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Possibly
the first metal used by humans, gold was valued for ornaments,
and magical powers were attributed to it.
It is naturally a soft, light yellow to vivid yellow corrosion-resistant
metal. It won't tarnish,
rust, or corrode, and though it's very strong, it is also the
most malleable of all metals.
By definition, pure gold is 24 carats, and thus a 75% gold
alloy is 18 carats. Chief
producers are South Africa, the U.S., Russia, Australia, and Canada.
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Gold
in its pure form is too soft to withstand normal
wear-and-tear caused by daily usage, so it is alloyed
with other metals to give it strength.
Because
pure gold is too soft to resist prolonged handling, it
is usually mixed with other metals to increase its
hardness for use in jewelry. To produce various shades
of yellow gold, it is alloyed, or mixed, with silver,
copper and small amounts of zinc.
Alloying it with nickel, palladium and zinc
produce white gold. The color of these gold alloys goes from yellow to white as
the proportion of nickel in them increases. Yellow
gold and white gold have a very similar strength and
malleability. White gold looks very similar to
platinum, but the two have very different properties and
prices. Rhodium, which is a metal of the platinum
family, is often used to plate white gold to produce a
brighter, harder finish.
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The
purity of gold is measured in karats, which are
expressed in 24ths. Thus, Pure gold is 24-karat or 100
percent gold, 18-karat is 75 percent gold, 14-karat is
58.5 percent gold while 12-karat gold is 50 percent gold
and 50 percent alloy.
The price of gold jewelry is dependent upon the
purity of the gold used or karat weight.
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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clean gold jewelry, use a solution of warm water and
detergent-free soap and wash gold gently with a
soft-bristled brush (a dull toothbrush works well).
To prolong gold's luster keep your gold jewelry
away from harsh chemicals such as chlorine and cleaning
fluids.
Store gold pieces separately in soft cloth bags or
original boxes.
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CORPORATE
OFFICE:
#1 Diamond Source
36 W. 47th St.
New York, NY 10036 |
OFFICE
HOURS:
M - F
10AM - 6PM (EST) |
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Questions?:
1-877-968-7342
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