Gold
Karat Gold Jewelry
The Uniqueness of Gold
How To Buy Karat Gold Jewelry
Building Your Gold Jewelry Wardrobe
Caring for Your Gold Jewelry
Gold one of the world's most precious metals...dates back to the dawn of mankind. All great civilizations built up treasuries of the lustrous metal,
reserving golden objects for their most important rituals.
However, the most alluring use of the sun-colored metal has
always been in jewelry.
The Egyptians, largest producers of gold in the ancient
world, equated gold with the sun, the giver of life, and reserved its use
for pharaohs only.
The ancient Etruscans created meticulously handwrought
objects using fine granules and threads of gold, a technique still
practiced today.
To this day, Chinese and Indian brides wear jewelry of no less
than 24-karat gold on their wedding day to ensure a lifetime of good
luck and happiness.
And, a gift of gold jewelry says love and permanence as
eloquently today as in all the ages past.
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The Uniqueness of Gold
Of all the world's precious metals, only gold combines the four
basic characteristics that make it a universally treasured possession.
Beauty - Gold's natural color can be further enhanced
by alloying it with small amounts of other metals, yielding a
spectrum of exquisite, subtle shades. Metalsmiths are able to create
yellow, rose, green and white golds by adjusting the alloys. More
copper results in a soft rose color; additional silver creates green gold;
and palladium produces white. A popular trend is to combine two
or more colors of gold in a single piece of jewelry.
Purity - It is estimated that only slightly more than
100,000 tons of gold have been taken from the earth during all of
recorded history. And although gold can be found in rivers, seas and land
in many parts of the earth, it is not easily extracted. Opening a mine
is a time-consuming and costly operation, and several tons of ore
are required in order to produce just one ounce of the precious metal.
Durability - Look no further than the nearest
museum where gold jewelry, coins and artifacts from ancient
civilizations attest to the metal's enduring beauty and permanence.
Workability - Jewelers throughout the ages
have preferred gold to all other metals for its beauty and ease
of workmanship. Gold can be melted, or shaped, to create any
design. It can be alloyed with a number of other metals to increase
its strength and produce a variety of colors and can be re-melted
and used again to create new designs.
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How To Buy Karat Gold Jewelry
Look for the quality mark. Pure gold, or 24-karat, is
generally considered too soft for use in jewelry, so it is alloyed with
other metals to increase its strength.
Eighteen-karat gold is
18/24ths, or three-quarters pure gold.
Jewelry of this fineness is marked "18k" or "750," the European
designation meaning 75 percent gold.
In the United States, 14-karat gold is used most commonly
for jewelry. Fourteen-karat gold is
14/24ths, or slightly more than
one-half pure gold. Jewelry of this fineness is marked "14k" or
"585," the European designation meaning 58.5 percent gold.
Nothing less than 10-karat gold can be legally marked or sold
as gold jewelry in the United States. These pieces are marked "10k"
or "417," the European designation meaning 41.7 percent gold.
Look for trademarks accompanying the quality mark. When a
piece of jewelry is stamped with a quality mark, law requires that it
be stamped with a hallmark or trademark as well. Sometimes
the jewelry is also marked with its country of origin. These
designations are designed to assure you that you are buying genuine gold
jewelry of the karatage marked.
Gold comes in a variety of colors. Because gold is alloyed with
other metals to increase its strength, it can also be made in a variety
of colors. For example, yellow gold is created by alloying the
metal with copper and silver; using copper only creates pink gold;
white gold contains platinum or palladium, zinc and copper; green
gold contains silver, copper and zinc.
Gold, one of the world's most precious metals, dates back to the dawn
of mankind. All great civilizations built up treasuries of the lustrous metal,
reserving golden objects for their most important rituals.
Pricing is based on four factors: karatage, gram weight, design
and craftsmanship. The karatage and gram weight tell you how
much gold is in a piece, but other crucial factors determining price are
the piece's construction and design. A price based solely on gram
weight does not reflect the work that has gone into the piece. It's
important to remember that each piece of gold jewelry is unique and, if
cared for properly, can last a lifetime.
Look for quality construction. When buying a piece of gold
jewelry, be sure to inspect it carefully. Pay special attention to fasteners
or clasps, making sure catches work easily but are secure. Likewise,
the backs of pins and earring posts should be strong and
firmly attached to the piece with no soldering marks visible. With
gold chain, lay it flat and make sure the links don't kink or bend.
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Your Gold Jewelry Wardrobe
Build a gold jewelry wardrobe in the same way you build a
clothing wardrobe. Always begin with the best-quality basics you can
afford and add pieces. Your basics are a gold chain, necklace, classic
hoop or button earrings, and a link bracelet. Additions can include
a slide-on pendant, a pair of drop earrings where the bottoms can
be detached (thus creating two different looks) followed by a gold
ring or a pin. Begin with pieces that have classic shapes and
look appropriate with a variety of different outfits then add pieces
that offer versatility of wear or those with a fashion touch, such as
matte and polished surface treatments or two or three tones of gold.
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Caring for Your Gold Jewelry
Remember that gold is lasting and durable but can get scratched
or dented if treated roughly.
Gold's worst enemy is chlorine. Repeated exposure can
weaken gold's structure, eventually leading to breakage. So keep
your jewelry away from chlorinated cleaning products and out
of swimming pools and jacuzzis.
Protect your gold jewelry by storing it safely or keeping it
wrapped in a soft cloth when not being worn.
Clean your gold jewelry with a cleaning solution of sudsy
lukewarm water, or bring it to your local jeweler and have it steam-cleaned.
Dry and polish jewelry with a chamois or soft cloth after
cleaning and rinsing.
Keep gold jewelry free from dust, moisture, perspiration
and makeup.
Always inspect your gold jewelry for weakness or damage and
bring it to a professional jeweler for immediate repair. Your jeweler will
be able to restore it for you.
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Editors Note: This article The is brought to you by Jewelers of America. (c) 1999 - 2014.