Over 50 years since its inception to the world, the Cartier Love collection is still causing a buzz.
These iconic pieces remain one of the most coveted pieces of jewelry in the world.
It has left a permanent mark in the world of luxury and jewelry.
But what people are more worried about is leaving permanent marks on their pieces.
The biggest concern when it comes to the Love collections is that they are said to scratch easily.
So, you may be worried about damaging them, especially the love ring.
The worries are only natural, considering how much you had to pay for your ring.
That is why in this article we will look into what the Cartier Love ring is made of and whether or not it does scratch easily.
What Is The Jewelry Metal Used In Cartier Love Ring?
Initially, it was rumored that the Cartier love collection, in general, was available only in silver and plated gold. Today, however, the collection including the Love Ring is made of either solid 18K gold or platinum.
Because as a popular luxury brand, Cartier has a reputation to uphold, you can be sure that they only use the best quality of these metals to create their Love rings.
The rings, therefore, come in four metal variations, that is platinum and white, yellow, or rose gold. There are also versions fully encrusted with a real diamond and others where the diamond replaces or alternates with the screw on the bracelet.
So, if you are were to come across a Cartier Love ring that seems to be made of any other metal or coated, then you likely have a counterfeit in your hands.
What Is The Mohs Scale Of Cartier Love Ring?
The level of Cartier Love rings on the Mohs scale is dependent on the materials used to make it, which is largely either 18K gold or platinum. The Mohs scale rates the hardness of metals based on how resistant it is to general wear and tear.
The scale is usually from 1 to 10 and the higher the number on the scale the harder the element is considered to be. Knowing the Mohs scale helps you have a better idea of what metals or elements can easily scratch your love ring, and that’s normally an element with a higher rank on the scale.
When it comes to platinum, its Mohs scale is between 4-4.5 while that of 18K gold is 2.8. While platinum is stronger and denser than gold, usually it scratches more easily than gold.
But with 18K gold, the percentage of gold in it is higher than the metal alloys mixed with it. That makes it softer than lower karats and easier to scratch.
So, in general, the Cartier love ring can be said to have a Mohs scale of between 2.8-4.5. That means they can easily be scratched considering all the elements that are above them on the scale.
The Making Process Of Cartier Love Ring.
As you already know by now, Cartier Love Rings are made with either gold or platinum and sometimes feature diamonds or colored gems.
It is not specified where Cartier gets their platinum, diamonds, or colored gems, but they guarantee that their suppliers follow the regulations set by the respective governing bodies and ensure that the materials are of the highest quality. 5% of its gold, however, is mined from the Goldlake mine in Honduras.
The rest of the gold is gotten from recycling old gold jewelry pieces, this has helped Cartier significantly reduce their carbon footprint resulting from their production.
To make the rings, the metals are first melted or processed along with the diamonds using thermal and kinetic energy. The rings are then molded and curved using thermal, kinetic, and mechanical energy.
Once the rings are ready and branded, they are carefully packed in branded packaging and distributed to the different Cartier retail stores in the world through ships and planes.
Does Cartier Love Ring Scratch Easily? Why?
Yes, Cartier Love indeed rings cand scratch easily. That is because of the metals used to make it. Platinum and gold are both very strong and dense metals.
They would not break easily if they were to fall accidentally for example. They are also non-reactive so they won’t affect your skin or react easily with other elements. But the metals are soft.
That is why they have to be mixed with other metal alloys to increase their hardness. 18K gold, however, is made up of more gold than metal alloys, hence why it is softer than 14K or 10K gold would be.
The same thing goes for platinum, it is the purest precious metal used in jewelry making, with only five percent of it containing metal alloys like palladium, rhodium, cobalt, copper among others.
Based on the Mohs scale any element above the rank of platinum and gold can easily scratch them. As we’ve seen their Mohs scale is between 2.8-4.5 which is below average.
That means that there are many elements like diamond, topaz, quartz, glass, and steel among many others that can scratch the metals. That is why you have to be careful with your Cartier love ring because they can be easily scratched.
Does Cartier White Gold Love Ring Turn To Yellowish Easily? Why?
Yes, your White Gold Love Ring could turn yellow after some time. But this has nothing to do with the quality of the gold. To understand why your white gold love ring would turn yellowish, you have to start by first understanding the characteristics of white gold.
As you may know, white gold, in this case, 18K white gold, is made up of 75% of pure yellow gold and 25% of white metal alloys like silver, palladium, and platinum.
Because the percentage of gold is higher than the white metal alloys, 18K white gold is never completely white, it usually has a yellowish tint to it. So, to enhance the white shine, white gold is usually coated with rhodium, Cartier’s love ring is no exception.
The problem is, however, is that the rhodium coating does not last forever, eventually, it will fade. That is when you will start to notice your white gold love ring start turning yellowish.
Fading of the rhodium coating happens as a result of daily wear, which is what Cartier rings are designed for. As a result, the ring is always in contact with your body chemicals as well as other products you use daily.
Some people don’t mind the yellow tint that remains after the rhodium fades, but in case it bothers you, you could always have the ring replated with rhodium. Either way, the quality of your ring is not minimized in any way.
Conclusion
In summary, we can say that given the properties of the metals used on the Cartier Love ring, they are bound to scratch easily.
But this doesn’t have to be a bad thing, since the scratches form a patina that some people find appealing.
In any case, you can always have the ring polished to get rid of the scratches and restore its original shine.
But don’t make polishing a regular habit, otherwise, you may thin out your ring, and that’s not what you want.
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Stephanie is a jewelry lover when she was a teenager. Her major was fashion design when she was in college. She is a jewelry designer at SOQ Jewelry and other design companies. Now she is also a writer for our website. She writes a lot of designs&brands posts with very actionable tips.