If you’re looking for something a little different in your jewelry, you may want to consider two-tone pieces.
Two-toned jewelry is created by combining metals of different colors.
This can create some really beautiful and unique pieces that will set you apart from the crowd.
In this article, we’ll explain what two-tone jewelry is, and how it’s made. We’ll also give you some tips on how to care for your two-toned jewelry so it lasts longer.
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What is Two-Toned Jewelry
Two toned jewelry is made from fusing two different colors of metal.
Gold can be fused with sterling silver, platinum can be fused with gold, or just two colors of gold can be fused together, such as rose gold with white gold.
Fusing the two colors together can give a dramatic look to what would have been an ordinary design that would be overlooked.
Often, one tone is used for the base, and another tone is used for the finer detailing to make it stand out.
Whichever combination of colors you use, the final product will be fantastic AND the bonus is that you can wear other accessory pieces with it in either colors of metals.
How Two-Toned Jewelry Is Made
There are several different ways that two-toned jewelry can be made. The most common method is to use a laser welder, however plating can also be used. Here’s how each method works:
Plating
Because two toned jewelry is made literally from two different colors of metal, you cannot simply cast the entire thing in one piece, unless you intend for part of the design to be plated a different color.
This is often seen in sterling silver jewelry, in that the base metal is sterling silver but the design is also sterling silver but has been plated with a yellow or rose gold on top to make it stand out.
The problem with this is that eventually, the plated gold will wear off and you will slowly but surely end up with the entire ring being in sterling silver with no two toned anything.
Of course, if you buy two tone sterling silver or any other type of metal that has simply been plated, then it would be best to simply buy a necklace or pair of earrings instead of rings.
The reason for this is that rings suffer the most wear and tear compared to earrings and necklaces.
The more you wear the rings, the faster the plating will wear off.
Welding
The other way that two toned jewelry is made is by casting and fusing two different types or colors of metal.
Any kind of metal can be made to adhere to the other.
The design will have a distinct area where the second metal will be attached and both will be soldered or fused together after both pieces are made.
If a custom ring is being made from two different metals, then again, a wax molding will be made and then will be separated at the areas where the two metals are to be made in different colors.
The cast will be done, and then finally, the two pieces are joined permanently together as a final step before setting stones or polishing.
Either way, whether being mass produced, or custom made, both of the metals will have to be made separately before being welded together.
How Expensive Is Two-Toned Jewelry
When it comes to the cost to buy two toned jewelry, it really depends on what types of metals are being fused together.
If a ring base is made out of sterling silver with accents of 14k gold, then the ring will not cost anywhere near a 14k base of white gold with a 14k accent design of yellow or rose gold.
One can easily cost 20X as much as the other.
This also depends on whether or not the gold accent was simply plated, or whether it was solid and then fused onto the sterling silver.
If a sterling silver wide band two toned ring costs $100 being it was simply plated with 14k gold, then the same ring would cost $250 if the gold design part that was fused on were solid.
Then again, if the two toned wide 14k gold ring were all gold and no sterling silver, then the cost would jump to $1200 if it had a little weight to it and no gemstones. Add gemstones, then there is a different price range for either depending on what those stones were.
Platinum can be fused with gold to make a heavier or more stunning design than if either were to be made separately.
The cost is rather subjective however, because it depends on what the manufacturer wants to emphasize.
Since the platinum metal prices have taken a substantial nosedive in the last several years, one would think that it would have affected the jewelry industry and reduced pricing.
But it does not follow the market guidelines simply because platinum has long since earned a reputation for being stronger and heavier.
Traditionally, platinum has always been more expensive than gold, but now at this writing, it has dropped to 40% lower than the spot market compared to gold.
Nevertheless, be prepared to pay up for a two toned ring, or even a pure platinum ring regardless of the spot market for that metal.
Tips on Caring for Two-Toned Jewelry
One of the things to keep in mind is the types of metals that have been used to make your piece.
You would simply want to use a good polishing cloth if the piece were made from either sterling silver with gold.
If the jewelry is plated, then you would not want to put it into a ultrasonic cleaner for more than a minute or else you will risk the plating being vibrated off.
You definitely do not want to use a polishing machine on the plating either, because plating is thin and will be polished right off also.
However, if you have two toned jewelry that is made from two different colors of gold, or even made from gold and platinum, you can put that into an ultrasonic cleaner as well as use a polishing machine to shine it up really nicely.
Anything that is plated should never be put into ultrasonic or touched with a polishing machine unless you are wanting to remove the plating.
It may be best to take your two toned jewelry to your jewelry store to have them professionally clean it if there are gemstones in it.
The reason for this is because the gemstones may have a heavy accumulation of muck in the setting that needs to be steam cleaned.
This is only necessary if the item is plated so as not to disturb the plating.
FAQ’s About Two-Toned Jewelry
How long does two-toned jewelry last?
Two toned jewelry lasts just as long as the single metal jewelry does, provided both metals are made of the same materials.
If you have gold and platinum together, then the gold will wear thin and the platinum will not.
Platinum is simply not going to wear down like gold does.
If you have sterling silver and a solid gold welded to it, they will probably wear at the same rate unless the gold is 10 karat.
10 karat gold has alloys in it that make it much harder than sterling silver and so will outlast the silver part of the ring.
Is Two-Tone gold real gold?
Two-tone gold is real gold.
It is simply two different colors of gold that have been combined to make a piece of jewelry. The most common metals used in two-tone jewelry are sterling silver and 14 karat gold.
If the ring is simply plated with gold, it is real also, but so thin that it won’t even be hallmarked.
What is Tri-colored gold?
Tri colored gold is a combination of three different colors of gold. It is all gold, just different alloys are added to make a different color. There are actually four colors of gold.
- There is rose gold, which is pink
- green gold, which has a green hue to it
- natural yellow gold
- and white gold too
You can often see tri-colored gold in many different antique pieces as well as Black Hills gold jewelry.
Final Thoughts
The beauty of having jewelry with different colors of gold will make it worth the purchase price provided that you are buying metals that have not been simply plated.
If you want something different than the standard fare, search online and take a look at all the different designs that you can find in multicolored gold.
You might also want to take a look at some of the two-tone stainless steel jewelry that is on the market now too.
This type of jewelry will give you all the benefits of having different colors without having to worry about it wearing thin and needing to be re-plated or replaced.