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Each year, 75% of the world's mined gold is used to make jewelry. Gold is a symbol of enduring love and heritage, making it the coveted choice for jewelry that will be passed from generation to generation. As well, it has earned its place as the traditional gift for 50th wedding anniversaries.
The unrivaled permanence and emotion attached to gold result from many factors. The most obvious is that gold is aesthetically pleasing. The warm golden color is much loved, as are alloys that can be used to create a rainbow of different shades of the metal. Gold is extremely rare, requiring several tons of ore to produce just one ounce of gold. In fact, estimates are that all the gold ever mined could fit beneath the Eiffel Tower in Paris!
Gold's durability gives it an incredibly long-lasting value. Ancient gold jewelry, coins and artifacts on display in museums worldwide are testament to gold's enduring beauty. Additionally, gold is a heavy metal. In fact, one cubic foot weighs half a ton! When alloyed with other metals, the relatively soft metal becomes exceptionally strong, durable and indestructible. As well, gold is a pure substance resistant to the effects of air, heat and moisture. Thus, it resists tarnish and remains pleasing to the eye for lifetimes and beyond.
In spite of gold's strength and heaviness, it is very malleable, making it easy enough to work with that just one ounce can be worked into a continuous strand approximately 60 miles long. As well, it can be melted or shaped into an infinite number of designs, making it quite versatile for creative and beautiful jewelry designs.
History & Significance
Gold has been romanticized in popular culture for eras, used as currency and treasure in great civilizations, and even ascribed miraculous powers. Gold's long and winding history has traversed the world many times over. The Etruscans crafted objects by hand with threads of gold. Ancient Egyptians reserved gold's use for pharaohs only, equating it with the sun. The Incas called gold "the sweat of the sun" and the Chinese thought of gold as the sun's yang.
Chinese and Indian culture today remains that brides wear 24K gold on their wedding day for a lifetime of luck and happiness. Furthermore, in some cultures people eat gold to treat ailments that include arthritis, tuberculosis and ulcers.
In addition to gold's historical value, the tangible lasting value of gold has been established by its use as currency. Gold has been used for more than 5,000 years as currency. It holds its value and boasts a sense of permanency that paper currency does not. People tend to buy it in large quantities during times of crisis.
Beyond even the historical and monetary value of gold, the rare precious metal is an alluring aesthetic material with which some of this world's finest and most prized jewelry is crafted.
Colors
Although gold is most often thought of as having a soft, yellow glow, the metal is available in an entire spectrum of different hues. The different colors of gold depend upon with which metals the gold is alloyed, or mixed.
Yellow Gold
By far the most common color of gold used in jewelry, yellow gold is gold in its natural shade. Yellow gold is usually alloyed with copper and silver to increase the strength of the metal. How yellow the metal is depends upon the content of gold. A 14-karat piece of jewelry will have a brighter yellow hue than a 10-karat piece. Likewise, an 18-karat piece of jewelry will have a deeper yellow than 14-karat gold, and so on.
White Gold
Increasing in popularity in recent years, white gold has become fashionable as the preferred cool and contemporary look. White gold boasts the same properties as classic yellow gold, but achieves its white color by mixing with different alloys. In general, white gold is created when a nickel or palladium alloy (zinc and copper) is used. White gold may also be plated with an even whiter metal, such as rhodium, to enhance its cool appearance. As well, a white gold setting can enhance the rapture of white diamonds.
Rose or Pink Gold
Rose or pink-colored gold can be created by alloying copper with yellow gold. This hue of gold tends to have a pink, bluish tint that complements many skin tones.
Green Gold
This color variation of gold can be created by alloying silver, copper and zinc with yellow gold.
Karats
Gold's softness and malleability make it a wonderful metal to work with when creating virtually any design in jewelry. But this softness can be a drawback as well. To make it stronger and more durable, gold is usually alloyed, or mixed, with other metals such as copper or silver.
The higher a metal's percentage of gold content, the softer and more yellow the jewelry piece. The karat weight system used to measure gold in a piece is the same for all hues, including white and yellow gold.
The word "carat" is Arabic, meaning "bean seed." This is because historically seeds were used to measure weights of gold and precious stones. In the United States, "karat" with a "k" is used to measure gold's purity, while "carat" with a "c" is used in measuring a gemstone's size. The karat mark of gold represents the percentage of pure gold to alloy.
10K is 10/24ths gold content or 41.7% gold
This karatage is gaining popularity for its affordability and
durability. Commonly used in everyday-wear jewelry such as
rings, 10K gold beautifully withstands wear and tear. It is the
lowest gold content that can be legally marked or sold as gold
jewelry in the United States.
14K is 14/24ths gold content or 58.5% gold
This is the most common gold karatage in the United States
because of its fine balance between gold content, durability
and affordability.
18K is 18/24ths gold content or 75% gold
This karatage is a popular high-end choice in the United
States, Europe and other regions. Its popularity is spreading
throughout North America.
21K is 21/24ths gold content or 87.5% gold
In the United States, jewelry with this karatage or higher is
rare. It is far more common in Europe, the Middle East and
Southeast Asia.
24K is pure gold or 100% gold
In order to determine the karat weight of a specific item, simply look for the quality mark. Jewelry items will bear the stamp of their karatage based upon the United States or European system of marking. The United States system designates pieces by their karats — 24K, 18K, 14K, 10K, etc. The European system designates pieces by their percentage of gold content. For instance, 10K gold is marked "417," denoting 41.7% gold; 14K is marked "585," denoting 58.5% gold; and 18K is marked "750," denoting 75% gold; etc.
Gold Filled, Gold Plated & Vermeil
Alternative types of gold jewelry include gold filled, gold plated and vermeil. Over time, gold plating and vermeil will wear off, requiring re-plating. Gold plating is an electrolytic process in which a gold coating of at least 10K gold with a minimum thickness is affixed to all surfaces. Vermeil refers to mechanically bonding or electroplating gold with a minimum fineness of 10K over a base of sterling silver.
Gold-filled jewelry consists of a layer of 10K gold or better mechanically bonded to the surfaces of a base (non-precious) metal. This layer of 10K gold must be a minimum of 1/20th of the total metal weight to be called gold filled.
Finishes on Gold Jewelry
Gold jewelry is often "finished." This refers to surface treatments for gold jewelry, creating patterns and designs. Different types of finishes are often used in tandem to create contrasting effects.
Diamond Cut
Tiny angled cuts into the surface create a bright faceted look.
Brushed
A satiny finish produced by a stiff metal brush applied in linear or circular patterns.
Embossed
A relief pattern shaped in sheet metal.
Enameled
Colored glass fused onto a metal surface.
Florentine
Parallel lines are engraved in one direction with lighter perpendicular cross-hatchings or curved strokes;
Engraved
A design cut with a sharp tool.
Diamond Laser
Hammering the surface with a faceted, diamond-tipped tool creates a highly reflective finish.
Satin Finish
Soft and lustrous appearance resulting from light parallel lines that sharply reduce the metal's reflections.
High Polish
Bright and shiny, highly reflective finish.
Filigree
Delicate patterns created by twisting together fine wires and flattening and bending them into intricate designs; these patterns are surrounded by a sturdy gold framework.
Etched
Chemical or hand-created designs or patterns cut into the surface to make a textured finish.
Matte
Velvety finish lacking shine but boasting a soft luster.
these lines are deeper than on brushed or satin finishes.
Granulated
Small and round gold particles hand-placed on a gold surface, then fastened by heating.
Hammered
Varied light to deep hammering applied directly to the surface to create a design.
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