The gold standard

We work exclusively with the world’s highest quality diamonds. And we take the same nothing-but-the-best approach to the gold in which they are set.

The first question many people ask is: why 18k gold rather than 24k? Well, 24k gold is more pure - but it’s also way too soft.

Have you ever read a story in which a character checks the authenticity of a gold coin by biting it? Well, that’s because the metal is so soft the teeth marks prove it’s real. But gold that pure isn’t so great for a beautiful piece of jewellery you want to last for generations. It’s simply too soft and can quickly lose its shape. 18k gold, by contrast, offers the ideal balance between durability and gold content."

Rudy Prampolini, Head Jeweller

So what does 18k actually mean?

Karat is a unit of purity referring to the percentage of pure gold.

24k gold is 100% pure.
18k gold is 75% pure – so 18 of the 24 parts are gold.
14k gold is 58,3 % pure – so 14 of its 24 parts are gold.

Montluc 18k white gold is worth more than most other 18k white gold

Most of our collection is also available in white gold. Because gold is naturally yellow, we add palladium and silver to make it white.

Palladium is another precious metal that costs about the same as gold. We use the optimal amount of palladium required to create the perfect white gold – 13.0%. But not everyone does.

Play the percentage game

Many other brands use as little palladium as they can get away with, say 10% or even just 5%. They then make up the difference with silver, which is far cheaper. It’s just one of the tricks of the trade that mean you get less for your money. And it’s why Montluc white gold is worth more.

Think twice before you look elsewhere

To make the gold truly white, the gold/palladium/silver alloy is then coated with Rhodium, which is so expensive it makes our eyes water. Montluc uses one of the very best Rhodiums available. And we use twice as much as most manufacturers. Then again, we don’t see ourselves as manufacturers.