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Diamond Earrings with gold settings
Our recommended partners for buying diamond earrings are The Diamond Store.co.uk .
Diamonds are beautiful, but you can't wear them by themselves. You need something that will hold the diamonds securely in a way that shows them off to their best. We are talking about the jewellery that the diamonds are set in. Typical diamond mounts are made of precious metals and there are many types. You can buy mounts made of non-precious metals, but these tend to react to the skin and cause irritations. Besides, it is simply not befitting t have your precious diamonds set into a cheap alloy!
Gold diamond earrings are the most popular choice of jewellery and again, there are many grades of gold:
* 9K Gold - 37.5% gold and 62.5% other metal alloy. This grade of gold contains the minimum amount of gold that the UK assay office will certify as gold. it is also by far the most popular as it more affordable.
* 9K White Gold - 37.5% gold and 62.5% other white metal alloy. White gold is simply yellow gold mixed with a white alloy and then coated with a very hard and precious coating called Rhodium. Otherwise it is exactly the same as 9K yellow gold. 9K white gold is a very popular choice as it looks identical to Platinum and is very fashionable too.
* 18K Gold - 75% gold and 25% white alloy. This grade of gold weighs much more than 9K gold and thus makes the jewellery feel more luxurious and substantial. As it is contains much more pure gold than 9K it is also more expensive. People with sensitive skin who are allergic to non-precious metals prefer 18K gold as the alloy content is much less. For better diamond jewellery, 18K is by far the most popular choice.
* 18K White Gold - The same as 18K yellow gold but with a white metal alloy mixed in and coated with rhodium like 9K white gold. Cheaper than Platinum but keeps the same look and feel.
* 24K Gold - Very popular with the Asian market, contains 100% pure gold. As gold is a soft metal, 24K is not really suitable for setting diamonds in as they can fall out more easily. 24K gold is not very popular as a whole in the UK.
* Platinum - There are different grades of platinum but they are not very different from each other and you will not really come across the different grades when out shopping for your diamond earrings. Platinum is a white metal and does not rely on the rhodium coating to make it look really white. Rhodium will gradually wear off (it can be easily recoated) whilst Platinum might only need a polish once in a long while. Platinum is a more expensive metal and is heavier than gold. It is also harder and thus tougher to work with. Therefore you will pay more for platinum diamond earrings.