In fine jewellery, metal choice decides brilliance, durability, and long term comfort. This guide explains how alloying elements change color, hardness, malleability, corrosion resistance, and setting behavior, so makers can match metal to design. From rich yellow tones to mirror bright whites, different matrices influence workability at the bench and performance in daily wear. We outline selection tips for casting, hand fabrication, stone setting, and finishing. Our focus is on trusted formulations used worldwide in luxury studios. Here are the Top 10 Alloy Compositions Optimised for Fine Jewellery that deliver beauty, strength, and consistent results for professionals and serious learners.
#1 18K Yellow Gold, balanced Ag and Cu
18K Yellow Gold, balanced silver and copper: Au 75 percent, Ag 12.5 percent, Cu 12.5 percent. This classic tri alloy gives warm color, reliable hardness, and excellent ductility for prongs and bezels. Silver raises brightness and improves fluidity during casting, while copper strengthens and refines grain size under proper heat treatment. It burnishes well and resists stress cracking when quenched correctly. Polish to a deep luster after fine emery preparation, then finish with rouge for a mirror surface. The alloy accepts laser welding patches cleanly and takes engraving crisply, which supports delicate filigree and pave setting work.
#2 18K Palladium White Gold, nickel free
18K Palladium White Gold: Au 75 percent, Pd 10 percent, Cu 8 percent, Ag 7 percent. Palladium bleaches gold without nickel, creating a naturally white matrix that can be worn without rhodium. The metal is moderately hard, tough in thin sections, and kind to sensitive skin. Copper keeps castability efficient, while silver enhances reflectivity and aids solder flow. Use slightly higher flask temperatures to maintain fill on fine detail. After casting, solution treat and age for balanced hardness that secures claws without brittleness. This composition finishes to a bright white and holds polish during daily wear very well.
#3 18K Nickel White Gold, high strength
18K Nickel White Gold: Au 75 percent, Ni 13 percent, Zn 6 percent, Cu 6 percent. Nickel provides strong whitening and produces a very hard matrix suited to slender prongs and tension style features. Zinc improves fluidity and reduces oxidation during melt, while copper supports ductility for setting adjustments. Expect high spring and wear resistance that preserves form in rings and bracelets. Rhodium finishing is often preferred for maximum white appearance, and skin testing is advised for sensitive clients. Use robust investment and careful quench practice to minimise stress. This alloy takes a bright polish and maintains sharp geometric edges extremely well.
#4 18K Rose Gold, warm red hue
18K Rose Gold, high copper: Au 75 percent, Cu 22.5 percent, Ag 2.5 percent. Copper elevates red hue and increases hardness, supporting thin galleries and engraved motifs. A small silver addition refines castability and moderates excessive redness for elegant warmth. The alloy work hardens quickly, so frequent low temperature anneals keep fabrication smooth and prevent cracking at bends. Use protective atmosphere during melt to control oxidation and to keep surfaces clean. Polishing responds well to pre finishing with fine abrasives followed by high gloss rouge. Rose compositions are popular for mixed metal designs that contrast beautifully with white stones.
#5 14K Yellow Gold, deoxidised for clean castings
14K Yellow Gold, deoxidised: Au 58.5 percent, Ag 23 percent, Cu 17 percent, Zn 1.5 percent. This formula blends approachable cost with bright color and very good wear properties for daily jewellery. Zinc acts as a deoxidiser that reduces firescale, improves fluidity, and supports clean cast surfaces requiring minimal finishing. Silver enhances brightness and assists solder wetting, while copper delivers strength for hinge knuckles and jump rings. Use controlled cooling to reduce distortion in large castings. The alloy is versatile for both casting and wrought work, accepts laser repairs reliably, and keeps a high polish with simple maintenance by the wearer.
#6 14K Rose Gold, silicon deoxidised
14K Rose Gold, deoxidised: Au 58.5 percent, Cu 32 percent, Ag 9.3 percent, trace Si up to 0.1 percent. High copper content supplies rich blush color and solid hardness for bangles and ring shanks. A trace of silicon acts as a deoxidiser, delivering cleaner castings with less firescale and fewer gas porosity issues. Silver moderates color and encourages smooth solder flow during assembly. The alloy responds well to light age hardening to stabilise prongs after setting. Use neutral pH pickles to avoid staining, and polish with progressive abrasives before rouge. It suits modern minimal forms and pairs attractively with white gold or platinum elements.
#7 950 Platinum Ruthenium, premium durability
950 Platinum Ruthenium: Pt 95 percent, Ru 5 percent. This is a benchmark platinum alloy for fine jewellery, combining excellent wear resistance with crisp detail and a luminous white finish. Ruthenium raises hardness and improves scratch resistance while preserving good ductility for secure stone setting. It casts cleanly with fine detail when melted under inert gas, and it welds and laser repairs predictably. Use carbide tools for efficient bench work and maintain dedicated buffs to avoid contamination. Prongs hold their form, bezels burnish smoothly, and the surface keeps shine in daily use with minimal maintenance from the wearer.
#8 950 Platinum Cobalt, superior castability
950 Platinum Cobalt: Pt 95 percent, Co 5 percent. Cobalt promotes fluidity and excellent fill, making this alloy a strong choice for complex castings and micro pave frameworks. It achieves high as cast hardness and retains detail well after finishing. Surfaces polish rapidly to mirror brightness, and prongs show good spring. The alloy may display slight magnetic response, which is normal, and requires careful control of oxygen during melt to avoid oxide inclusions. Use appropriate solders and clean flux management. For repeated resizing, plan controlled heat cycles to maintain toughness and avoid grain growth in fine sections.
#9 950 Palladium Ruthenium, light and bright
950 Palladium Ruthenium: Pd 95 percent, Ru 5 percent. Palladium offers a bright natural white with much lower density than platinum, which reduces weight and increases comfort for larger pieces. Ruthenium adds hardness and supports clean finishing. The alloy is resistant to tarnish, kind to sensitive skin, and suitable for continuous wear. It work hardens under setting tools, giving secure seats for diamonds and colored stones. Use slightly reduced investment burnout and careful gating to ensure smooth fill. Polish progresses quickly and the surface retains luster, delivering a refined appearance without routine rhodium deposition. Designers value the graceful drape in chains and earrings.
#10 925 Silver with Germanium, tarnish resistant
925 Silver with Germanium: Ag 93.5 percent, Ge 1 percent, Cu 5.5 percent. Germanium forms protective oxides that slow tarnish and reduce firescale, producing brighter castings and cleaner soldered joints. The alloy fuses readily for seamless joins, supports laser welding, and resists slump during intricate wire work. Hardness can be elevated through age treatment to improve scratch resistance without losing ductility. Use low chlorine pickles and dedicated buffs to preserve the surface. Stones sit securely in bezels and micro prong settings, and the finished pieces retain a fresh white shine in regular wear with routine care by the owner.