Pendants are adornments for necklaces. The most popular styles are lockets and crucifixes. If you are looking to buy gold or silver pendants for a necklace you already own or buying a necklace with a pendant included you should find all of the relevant information included here. Pendants are often made from various precious metals and decorated with precious minerals or an engraved pattern.

Silver Pendants

Sterling silver is the standard grade used for jewellery. It is a legal requirement for silver to carry a hallmark in order to be sold in the United Kingdom. This will normally include a number. Sterling Silver should be marked ‘925′.

Gold Pendants

As with most gold jewellery, pendants can be made from yellow and white gold. As gold is not naturally white it is worth being mindful that, over time white gold may need to be restored. A 9 carat, solid gold pendant could contain around 35% pure gold whereas and 18 carat solid gold pendant would contain 75% pure gold. This drastically changes the price. Any solid gold jewellery should be engraved with a hallmark. 9ct gold should have the number ‘375′ engraved and 18ct gold will have ‘750′.

Gemstones and Decoration

A large number of pendants include gemstones or other decorative materials with varying values. One commonly used material is mother of pearl. This is harvested from the inner layer of the shells of particular mollusks. They create this layer to form part of their shell for protection and the outer layers of pearls are made using this material which gives them their iridescent finish. Jewellery can be produced with mother of pearl decoration at a relatively low cost and can be found on pendants of various purity metals. Other precious stones may be used to decorate pendants but diamonds are a very popular addition to gold pendants. These are generally set into yellow of white gold of 18ct purity or higher.

Costs

As a rule of thumb silver pendants should be available for less than £50 unless they are particularly heavy, higher grade than sterling or are set with stones that require a higher price. Plain or engraved 9ct yellow gold pendants should cost £50 – £100. Additional stones such as Sapphire, Peridot or Amethyst may require a price tag upwards of £200. Rubies and Diamonds will cost significantly more; depending on the quality and size of the stones they will require a price tag upwards of £500. As they are normally set in high quality 18ct yellow or white gold it is not unusual for these items to cost over £1000.

For a selection of pendants, John Hollins Fine Jewellery is a great place to go

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There is a lot of very popular jewellery out there today. One of the most popular is the white gold jewelry. However, what makes this kind of jewelry so popular? On top of that, what makes this gold turn white? These are all questions that we are going to answer, so if you have ever wonder this kind of information about white gold, then just keep on reading!

First of all, white gold is still gold. However, it is an alloy of gold that has been mixed with at least one other metal. Normally the two most commonly used white metals that get added to it are nickel and palladium. Just like the yellow gold that we have come to know and love, the white gold’s purity is, of course, given to us in carats. This lets you know how much of it is actually gold and how much of it has been mixed with another metal. One thing to keep in mind is that you can never have a full gold ring. That is because gold by itself is way too soft. It has to be mixed with another metal to make it stronger. If you did not mix it, you would be able to simply press on it and bend it.

Whenever you are dealing with white gold jewelry, there are a few different purposes it can be used for. First of all, when white gold is made with nickel, it’s a lot stronger than other white gold jewellery. This means that it is perfect for making things like rings and pins. However, when it is mixed with palladium, it becomes a lot softer and more workable. This makes it perfect to be used on gemstone jewelry. Most of the time, the highest carat white gold you are going to find is 18k. As said before, white gold is usually mixed with one or more metals, so they will often use palladium or nickel, but things like silver and copper get added in as well. In the really high class white gold rings, you can find things like platinum being used.

One more thing to keep in mind about white gold is that it does not retain it’s shine quite like other metals do, thus, a lot of times white gold has to be coated with rhodium. This gives it a very nice shine, but sometimes it has been known to rub off over time. Although it is unlikely, it does happen. Without the coating of this rhodium, very few people would like the dull look of white gold.

So why do people like the white gold look so much nowadays? When did all the jewelry start getting made out of white gold? This really came about as the rappers got into the white gold look. Although some people still really like the yellow gold look, it is a little bit too traditional for some people. That is why they go with the very modern looking white gold. Of course, we sometimes see these fads change back and forth, so no one knows when yellow gold will come back into style.

Kelly Hunter owns and operates http://www.bestwhitegoldjewellery.com and writes about White Gold Jewellery

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Whether you are buying gold earrings as a gift or for yourself it is important to know the true value of the jewellery you are buying. The first thing to mention is the carat purity of the gold. This is the purity index used to evaluate the amount of gold in any piece of gold jewellery. At the very bottom of the scale is 1ct. This means that for every milligram of gold, other metals make up 23 milligrams. Normally jewellery begins at 9ct purity. Gold plated jewellery can have a carat value for the plating and different metals making up the bulk of the object. Any solid gold jewellery needs a hallmark to be sold in the United Kingdom but the hallmark alone does not guarantee the jewellery is gold. Silver and platinum jewellery also needs a hallmark to be sold in the United Kingdom. A three digit number should be engraved into the metal which indicates its purity. These numbers range from 375, which is 9ct and 999 which is 24ct.

Gold Earring Designs

Firstly, the classic hoop gold earrings are often too large to be made solid so they are hollowed out for comfort but the metal they are made from can still have high carat purity and this determines the price. Next is the classic tear drop shape gold earring. As opposed to hoop earrings these are normally smaller and can be made from solid gold. When the main section of the earring is attached directly to the bar which holds them in place, this is known as a stud earring. This design is also small enough to be made from solid gold and may be embellished with one or more precious stones.

Gemstones for Gold Earrings

Diamonds are a very popular stone to use for gold earrings. Depending on the carat mass of the diamond, the stone can account for the majority of the price. Although diamonds are one of the strongest substances known to man, they can be split from specific angles. Skilled jewellers are able to set diamonds in such a way that means none of these angles are exposed once the stone is in place. Another widely used gem is Peridot, this stone is vibrant green in colour and although Olivine (the constituent mineral) is a relatively abundant, gem quality Peridot is quite rare. You may also find earrings set with Opal. The majority of this mineral is produced in Australia. This gem can be found in a variety of colours ranging from white to black. The most common being white and green while black and red is the rarest. Amethyst is a precious type of quarts. Formed in volcanoes, these stones are generally violet but when exposed to heat they become yellow. Modern production techniques mean that this stone can be manufactured as opposed to being mined. Distinguishing natural and manmade amethyst is very difficult. Another gem commonly used in earrings is Topaz, at its purest Topaz is transparent but often impurities give the stone a hue. Topaz is often processed to give it a particular colour. Rubies are also used for earring decoration. Stones made from corundum which are not red are classified as sapphire.

At the time of writing this article, a gram of pure gold costs around £23-£24. You could expect to get a set of 9ct solid gold earrings, set with Opal, Topaz or Amethyst for under £100 whereas rubies or diamonds significantly change the price and depending on their size and quality can account for upwards of £200. The carat mass of the gold used will also make a significant difference but remember to check if they are simply plated or solid gold.

For a range of solid gold earrings. John Hollins Fine Jewellery is a great place to go

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If you are looking for a gold or silver necklace to wear either on its own or with a pendant and would like to know a little more, this guide should provide you with the information you need to make an informed decision. Necklaces are normally a series of one or more types of link interlocked to make a chain. The carat index is used to measure the purity of gold. This is often expressed by a hallmark consisting of 3 digits engraved into the piece. These commonly range from 375 (9ct – the most dilute) to 999 (24ct – the purest). Silver has a similar index which should also be engraved into the piece. These range from 750 (lowest) to 999.9 (highest). Sterling silver (which is commonly used in jewellery) should have ‘925′ engraved somewhere on it.

Link Types

Silver and gold necklaces are made from a variety of different types of link. Belcher links are normally torus (ring) shaped and interlock at 90 degrees to the next link. Curb Links are the classic shaped link used for chains outside of jewellery. They can either be made flat or undulated. In either case each link joins to the next at the same angle so when laid flat all links can be orientated the same way. Cuban links are a similar shape to curb links but their width makes each link almost circular. Bead links are spheres with a hole bored through to allow a strand to run between them. A spacer may be used to keep the beads at a uniform distance. Rope links give the impression of a single woven strand by interlocking the links into a spiral shape.

Pendants

You may wish to attach a pendant to the gold or silver necklace you are purchasing. The only thing to keep in mind is the type of links used for the chain. If the necklace is going to be worn with a sizable pendant the shape of the links in the necklace are worth considering. You will want to choose a rounded link which allows the pendant to move freely without snagging. One such link is the belcher link. In the event you choose a necklace is not suitable for your chosen pendant, a responsible jeweller should inform you of the reason and suggest a different necklace.

Costs

The price of silver or gold necklaces are generally governed by the purity of the precious metal used to make it and the weight but in some cases designer branding can further increase the price and handmade jewellery generally costs more than jewellery that has been built by machine. As an example, 9ct solid gold necklaces are generally less than £100 where the handmade equivalent could cost upwards of £500. Remember this does not refer to gold plated jewellery (which costs significantly less).

For a selection of silver & gold necklaces, John Hollins Fine Jewellery is a great place to go

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Are you fascinated by Antique Jewellery and vintage jewellery or just want to buy a piece as a special gift or heirloom? If so you you need to know that the piece you are buying is a genuine antique and not a modern copy. There are many things to check and look out for such as the materials the piece is made from, the way the jewellery is made and the shape of the catches and hinges. All of these factors are just guidelines but with British Antique Jewellery you can sometimes tell the exact date of a piece from its hallmarks.

Hallmarking law is complex, it varied from city to city and has changed many times over the years since it was introduced in the middle ages. It takes a set of tables to work out the exact age of a piece but there are certain pieces of antique jewellery that it is easy to work out the age of. One of these is British antique jewellery made from 15 carat gold.

What is 15 carat Gold?

15 carat gold is gold of.625 purity, that is 625 parts of pure gold per 1000 parts. Pure gold is very expensive and also quite soft so it is mixed with other materials to give a harder and cheaper material that is more suitable and longer lasting than pure gold for use in jewellery. The other materials include copper, silver, iron, platinum and aluminium. The colour of the gold can be altered using different metals in the blend, for example rose gold is produced by having a high level of copper in the mix. 15 carat gold can theoretically be any colour that gold can be made in but normally you will find it as yellow or rose gold

How can i Identify 15 carat gold?

British antique jewellery which is made of 15 carat gold will be hallmarked with the number 15 and.625. If the piece of jewellery is quite light weight it may just be stamped 15ct. If there are the full hallmarks you would also expect to find a town mark, a date letter and the gold standard mark for the town which would help to give an exact date.

When was 15 carat gold used?

It was only a legal standard of gold in British jewellery between 1854 and 1931. During this time 12 carat (.5 or 500 parts per thousand) was also used. These two standards were replaced by 14 carat in 1932. Neither 12 or 15 carat gold were legal standards before 1854. This means tat any piece of antique gold jewellery from Britain with the 15 carat hallmark dates somewhere between 1854 and 1931 and you have a genuine piece of antique or vintage jewellery.

Anne Haile – Vintage Jewellery and Antiques Dealer and Blog Writer. You can find my shop at Vintage Jewellery and a wide selection of Antique Jewellery too.

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