Humans have been fascinated by gold for thousands of years, by the way it never tarnishes and by its unique color.

Sadly, gold is useless in engineering terms, except for plating electrical contacts, to ensure they never tarnish and lose their conductivity. The metal is too soft, with too low a tensile strength to be used for much besides necklaces and rings.

As an investment though, gold is a different story altogether. Why do people buy gold? It has zero intrinsic value.

Gold prices fall and rise, according largely to the degree of fear that people have about the future. When war is imminent gold prices soar.

When economic conditions are good, inflation low and employment rate high, gold prices fall. Under these conditions there are investments that are probably going to produce a better return than holding gold bars.

People buy gold because they fear the inflation and catastrophic share price collapse that normally accompanies war and political uncertainty. They buy gold because they think gold will hold its value.

Historically gold holds some value, whereas shares can lose all of their value overnight. However, anyone who buys gold at the high price associated with war will almost certainly lose money, when they sell at a lower price.

Conclusion – buy gold when everyone is saying to invest in the stock market. Sell gold when things are looking grim and there are lots of buyers out there.

If you do buy gold you need to appreciate that this investment has risk. The price of gold may fall. It may be years before you can sell your gold at a profit.

Until recently many countries made it illegal for individuals to hold gold bars or bullion. Individuals could buy gold coins and other items however. The South African Krugerrand was minted to exploit this opportunity and to earn much needed foreign exchange for that country during the years of economic sanctions.

Nowadays you can buy gold, silver and platinum coins in many denominations, including Canadian and US pounds, sterling crowns and sovereigns.

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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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The relationship between humankind and jewellery dates back to the old caveman days. When men and women dwelt in caves they used stones and animal horns, leaves and flowers to decorate themselves. Especially women, who have always had an affinity towards jewellery and other things that make them look good and desirable. They have used everything they found around them as jewellery, and which made them look pretty. And today, with the evolution of mankind, even jewellery has come a long way.

Till some time back, the most common material used for making jewellery was gold and silver. But many other materials have now entered the jewellery market all over the world. Nowadays, people are using different products to make classy and elegant jewellery and trinkets. Platinum and white gold are ruling the roost. Also beads are enjoying a high popularity among men and women alike. However, people have not forgotten the good old days, and stones, especially semi-precious stones are still used in jewellery and loved by people throughout the world.

Jewellery and ornaments have definitely come of age with the growth of mankind. And now, we have ornaments that are made for different kinds of occasions and for different situations. There is jewellery that is worn in professional set ups, and then there is jewellery for parties and gala dinners. Also, we have jewellery for home and jewellery that are meant for times when we are enjoying with friends.

Now we make and wear jewellery made of a variety of materials. Gold, platinum, diamond and silver are few of the very common and most popular ones. Then we also have come across the usage of beads like www.e-beads.co.ukSeed Beads, bugle beads, glass beads, crystal beads, silver beads, gemstone beads etc. in our jewellery. Apart from them, we have invented and used various others material to this date, to make beautiful pieces of www.e-beads.co.ukjewellery.

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