Jewelry metals can take many forms as makers and designers are constantly experimenting with new mediums to express their ideas. It’s always a good idea to read the description when viewing jewelry online as that is usually where you will find information on the material of construction. This is important as an informed consumer because you want to know how to care for your jewelry item. …
Gold plating……sometimes we hear that term and images of gaudy, poor quality jewelry just seconds away from turning green comes to mind. However, that’s far from the whole story. Gold plating, when done in the correct way, allows consumers to experience the rich color and luster of gold jewelry, but at a fraction of the price. It’s a great option for pieces that may…
Think for a moment back to high school chemistry class. It has been longer for some of us than others, but try and recall the periodic table. Here is picture of one to refresh your memory. Gold, Au, sits in the periodic table as element 79 and is a transition metal. We will not get into exactly what that means for the moment, but being present…
Fine jewelry is traditionally considered to be items made of precious metals and precious or semi-precious stones. To be considered precious, the metal must be rare, naturally occurring and high value. Precious metals are typically less reactive than other metals, meaning they don’t undergo significant chemical changes with coming in contact with air, skin and fluids. Fine jewelry is most often made of gold or…
Gold jewelry is always identified with a quality mark in order to let you know how much pure gold it contains. As we’ve discussed in prior posts, gold is mined and then refined into it’s “pure” form which is usually 99.9% gold. This is considered to be pure gold and is designated as 24 karat. (You can learn more about why 24 and why…
Alloying refers to the mixing together of two or more metals and is usually done to improve the mechanical properties of the metal. Mechanical properties refer to how much you can bend, stretch, scratch or break a particular metal or allow. Jewelry metals like gold, silver and platinum are relatively soft in their pure form, so the wear and tear they would experience during day to day wear…
