Choosing the ring metal for your jewelry.

- Choose yellow gold if you prefer a yellow color metal surrounding your diamond, or
if you simply desire yellow gold to other metals.

- Choose WHITE GOLD if you prefer white color and don't mind a ring that may lose its whiteness over time or due to wear.

- Choose PALLADIUM for a silvery white color that lasts, but is less treasured than platinum.

- Choose PLATINUM for an eternally white, naturally enduring metal, whose beauty and rareness will be treasured for generations.

- Quite simply, platinum is one of the earth's rarest elements.

- Its naturally white color will not oxidize or decay over time.

- Scarcity makes platinum highly prized, but its demanding nature also means that only the most skilled artisans can work with it. A single ounce of platinum not only requires exceptional effort to mine and refine, it involves weeks of expert handling to craft into a piece of jewelry.

Platinum is the superior option when purchasing an engagement or wedding ring. Its subtle luster enhances stones rather than overshadowing their natural beauty. Due to the metal's durability and strength, your stones will be held securely in place for a long time.

Everyone should have at least one piece of platinum jewelry. The distinct, natural white tone is incomparable, and a soft patina paints the piece with an antique hue as time passes. This hypoallergenic metal will not react to the body's natural chemicals, so it never tarnishes or changes color. Your platinum jewelry becomes an heirloom, as you will pass it down to future generations.

If you are in the mood for a broader platinum history lesson (as well as other examples of platinum fashion and bridal jewelry), then please visit www.preciousplatinum.com.

Gold is the metal that never goes out of style. The color of gold jewelry is determined by alloying other metals to pure 24kt gold. Yellow is the most natural, warm and sensual color. For a more elegant appearance, white gold is created by alloying pure gold with zinc, palladium and silver. Looking to express a burning romantic fire? Combine copper with pure gold to make a pink or rose gold statement.

Gold's purity is measured in karats. 24kt gold is 100% pure, but is rarely used in practical jewelry creation given its malleable nature. 18kt gold is 75% pure and 14kt gold has almost 60% gold content. The latter are commonly used in most fine jewelry creations.

Gold has certainly withstood the test of time. King Tut would be proud!

Did you know that...

- Palladium is one of the earth's white precious metals.

- Palladium jewelry offers some of the finer qualities of platinum but currently costs less.

- While Platinum will always remain the hallmark for white metal jewelry, palladium is a pure alternative that can step in and get the job done.

- Palladium is Hypo-Allergenic.

- Palladium is naturally white, so rhodium plating is not necessary.

- Palladium is durable, so wedding bands made of palladium will stand the test of time.

- Palladium does not tarnish.

- Palladium's purity and preciousness make it an extremely attractive value when compared to the lesser non-precious jewelry metals, like the titanium and tungsten steel that spots the market today.

Below are seven factors you should consider when you are deciding on the metal for your bridal jewelry.

This is the basic worth of the metal. Prices of all metals fluctuate according to supply in the market and demand by consumers. The more pure and precious a metal, the more limited its availability tends to be. Scarcity drives demand, making a metal like platinum more likely to maintain its intrinsic value over time.

In addition to a metal's ability to withstand wear and tear, lifespan is judged by certain practicalities. Both platinum and tungsten are highly durable. But tungsten rings can not be resized. If your fingers change over time, and they usually do, a tungsten ring would have a far shorter lifespan than platinum.

How much precious metal content does your ring actually have? 14K gold is a mix of 58% pure gold and 42% non-precious metal. 18k gold is 75% pure. Platinum, palladium, titanium and tungsten are all at least 90-95% pure, but of these metals, only platinum and palladium are considered precious.

Hypoallergenic metals reduce or minimize the possibility of an allergic response by minimizing potentially irritating substances. Platinum and palladium are the only hypoallergenic precious metals.

How much metal (and consequently value) will a ring lose to scratching and denting? All metals scratch, but with gold that scratch actually removes a sliver of metal. With platinum, scratching just ripples the surface. The displaced metal can be moved back into place by polishing.

Can your ring be made to look new again? Can it be refinished, re-sized, or re-conditioned easily? Platinum performs beautifully in each case. Something that can't be said for the other metals.

This relates not only to the scarcity of a given metal, but to the demand for it in uses other than jewelry. For example, while supplies of both platinum and palladium are very limited, platinum is utilized in far more ways than palladium. Medical and industrial interests also compete for this already scarce metal. Greater demand on a smaller supply makes platinum more highly prized.

Novell is proud to offer its latest brochure "Choosing the Right Metal for Your Bridal Jewelry" as a free download. The brochure is designed to help the average consumer decide which metal will be the best choice for their wedding or engagement ring, as it is not only a symbol of love and celebration, but can also be an asset to be treasured in the years ahead.

Download the brochure..