Gold

GOLD…The Fashion that is Never Outdated

Just about every type of metal has been used for making jewelry and even wood, leather, and cloth. But for heirloom pieces, three metals have withstood the test of time and continue to be the best: gold, silver, and platinum.

These 3 metals are considered noble metals because they resist oxidation and corrosion in moist air and possess varying degrees of resistance to acids. 

Today, Let’s talk GOLD!

It’s my favorite metal. I love the yellow color. You can see it shimmering across the room. 

Gold’s purity is measured in karats. 100% pure gold is 24 karats. Gold purity is measured by how many parts per 24 are pure gold. If you like a little math, here’s a couple of equations:

14 karat (14K) is 14/24 karats = 58.5% gold

18 karat (18K) is 18/24 karats = 75% gold

Pure 24K gold is quite soft and will not stand up to the daily wear and tear of jewelry. Instead, gold is mixed with other metals to add strength and alter its color. This resulting mixture is known as an “alloy.”

Gold metal has different colors. The more familiar are yellow, rose, and white gold. 

Gold’s natural color is yellow, a bright yellow. Yellow gold is typically alloyed with copper, silver, and zinc. The amount of alloy used will determine the brightness of the yellow and the color. With the yellow gold metal, 22k is very bright, 18k has a bright yellow hue, and 14k has a duller warmer hue.  

Rose gold alloys have the same gold content as their yellow gold counterparts. But they get their rosy color by being mixed with a larger portion of copper than silver and zinc. Higher karat rose gold alloys will appear more peach since they contain more gold. Lower karat rose gold alloys have larger amounts of copper and will be pinker. 

White gold is the most common choice in jewelry these days. The color of white gold is attributed to the amount of nickel, which is used as a bleaching agent. Even with the nickel alloy, the product can still appear slightly yellow. Most jewelry pieces have a layer of rhodium plating to give them a bright white color. 

In higher-quality pieces, palladium, a precious metal, is used as the bleaching agent to lessen the yellow color. Palladium is also hypoallergenic. Many of these pieces are completed with rhodium plating as well. 

At Gems of Jaipur, we have jewelry pieces in yellow, white, and rose gold. Most are 18k, and some are 14k. Take a look online, or come by and try on a few pieces!