Last week the design for the MIT Class of 2008 Brass Rat (class ring: click the link and you’ll understand the name) was unveiled, and the ordering is going on this week.
We have a choice between 10kt, 14kt, and 18kt gold. Now, I don’t know jack shit about jewelry, other than the technical details (14kt gold is 14/24ths gold, and so forth), so I’m looking for some advice on what to go with.
First, they sell a stainless-steel version (or “Celestrium”, if you listen to Balfour) pretty cheaply, so the gold one will only be for special occasions.
Now, as I understand it - 14kt gold is more durable/scratch resistant than 18kt gold, but it tarnishes quicker. It also looks a bit duller than 18kt.
So, I can’t decide. On the one hand, I don’t want to get a 14kt version and find it looking all tarnished and ratty after ten years. On the other, I don’t want to get the 18kt version and find it all scratched up and battered after the same period. I don’t really care about the difference in appearance when new - to be honest, the 14kt example looked a little bit better than the 18kt to my eyes - not as flashy.
So, which one should I get? The price difference is, in the grand scheme of things, insignificant. In terms of long-term use and durability, which would be a better choice?
One of the Balfour representatives recommended the 14kt because of the greater durability, and said that the 18kt was mostly for women who wanted it to match their other jewelry (or something). Obviously, that’s almost a sure way to get a college-aged guy to choose the 14kt, but I don’t know whether he knew what he was talking about or not.