Since ancient times people have recognised and cherished gold as a precious commodity. Gold jewellery never goes out of fashion. Unlike many other metals pure gold does not react with other elements to create a residue that accumulates on some of them before transferring to your skin as stain. There are people who are allergic or have staining problems with metals combined with it. Gold can be worked into any shape you want even into tiny strands and it does not break easily. One ounce of gold can be hammered and flatten into an ultra thin sheet that is ten feet square.

In the past, gold jewellery was worn only by wealthy people. But during the industrialisation period people of lower social classes became able to afford more than a gold wedding band. Today, people many people around the world are wearing beautiful gold jewellery pieces that their ancestors would have never dreamt of ever owning.
Today it is considered to be an important investment for some people. And has different types and varieties, thus, it is vital to know how to distinguish between them. What is it with gold jewellery that differentiate a piece from another and why is it so much cheaper similar than similar items? Let us all begin with caratage. Gold carat weight is not the actual weight of gold such as it is with gemstones but the proportion of gold in gold jewellery.

24 carat gold is 100% pure gold and it has a very rich gold colour. Gold jewellery is almost never made from 24 carat gold for one simple reason- 24 carat gold is far too soft and will dent and scratch easily. Often 24 carat gold is used in decorating tableware and wine glasses.

On the other hand 9 carat gold is only 37.5% gold and it contains other metals such as silver and copper that makes up the rest 62.5%. Thus, 9 carat looks a little lighter in colour and much less expensive.
Mixing different metals with gold can give it different colours and shades as well. Rich yellow is the original colour of gold. When mixed with white metals such as rhodium and titanium gold jewellery has a white gleam which is similar to platinum. A mixture of gold and copper turns into pinkish hue that is known as rose gold. Traditionally, only yellow gold and rose gold (Eastern Europe) was used but in recent times white gold has become very popular.
When buying gold jewellery, look for the Hallmark stamp of authenticity. This is different from the stamp of the jeweller or manufacturer and it is globally accepted authentication stamp that certifies the caratage of gold in jewellery piece.

And while shopping for jewellery it is important to choose a jeweller that you can trust. Check the gold prices on different stores before purchasing to establish an average prices of gold item you are after. You might see a gold jewellery piece in another store having almost the same style and type but with less or more expensive. It is important to remember that the price should complement the quality. You cannot get the highest quality piece of gold jewellery at a very cheap price.

Buying jewellery online can be great idea too if you have verified the details of the online seller, and it is best if you have already made a purchase from them. It is one way that you can trust the jeweller. In case of online gold purchase look for trust seals on the website and to be sure you might want to contact the certifying organizations.

A web writer, linkbuilder and virtual assistant. Internet Marketing, SEO and Social Media and the Web are my interests. Check out more about me at fusion of insights.

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Gold Jewellery – Care Advice

So you’ve been given a beautiful piece of gold jewellery? Here’s how to look after it properly.

Gold is the softest of the precious metals. In fact the greater the purity, the softer it is. Hence the ‘old’ prospector’s biting test – pure gold is marked by a hard nibble! (Not to be advised without a dentist on standby!)

This ’softness’ property is one of the reasons why it became so precious and desirable, to every civilisation. Gold, although rare and difficult to obtain could be easily ‘worked’ – Just one ounce can be beaten out to cover a surface area of over 27 square metres!

In it’s purest form it is too soft to be of any use in the making of Jewellery. The pure gold is alloyed with silver, copper and various other metals in order to render a material hard enough for jewellery. The percentage of pure gold, in a Jewellery alloy is denoted by its carat (k) weight. Pure gold is 24k (ie.100%), the other common alloy carat weights are 22k, 18k, 14k, 10k and 9k. 9k is the hardest alloy. Obviously, this means that 9k will scratch all the softer k weights. This is the reason it’s advisable to always wear items of the same  carat weight, if your jewellery is likely to come into contact (rings etc). Gold is resistant to oxidative corrosion – it won’t tarnish, rust or corrode.

A few ‘golden rules’:

* Remove your gold jewellery when using chemicals and engaging in manual work. Gold will scratch abrade reducing its lustrous appearance.
* Remove your jewellery when swimming – Chlorine will affect its lustre.
* To clean jewellery use warm water and cotton wool. For heavy soiling use a weak solution of warm water and detergent-free soap.
* Gold is softer than sand. Sand will scratch your jewellery. Don’t wear it on the beach!
* Always store your jewellery separately in a soft stable-temperature environment. Ideally, keep your jewellery in the box with which it was supplied.
* To give your jewellery a deep clean it can be immersed in a very weak (just a pinch), sodium bicarbonate/boiling water solution for a few seconds. Carefully dry the jewellery immediately with a soft cotton cloth. (*Do not do this if your jewellery contains gemstones).

White Gold:

White Gold was originally developed in the 1920’s as an alternative to Platinum. It’s not actually another type of gold; there’s no such thing as ‘pure’ white gold, or 24k white. It’s simply an alloy in which the choice of alloyed metals has been made to achieve a ‘white’ or platinum like colour.

Rhodium Coating:

Most white gold jewellery has a thin coating of Rhodium to enhance its ‘whiteness’ and reflective properties. Rhodium is a member of the platinum family of metals and serves as a good protective coating to the jewellery, as well as enhancing the colour. Rhodium is harder than gold and will wear much better as a consequence. However, this rhodium coating will wear through with time, which will expose the alloy underneath. As the white gold alloy will be a darker, less white colour, this wear will be noticeable. It is a simple matter to reapply the rhodium coating; most jewellers make a small charge for this.

Article written by Tim Vogel. To view a fine selection of Jewellery pieces featuring authentic Swarovski crystal components and precious metal fittings, visit us here: http://www.whitewolfjewellery.co.uk

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