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Gold Qualities
From many years gold has been associated with wealth or social position-decorating royalty and people of power. But did you know some believe gold has spiritual abilities that will gives pleasure, serenity and guard against evil spirits?
One of the great physical qualities of gold is its malleability. This, combined with its physical beauty and resistance to corrosion, makes gold the ultimate creative medium. Pure gold can be considered too soft and delicate for use in jewelry, so it is often combined with other metals for greater strength.
Gold Karat
Gold comes in a variety of karatages (from less than 10k to 24k) to provide a greater range of price for people. The most common and popular karatages for gold jewelry in the United States are as follows:
10 karat (417 parts per 1000, 41.7%) Typically offered in the mass jewelry market for the budget conscious buyer and has the lowest gold content to be legally sold in the United States. This karatage of gold is also the most durable due to the amount of other, harder, metals that are alloyed with the gold.
14 karat (585 parts per 1000, 58.5%) This is by far the most commonly used karatage in the United States d) and provides a nice balance between gold content, hardness/durability and affordability.
18 karat (750 part per thousand, 75%) This is a popular karatage for higher end jewelry in the United States, Europe and other regions, and its usage is expanding in North America. In addition, this is the karatage at which gold can begin to change color as other metals are added to the alloy. Gold karatages above 18k are not typically seen in gold jewelry in the United States but can be more common in other parts of the world. Gold karatages above 18k tend to be too soft to be used in fine jewelry.
Gold Color
The modern alloying process undertaken to increase durability and wearability, now combines pure gold with other metals to create a variety of colors. Mixing in white metals, such as palladium or silver in combination, creates white gold. Rhodium plating is another common addition to give gold its white color. The addition of copper results in the soft pink complexion of rose gold. And gold can now be created in a spectrum of other colors, such as green and purple.
Platinum is a naturally white metal so it will not cast any of its own color into a diamond. Usually 95% pure (by comparison 18 karat gold is 75% pure), platinum never fades or tarnishes but keeps its natural white color for a lifetime. As platinum is so pure, it is naturally hypoallergenic and ideal for those with sensitive skin.
Silver is a soft metal in its pure form, too soft to hold up against the rigors of jewelry making and even wearing so it’s mixed with other metals to make it more durable. This silver mixture, called an alloy, is known as Sterling Silver. Most Sterling Silver on the market today is made up of approximately 925 parts per 1000 silver and the other 75 parts per 1000 copper, however, the copper has a tendency to tarnish which is the darkening that occurs when Sterling Silver reacts with gases in the air. This is why it is good to clean your silver regularly.
