Sterling silver? Silver plated? Gold plated or gold filled? What what is rhodium? There are so many metals to choose from when creating and buying jewelry!

Here are my top 5 online resources to learn about jewelry metals:

1. I found a great article on FireMountainGems with a guide to the different jewelry metals, including silver plated and gold plated metals. It’s informative and “to the point”. I like it mainly because it doesn’t go into detail with every metal, but rather gives a short overview on all the different metals.
2. Gilletts Jewellers has a very detailed article on precious metals – specifically gold and silver. I especially love that the article also states the different gold colors and carats, and has a “quick reference” guide of choosing the right metal for each occasion (engagement rings, wedding rings, bracelets etc.).
3. The article on LuShae Jewelry gives more focus on silver, gold and rhodium and when to use each one. It is also a good resource to understand the different metals.
4. The metal guide at H. Samuel is both informative and also has amazing pictures. Especially the articles about the two-colored and three-colored gold.
5. Another “to the point” article listing different metals can be found on Aquinas and more