Silver has been the traditional white metal used by jewellers throughout the ages. During the Industrial Revolution, however, steel became fashionable for jewellery. It regained importance in the second half of the 20th century, as did aluminium, which had been discovered in the early 19th century but was initially very expensive. Platinum one of the most valuable of metals, usually used in fine settings for diamonds, also found a modern interpretation.

Jewellers of this period explored many ways of treating the surfaces of these non-tarnishable and non-corroding silvery-white metals to give them a new appearance.