Your jewellery has a story — a story that you hold close to your heart. Every great story is based on something that lasts — and in jewellery, that foundation is the metal. The metal you choose defines not just the look of your piece, but its strength, comfort, and the way it ages beautifully with time. Essentially, the metal you choose sets the tone of your style.
Is it the noble sheen of Sterling Silver, the warm embrace of classy Gold? Platinum is famed for timeless purity, while titanium is known for its durability. Let's explore the world of precious metals to help you find the one that feels like YOU.
Guide to Precious Metals
This guide includes:
Do I know Gold? What Is It?
Gold is one of the world's most precious metals naturally radiant, wonderfully durable, and completely resistant to tarnish: it doesn't fade, rust, or lose its glow. Ever. In its purest form (24 carat), gold is soft and rich in colour but too delicate for everyday wear. To create jewellery that lasts, we blend pure gold with alloy metals for strength, allowing it to take on beautiful hues from warm yellow to cool white and romantic rose.
The result? Gold that's both luxurious and practical loved, and passed down through generations. Perhaps you've already received a gold piece as a gift or family heirloom.
An Ancient Metal of Meaning
Ancient Egyptians saw gold as the "flesh of the gods". They became leading producers of gold and introduced gold in art and admired it as a divine and eternal metal. Greeks believed it was born from water and sunlight. For over 6,000 years throughout history, gold has been treasured and has been the language of love, prestige, and life's most meaningful moments.
Made for Jewellery
Gold is remarkably malleable a single gram of gold can be beaten into a sheet about half a metre square or drawn into a wire nearly 2 kilometres long. This makes it a dream for master jewellers, who can efficiently design and craft it into creative jewellery pieces. Perfect for setting stones, polishing it to a mirror shine, or texturing it with brushed, hammered, or satin finishes.
The Touch of Gold
Gold is magically conductive to you. When you slip on a gold ring, you'll notice how quickly it warms to your body temperature gold feels comfortable, intimate, almost alive.
Why Should I Choose Gold?
It's eternal Gold doesn't tarnish, corrode, or fade. Touch a gold piece and feel its weight, its warmth, its permanence. The piece you wear today will shine just as beautifully in fifty years — or five hundred. It ages with grace, never losing its essence.
It's universally flattering: With yellow, white, and rose tones available, there's a gold shade that complements every skin tone and personal style. Gold catches light differently throughout the day glowing softly in candlelight, gleaming brilliantly in sunshine.
It's endlessly versatile: From minimalist modern bands to intricate vintage heirlooms, gold enhances every design and suits every occasion.
It holds its value: Gold is a precious metal that retains worth over time both financially and sentimentally.
It carries meaning: From ancient pharaohs to modern love stories, gold has been the metal of milestones for thousands of years. Engagements, weddings, anniversaries gold is there for the moments that matter most.
Hypoallergenic Properties: Gold is naturally gentle on skin. While some white gold alloys may contain nickel, modern palladium- or platinum-based blends provide hypoallergenic comfort, making gold suitable even for the most sensitive wearers.
Easy Care & Maintenance: Gold is remarkably low maintenance. It doesn't require special cleaning solutions or constant attention. A simple rinse with warm soapy water keeps it gleaming, and it stores happily alongside your other pieces. White gold may need occasional rhodium re-plating to refresh its shine, but otherwise, gold practically maintains itself. With minimal effort, your gold jewellery will look beautiful for a lifetime and beyond.
Pure: 95% Pure. 100% Remarkable.
At Autumn and May, we work exclusively with Platinum 950, the finest quality available. When you see that '950' hallmark, you're looking at 95% pure platinum, with the remaining 5% comprising platinum family metals like iridium or ruthenium, carefully added for workability. Platinum is 40 to 60% heavier than gold, delivering that luxurious, substantial feel that remarkable density creates an extremely durable metal that withstands the passage of time beautifully.
Rare: Why Is Platinum So Precious?
As one of the rarest metals on Earth thirty times rarer than gold only about 160 tonnes of platinum are mined globally each year. This extraordinary rarity, combined with the master craftsmanship required (platinum melts at 1,768°C, demanding great expertise), makes platinum the most prestigious choice in fine jewellery. It's why "going platinum" signifies reaching the absolute pinnacle.
Eternal Lustre: Naturally Brilliant, Permanently Beautiful!!
Here's the beautiful secret: platinum emerges naturally white from deep within the earth and stays that way forever! Unlike white gold, which needs rhodium replating every few years, platinum retains its cool white lustre throughout its lifetime. What you see on your wedding day? Exactly what you'll see on your golden anniversary.
Platinum Grade: Built to Last (and Last, and Last)
That density you feel translates into something practical: platinum is up to four times stronger than gold, resistant to chemicals, salt water, and daily friction. As it wears, it forms a soft patina a gentle lustre where the metal shifts and develops character. Scratches blend into this beautiful sheen, telling the story of everywhere you've been. This durability turns your jewellery into heirlooms.
Comfort: Hypoallergenic by Nature
Beyond its strength and beauty, platinum offers something wonderfully practical: it is naturally hypoallergenic with no irritants, no unpleasant surprises. It's a game-changer if you have sensitive skin no reactions, no redness, no worries, just comfortable beauty you forget you're wearing.
Why Palladium: 40% Lighter. Just as Strong. Seriously.
Here's something remarkable: palladium gives you all the luxury of a precious metal without the weight. It's 40% lighter than platinum, which means you can wear statement pieces and intricate designs all day without even noticing. And no, this lightness doesn't compromise strength palladium is genuinely durable. Here's the bonus: it's actually more scratch-resistant than platinum, so your piece stays beautiful through everyday life. It's the kind of jewellery you'll forget you're comfortable wearing; except every time you catch a glimpse of it.
Brilliant Today. Brilliant in 50 Years! Automatically.
Imagine never having to worry about replating. With palladium, you won't need to. No rhodium plating, no fading, no special treatments Palladium maintains its pristine white radiance throughout the years. What you fall in love with today is what you'll treasure in decades to come. Over time, a subtle patina may develop (many people adore this look), but if you prefer the original mirror shine? A quick polish brings it right back.
Sensitive Skin? Palladium Says Yes - No Compromises.
For those with sensitive skin, you'll appreciate this: Palladium is completely nickel-free and hypoallergenic, offering the peace of mind you deserve. Perfect for everyday wear, your pieces contain 95% pure palladium genuine quality that truly feels as good as it looks. Finally, jewellery that works hand in hand with you.
Exclusive: 30x Rarer Than Gold, Sensible by Price.
Let's talk about value. Palladium is thirty times rarer than gold, yet it's often priced more accessibly than platinum. You get exclusivity and prestige without the premium price tag. With its scarcity and rising collector appeal, you're choosing a piece that's both stunning to wear now and a wise investment for tomorrow.
Maximum Diamond Brilliance. Literally.
Ever wonder what makes diamonds look their absolute best? It's the setting. Palladium's cool, bright tone creates the perfect backdrop, enhancing the fire and brilliance of your stones without stealing the spotlight. Whether you choose a classic solitaire or a design featuring colourful sapphires, palladium's reflective properties ensure your stones shine exactly as they should spectacularly, from every angle.
True Purity - The 925 Standard
Exactly 92.5% pure silver that's 925 parts per 1,000, which is where the '925' hallmark comes from. The remaining 7.5% is copper based alloys, added for strength and durability. This ratio isn't arbitrary it's the internationally recognised standard. Anything less? Is not sterling silver. The hallmark 925 is both a reassurance and a tradition; it's your guarantee of authenticity.
Sterling Heritage – From Medieval Coin to Modern Jewellery
In 1158, King Henry II of England established the sterling silver standard 92.5% silver, 7.5% alloys for the realm's coinage. These coins, called "Starlings," became so reliable they were synonymous with quality and trust. What began as trusted currency evolved beyond when craftspeople discovered this durable alloy was perfect for tableware, religious objects, and eventually jewellery. Today, that medieval standard remains the global benchmark for sterling silver.
Precious Metal, Accessible to All
Here's what makes sterling silver rather wonderful: it's genuinely precious enduring and beautiful yet it doesn't ask you to save for years for the piece you love. It's the metal that lets you build a collection you'll actually wear, pieces that become part of your everyday rather than sitting in a drawer. Sterling silver offers that quiet luxury feeling without the weight of significant £££'s, which is precisely why our jewellery designers love crafting in sterling silver.
Moonlit Brilliance, Contemporary Style
Sterling silver carries a soft, moonlit sheen. It can be polished to a bright mirror finish, softly brushed for subtle texture, or lightly hammered for artisan character. Designs can be enhanced with rhodium plated finishes for high white brilliance with added resilience. Other ranges can be creatively oxidised with a dark hue to create rustic depth and highlight design details, whilst gold vermeil detailing brings a touch of warm demi-fine luxury all starting with the noble sterling silver.
Graceful Ageing – Easy Care
Sterling silver develops a gentle patina over time, adding a soft depth that many find beautifully lived-in. It's a finish that tells a story, rather than masking it. Silver will also tarnish if unattended. Prefer a brighter shine? A simple anti-tarnish polish is all that's needed to restore its original luminosity making it a metal that adapts to personal preference.
Astonishingly Light: You'll Check It's Still There
It's there. You know it's there. Yet you’ll look again just to be sure. Titanium has one of the highest strength-to-weight ratios of any metal a rather remarkable feat of nature. A ring sits so lightly on your finger that you may forget it entirely, yet it holds its shape beautifully through years of wear. No announcement. No burden. Just jewellery as it should be: effortlessly present, beautifully unintrusive.
Skin-Kind: Naturally Hypoallergenic
If you've ever removed a ring to find your skin red, itchy, or quietly rebelling titanium is for you. It is naturally hypoallergenic. Titanium is entirely nickel-free and around 99.2% pure medical-surgical grade. Not “mostly fine for most people,” but genuinely kind to sensitive skin. Put it on. Leave it on. Just comfortable, confident, everyday wear. Your skin will thank you.
Strength-to-Weight: The Paradox You'll Want to Wear
Here's the beautiful contradiction: titanium feels almost impossibly light, yet it’s as strong as steel. How? Physics clever, elegant physics. What it means for you is jewellery that doesn’t bend, warp, or lose its form through decades of life. Strength you trust. Weight you barely feel. The paradox becomes part of your story.
Corrosion-Proof: Built for Your Life
Seawater? Chlorinated pools? Summer heat and everyday life? Titanium simply doesn’t flinch. A natural oxide layer forms on its surface, creating a protective shield that resists corrosion year after year. Beach holidays, gym sessions, hands-on work it keeps its poise. While other metals may tarnish, fade, or surrender to the elements, titanium just carries on with grace.
Colours: Grey by Nature, Rainbow by Science
In its natural state, titanium has a distinctive silver-grey tone, cooler and brighter than gunmetal’s deeper, almost charcoal hue. We call it Contemporary Silver-Grey. But here's where it gets wonderful: through anodisation, we can turn this grey metal into revealing stunning blues, purples, golds, and greens. These aren't painted on. They're not a coating. They're optical phenomena colours that emerge from the metal itself through controlled oxidation. Chemistry as art. Science as self-expression. Grey elegance or vibrant individuality? With titanium, you needn't choose.
Gleam Like No Other – That’s Rhodium.
That refined, brilliant-white gloss you notice on contemporary fine jewellery, especially in white gold? That’s the quiet magic of rhodium plating. Without Rhodium Plating, white gold has a naturally softer tone, sometimes with a subtle warmth or pale-yellow hue. This fine layer of rhodium refines the entire look of the piece. Rhodium has a naturally bright white hue that brings a cool, mirror-like gleam, lifting a piece of jewellery in the most effortless way. Jewellers have long relied on rhodium plating to give white gold its crisp, modern edge and to shield sterling silver from tarnish — This Is It: The Quiet Secret of White Gold
Why Just Plated? Don’t We Make Rings from Rhodium?
The question everyone asks: why only plating? The answer lies in its nature. Rhodium is rarer than platinum, and often costs more than £6,000 per ounce, making solid rhodium jewellery impractical for everyday wear. And although it is harder than gold, pure rhodium is brittle and too heavy to shape into rings or settings. So instead, we use it where it shines best as a fine finishing layer for a refined, glossy appearance.
A Little Coat of Confidence
Rhodium isn’t only about appearance. Beyond its shine, it acts as a protective layer. It guards white gold and silver from tarnish, dullness and everyday wear. The metal beneath stays preserved; the surface remains bright. Over time, this small layer makes a noticeable difference subtle but deeply appreciated.
Naturally Kind to Skin
One of rhodium’s quiet strengths is how gentle it is to wear. Its hypoallergenic nature makes it a thoughtful companion for sensitive skin particularly in earrings and rings. If other metals have ever caused irritation, rhodium plating feels like a soft reassurance: comfortable, clean, and easy to love.
Re-Finish: The Glow Returns Like Day One
Do Rhodium Plating wear off? Yes, it does like anything well-loved, rhodium’s sheen can soften over time, especially on jewellery that accompanies you through daily life. When it does, simply bring it to us or to any trusted goldsmith and re-plating will restore that fresh, glossy finish. At Autumn and May, we do this with care whenever needed and often recommend re-rhodium plating your jewellery every 1.5 to 2 years, depending on how the piece is worn.