vermeil has the same
maintenance schedule as white gold, but the client has the option to stay with the
original vermeil finish or switch to a different vermeil color or karat, or rhodium
whenever they have it refinished according to the maintenance schedule. All properly
maintained vermeil pieces are essentially tarnish free.