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Gold won't tarnish, rust, or corrode, and though it's very strong, it is also the most malleable of all metals.
Gold
Gold in its pure form (24k) is too soft to withstand abrasions caused from extensive daily wear, so it is alloyed with other metals to give it strength. This strength makes gold an excellent choice for a ring setting. Common gold alloys are silver, copper, nickel, and zinc.
Gold color is determined by the percentage of alloys that are included in the metal. When gold is alloyed with silver, copper, and zinc, the shade of color will vary. When gold is alloyed with nickel, copper, and zinc, it becomes white gold. Yellow gold and white gold have very similar strength and malleability. White gold looks very similar to platinum, but the two have very different properties and prices.
Purity
The purity of gold is measured in karats, which are expressed in 24ths. Thus, 24-karat gold is pure while 12-karat gold is 50 percent gold and 50 percent alloy.
Gold Color
The addition of alloying elements (other metals) to gold are used to increase the toughness and hardness of the metal, as well as change the color. Adjusting the proportions of coloring agents provides the array of colors on the market. Additional metals enhance properties such as castability, grain size, hardness, corrosion resistance, color, workability, ultimate strength, and others. These additions can dramatically change the properties of the karated metal for better or worse.
For example: 18 karat rose gold is 75%, or 18 parts fine gold and 25%, or 6 parts copper. It is the rich red copper combined with the pure yellow gold that creates a warm rosy tone. 14 karat white gold is 14 parts gold and 10 parts white metal, either nickel or palladium. These white metals dominate the color, creating a warm gray tone.
Typical metal used to achieve the desired gold color are
Copper - Reddening
Silver - Greening
Zinc - Bleaching
Nickel - Whitening
Palladium - Whitening
Examples are:
Yellow Gold: copper, silver, zinc
White Gold: copper, nickel, zinc
Red (Rose) Gold: copper
Green Gold: silver
Pricing
The price of gold jewelry is dependent upon the purity of the gold used or karat weight, as well as the design and construction of the piece of jewelry. When the karat weight or the gold percentage of the jewelry is high, the yellow color of gold is brighter, raising the value of the jewelry.
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Byre's Tip
Pure 24k gold is soft and easily bent; 14k and 18k gold is mixed with other metals for strength, and beauty. Be sure to chose 14k or 18k for beauty and durability.
For More Information
24 karat = Pure gold
Too soft for jewelry
22 karat = 91.7% gold
Very soft — not recommended for jewelry
18 karat = 75.0% gold
Recommended for fine jewelry
14 karat = 58.3% gold
Acceptable for jewelry
12 karat = 50.0% gold
Not acceptable for jewelry
10 karat = 41.7% gold
The legal karat limit considered as real gold in the United States
Much of our gold jewelry is made of the most beautiful and durable 14k gold. |
Jewelry Terms
Diamond Cut
In talking about the cut of a diamond, we are referring to the proportions of the diamond as opposed to its shape (round, marquise, pear, princess, etc.). The cut has the greatest influence on the fire and brilliance of a diamond. A well cut stone with the correct angles and number of facets will reflect and refract light back out the top of the diamond for maximum brilliance. A stone that is cut too deep or too shallow may appear lifeless or dark when compared to a correctly cut stone.
Hollow
To reduce cost and weight, either each link or the inside of the item (such as in a woven or mesh style) is hollow.
Solid Indicates that the chain links or interior are not hollow. The term does not refer to the metal purity--all Viridian Gold chains are "solid gold" or "solid platinum", which indicates that no metal is used except the gold or platinum.
Satin Finished
The gold will have a hazy or glazed look to it. Almost like when you breath onto a piece of glass or a mirror, a kind of foggy look.
Brushed
Similar to Matte finish, a brushed finish is composed of tiny striations, or scratches, in the finish as made by a metal brush. If the striations are very fine, the finish is similar to matte. The terms are often used interchangeably.
Diamond cut
The surface of the metal is cut into highly polished facets which reflect light at different angles, creating a sparkling diamond-like effect.
Die Struck
A die is a hard-steel tool upon which an image has been formed. It is machine-pressed with great force ("struck") onto a precious metal blank, creating a sharp, dimensional design which is polished and further formed into the jewelry piece.
Embossed
The design or text formed in the metal is raised above its surface, the opposite of engraving.
Enameled
The process of fusing colored glass or other very hard compounds onto the metal to provide color that is not usually found in alloys of the base metal.
Engraved
The design or text is cut into the metal, thus being formed below its surface--the opposite of embossing.
Filigreed
Intricate patterns of open work in the metal which are formed by fused gold wire or by cutting through the metal.
Florentine
A cross-hatched engraved design, more coarse than a brushed or matte finish
Hammered
Random indentations in the metal either formed by the mold in which the piece was formed, or by actual hammering.
Highly Polished
All jewelry is polished to some extent in order to remove the rough surfaces which are formed in the manufacturing process. This is a labor-intensive step and is often compromised in lower-quality jewelry, especially on the underside of the crown of rings and the backs of pins and brooches. Highly polished metal has a mirror-like finish.
Matte
A non-reflective surface--the metal has been polished, but not to a mirror-like finish. The effect is often achieved by abrading the surface with fine materials after polishing. Similar to Brushed finish, though not as coarse--the terms are often used interchangeably.
Mesh
A sheet of woven fine, precious metal or steel wire.
Milgrain
The metal is formed with a texture resembling a string of tiny beads which outlines a design detail or border.
Satin
The metal has a softer shine than a highly polished metal, but not as dull as a matte finish
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Care
Keep your gold jewelry away from harsh chemicals such as chlorine and cleaning fluids. This will reduce daily abrasions and prolong gold's luster.
To clean gold jewelry, use a solution of warm water and detergent-free soap and wash gold gently with a soft-bristled brush (a dull tooth brush works well).
Store gold pieces separately in soft cloth bags or original boxes to protect them from the exposure to harsh daily elements.
Consider 18k gold for jewelry and ring settings because it is rich in color and durable. White gold is also an affordable substitute for platinum.
View our beautiful gold jewelry.
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Cleaning Silver
There are a number of ways to clean your silver, but you need to be careful as to what methods you use. Many of the over-the-counter silver jewelry cleaners contain harmful carcinogens that have been known to cause cancer, so you might want to avoid those for your silver-cleaning needs.
The best way to keep silver clean is to avoid tarnish to begin with. To do this, make sure that you store your silver in a zip-lock baggie. When silver gets dirty or tarnished, create a baking soda paste with water and baking soda and gently rub the paste all over the silver with a damp cloth until the silver is clean. Rinse the silver off and make sure you dry it well before storing it or wearing it. People have also been known to use this same method using toothpaste instead of baking soda and water.
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