Materials

Damascus Steel

The term Damascus steel is derived from Damascus. The legendary sword blades made from this special material are probably best known and were considered far superior to all European steel swords. Damascus steel refers to a material made from one or more types of iron/steel which, when polished or etched, has a clear structure consisting of several alternating layers of different base materials. This decorative pattern is what makes it so popular and unique.

Stainless steel

Due to the hardness of stainless steel and titanium, traditional jewellery manufacturing techniques such as casting or forging cannot be used. Stainless steel jewellery and titanium jewellery require the jewellery blanks to be manufactured by machine and therefore with high precision. The pieces of jewellery are then given a finish, polished to a high gloss or given an elegant matt finish if desired. The extreme hardness gives the pieces of jewellery extraordinary stability. Stainless steel jewellery, like titanium jewellery, is robust, rustproof and particularly practical for everyday wear because it is, so to speak, insensitive. This makes wearing jewellery - even for men - really fun!

Gold

Since time immemorial, gold has been a symbol of wealth and power. To this day, the unique precious metal has lost none of its incomparable magic on people. Gold is rare and therefore precious and is considered the king of metals. Gold does not rust or oxidize. This allows gold to retain its colour, shine and texture - forever and ever. This is why people prefer to exchange gold rings at weddings. Gold is offered in different qualities/carats.

Carat is the unit of measurement for the fineness of gold.  In jewellery manufacturing, 750 (18 carat) and 585 (14 carat) gold is predominantly used. 750 gold (18 carat) consists of 750 parts pure gold as well as silver and/or copper parts. It is often combined with other alloys such as zinc or tin. 375 gold (9 carat) and 333 gold (8 carat) are also often made into jewellery, but the latter is only used in Germany. 

By adding additional metals such as silver, palladium and copper, the high-quality gold alloys can take on different colours. In addition to yellow gold, white and red gold are particularly popular.

Gold plating
It sometimes happens that a gold pendant is not the same gold colour as the necklace. Each supplier uses a different gold alloy, which can also differ due to the surface treatment. Colour variations are therefore normal. The difference lies only in a different composition of the alloy. In such a case, we have the option of having both items colour-gilded in the studio so that there are no more colour differences. This is only possible with yellow gold jewellery.

Ceramic

Ceramic is an inorganic material that can be produced from various raw materials. Silicate, oxidic and non-oxidic raw materials are the main groups from which ceramics are made. Today, a distinction is made between industrial, artistic and technical ceramics, with the latter having established itself in jewellery production in particular.
Ceramic owes this to its unique properties: it is very hard and therefore extremely scratch-resistant: ceramic jewellery is easy to clean and 100% hypoallergenic. Ceramic jewellery does not tarnish, does not oxidize and has a very long service life. The stone material is therefore ideal for allergy sufferers and loses none of its charm and attractive appearance over the years. Ceramic can also be produced in different colours, set with stones and engraved.

Cobalt

Cobalt is a rare element and is found in meteorites and in the earth's core. It is mainly extracted from copper and nickel ores and belongs to the iron-platinum group. Compared to gold and silver, it has a higher wear resistance and is around 60% lighter than gold and around 25% lighter than silver. Due to their unique properties, cobalt-chrome rings have quickly become favorites for couples looking to get married. The steel-grey heavy metal looks polished like platinum, is corrosion-resistant but cheaper than platinum.

Leather

In the last two decades in particular, young trendsetters have made leather jewellery and especially leather bracelets socially acceptable again, even outside the rocker scene. Today, leather jewellery has an enthusiastic following, regardless of age and social class. This is because leather conveys an attitude to life that combines individual strength, personality and freedom. After all, leather is a versatile material with ideal properties - also for making jewellery. It is supple yet tough, relatively impermeable to water but still breathable. It is therefore hardly surprising that leather, together with stone, wood and wool, is one of the oldest materials used by man for a wide variety of purposes.

Palladium

Palladium (a metal from the platinum group) is a new jewellery metal. It is mainly alloyed with copper and is often used as an additional metal for white gold, platinum and silver alloys. The following palladium alloys are used in jewelry: 950 and 500. Compared to platinum or gold, it is considerably lighter and, in combination with an internal curvature, pleasantly easy to wear. Its strength and hardness is comparable to that of white gold.

Platinum

Like gold and silver, this bright white precious metal of great hardness and density is found in solid form (i.e. in almost pure metallic form), often mixed with other metals of the same group, the platinum metals rhodium, ruthenium, palladium, iridium and osmium. It is characterized by a high resistance to all influences of the environment and time, which is perhaps why it is becoming increasingly important as a material for wedding rings. However, it is also subject to scratches and surface finishes such as matting are also changing. The preferred alloy metal is copper, but iridium and palladium are also used. The platinum alloys used in jewellery are 950, 900 and 850.

Red gold

Red gold is gold with an admixture of copper, which gives it a reddish colour. The colour spectrum ranges from reddish yellow gold to orange, rust red and red gold with a slight purple tinge (see also purple gold). Some authors distinguish orange gold from red gold. Brown and light brown gold colours are called brown gold. Pink gold is called rose gold, whereby the transition to red gold is fluid.

Silver

Silver has been mined in various countries around the world for several hundred years. Silver jewelry has a long tradition among many Native American tribes in North America, but it also plays a very important role in jewellery production in Europe and Asia. Mexico, Canada, Peru, Australia and the USA have the largest share of silver production. In order to produce the so-called "925 sterling silver", which is commonly used in jewellery production and which we at Rhomberg also use for our silver jewellery, 92.5 percent silver and 7.5 percent copper are usually alloyed, i.e. mixed together. This makes the silver stronger and more resistant to corrosion, which is ideal for the production of silver jewellery, as the material is still soft enough and very easy to work with. Once the jewellery design has been decided upon, a mould is made into which the molten, liquid silver is poured. After cooling and hardening, the jewellery blank is then cleaned and filed down before it is ready for setting the desired gemstones. In addition to casting, the old technique of forging is also used to produce silver jewellery. In this respect, the term "goldsmith" is somewhat misleading, as they not only make gold jewellery, but also silver jewellery or platinum jewellery.

Tantalum

Tantalum is an extremely rare, shiny graphite gray metal. Only a few jewellery makers have mastered forging this extremely hard material, which only melts at 3,000 °C. Rings made of tantalum are extremely skin-friendly, neither acids nor chemicals attack the surface. And they last a lifetime. Resourceful jewellery designers, always on the lookout for alternatives to the everyday, have taken advantage of the positive properties of tantalum, experimented with it and opened a new chapter in wedding ring design. Whether on its own or in combination with gold and diamonds, there is a special magic in the brilliance of this indestructible material, which gives its wearers the feeling of owning something completely unique.

Titanium

Titanium is produced from naturally occurring titanium-containing minerals. Its lightness and strength make it a popular material in aerospace, medical technology, spectacle frames and jewelry. In addition to its surprising lightness, titanium also impresses with the best biomedical compatibility of all materials, making titanium jewelry particularly suitable for allergy sufferers. Its warm gray tone lends titanium jewellery a magnificent elegance, the ultimate perfection of which is expressed in combination with gold and diamonds. Titanium is an innovative and modern high-tech material that sets new standards in the manufacture of high-quality jewellery and wedding rings.

Tombac

Tombac is a high-quality type of brass with a high copper content. The use of tombac has a long tradition in the manufacture of jewellery and is often used as an alternative to silver and gold. The term "tombac" probably originated in Asia.

Gold plated jewellery

Jewellery designers often use the process of gold plating in the manufacture of their jewellery, as this method makes the jewellery pieces far less expensive than those made with gold. Gold plating involves coating a base material, usually silver, with a thin layer of gold. This layer is often made of yellow gold.

However, it can also be gold-plated with red gold, white gold or rose gold, so unlike real gold jewellery, gold-plated jewellery only has a thin layer of gold. This layer can therefore be removed by abrasion. If a gold-plated piece of jewellery is worn often, perhaps even when sleeping or doing housework or gardening, this layer of gold will wear off after a while and the base material will shine through.

To ensure that the gold-plated jewellery retains its colour for as long as possible and does not become dull, the jewellery should also be taken off before showering. The surfactants, fragrances and oils contained in the jewellery are not compatible with the gold plating, at least not in the long term. To prevent gold-plated jewellery from tarnishing, we recommend storing it in a jewellery box or jewellery case. If necessary, you can clean your jewellery with a soft microfibre cloth. Please do not use any cleaning agents.

White gold

White gold is gold with the addition of silver or palladium, which gives it its light colour. This gives the gold a white/grey base tone, which tends to take on a slightly yellowish colour. However, the colour of white gold can be brightened to a beautiful white by galvanic treatment, i.e. rhodium plating. However, this layer is only present on the surface and wears off again after a certain period of time.

Tungsten

Tungsten, a precious metal of the highest density, strength and hardness, radiates profound strength. This material has the highest melting point of all metals, is extremely resistant and resists conventional forging techniques. This is why tungsten is cast into its final form during jewellery production. The cool metal with its flawless lustre is made to outlast all time.

Zirconium

In its natural form, zirconium is a hard, shiny, silver-white coloured metal, but under high heat it forms a skin of zirconium dioxide that is deep black and extremely hard. The metal is extremely corrosion-resistant due to the formation of a solid oxide layer and is therefore not attacked by acids and alkalis apart from hydrofluoric acid. As a result of its corrosion resistance, zirconium is widely used in the chemical industry when corrosion agents are used and has recently also become important in the manufacture of jewellery rings due to its positive properties.