Can 18k gold tarnish?

Let’s dig a little deeper into what’s actually in our precious metal selection.

At VALAIS we believe in using only the "gold standard" for jewelry in your pieces - they wouldn't do you justice otherwise. Whilst we pride ourselves on reasonable mark-ups and affordability, we will never compromise on quality - this applies to both your diamonds, and of course the precious metal settings they come in.

Having well-crafted gold finishings can make or break a piece, both in terms of how "luxurious" it will feel, and how well it stands the test of time and wear.

18k White Gold

The gold content in 18k white gold is 75%. The lower portion of other metals makes 18k white gold less vulnerable to oxidation – it will look whiter, and brighter, than 14k white gold. How does this compare to silver? 925 Sterling Silver contains some 7.5% copper, which causes it to react with the atmosphere and tarnish in as fast as 2 months. If you are very very careful with your sterling silver jewelry, it may last a year+, but you’ll truly need to constantly keep it out of any water, sweat or substances like perfumes/hairspray to slow down the oxidation process. For that extra shine & durability, we sometimes plate our white gold jewelry with rhodium – one of the most expensive precious metals known for its inertness to oxidation.

18k Yellow Gold

Ah, the "goldest" gold – also 75% fine gold, with the remaining 25% constituting of metal alloys which are added for strength & durability. Because of this, 18k yellow gold is suitable for daily wear and never wears off. 18k yellow gold is considered the standard for fine jewelry world-wise; any higher percentage of gold in your jewelry will make it too soft and prone to scratches and distortion.

18k Rose Gold

Rose gold gets its beautiful pinkish hue from having some copper mixed in. It typically is marginally more expensive than white/yellow gold, but cheaper than platinum. The copper content also makes 18k rose gold more durable, so again suitable for regular daily wear without worry about tarnish and damages. Of course, even though these materials are very hardy, they're still precious pieces and we don't recommend you put them through anything too risky!

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