Did you know not all gold engagement rings are created equal? While all forms of gold offer their own unique allure, some gold engagement rings are more durable than others. Gold is a soft metal, so alloying gold (mixing it with other, stronger metals) creates a more durable finish.

24k gold is the purest form of gold available, but it is also the softest, too soft for everyday wear in a gold engagement ring. 18k gold is more durable than 24k gold because it has been alloyed with other metals, but it is still softer than designer Melanie Casey’s preferred form of gold for our gold engagement rings: solid 14k gold.

The other metal we offer at Melanie Casey is platinum engagement rings. Platinum is one of the strongest metals, so unlike gold, it doesn’t have to be mixed with any other metals to create more durability. Platinum is also very dense, meaning a platinum engagement ring will feel heavier than a gold engagement ring. A platinum engagement ring also requires minimal upkeep, just like a 14k gold engagement ring. Fun fact: a platinum engagement ring has a higher price point than a gold engagement ring, not because platinum is more expensive than gold, but because platinum is harder to work with and requires more labor at the bench!