Gold jewellery have been in vogue for centuries and they never go out of style for a good reason. Pure gold is as wearer-friendly and rather beautiful and doesn't react with other elements to create tarnish. However, buying gold jewellery can sometimes also be confusing. Whether you're considering a gift of jewellery for someone special or as a treat for yourself, here is a list of things you should know in order to get the best quality gold jewelry for your money, whether you're shopping for pure gold jewellery or Designer and Costume gold jewellery in a traditional brick and mortar store, by catalog or online.
1. How Pure Is Your Gold Jewelry?
When shopping for Gold jewellery you might find different markings on gold accompanied by a different range in pricing. Gold can be marked 18K, 14K, or 10K and in some countries even down to 9K.
But what does this means?
K is standing for karat, the system used to describe the proportion of gold is mixed with the other metals. The higher the karat number, the higher the percentage of gold in your gold jewellery and of course the higher the price. Most gold jewelry is marked with its karat quality, although marking is not required by law.
• 24K gold is pure gold. Because 24K gold is soft, it's usually mixed with other metals to increase its hardness and durability.
• 18K gold contains 18 parts gold and 6 parts of one or more additional metals, making it 75% gold.
• 14K gold contains 14 parts gold and 10 parts of one or more additional metals, making it 58.3% gold.
• 12K gold contains 12 parts gold and 12 parts of one or more additional metals, making it 50% gold.
• 10K gold contains 10 parts gold and 14 parts of one or more additional metals, making it 41.7% gold. In the United States, 10K gold is the minimum karat that can be called "gold".
• Solid gold refers to an item made of any karat gold, if the inside of the item is not hollow. The proportion of gold in the piece of jewelry still is determined by the karat mark.
2. European Markings:
European gold jewellery is marked with numbers that indicate their percentage of gold, such as:
• 18K gold is marked 750 to indicate 75% gold
• 14K gold is marked 585 for 58.5%
• 10K gold is marked 417 for 41.7%
In Italy and Greece gold jewelry are mainly produced in 18K & 14K gold, with 18K gold being the most popular.
3. Why Gold Is Mixed With Other Metals?
Pure gold is soft and isn't practical for daily wear. In order to make gold jewellery more durable and lower its cost, other metals are mixed with it.
Adding other metals to the mix also allows metallurgists to change the color of gold.
• Palladium or nickel can be added to create White gold.
• Copper produces a rose or pink tint, while silver gives gold a greenish cast.
When metals are added to the gold the result is an alloy, a blended mixture.
4. When Gold Is Used as a Coating
There are many ways to mechanically apply a coating of gold onto a much less expensive metal, reducing the item's cost. The thicker the layer of gold, the less likely it is to wear away easily and expose the metal underneath. Jewelry can be plated with gold in a variety of ways which are explained below:
5. Gold Vermeil
Gold Vermeil is a process which was developed in France in the mid-1700s and describes the combination of sterling silver with a heavy gold electroplating of 18k, 22k or 24K gold. A minimum thickness of 2.5 microns of gold must be deposited before a piece of jewellery can be marked or sold as Vermeil and is higher in quality. (Regular plating is less than 2.5 microns).
The White House has a collection of vermeil tableware kept on display (when not in use) in the Vermeil Room.
6. Gold Filled Jewelry
Gold-filled, gold overlay and rolled gold plate are terms used to describe the process in which a base metal, usually copper, is bonded with thinner ingots of gold. A "sandwich" is formed by mechanically bonding a layer of gold on both sides of the copper ingot. This "sandwich" is then cold worked by rolling or drawing until a much thinner gauge metal is achieved.
Products are then formed or die-struck from this layered material. The object is then gold plated to hide the edges, as they would otherwise reveal the sandwiched construction. Hallmarking will appear as 1/20th 14k gold filled, indicating that by weight, 1/20th of the metal content of the product is 14k gold.
7. Gold Plated Jewellery
Gold plating is a method of depositing a thin layer of gold onto the surface of another metal, most often copper or silver, by chemical or electrochemical means. The terms gold electroplate, or gold plated, indicates an applied coating of gold over a base metal.
The plated coating must not be less than 10k in fineness, to a minimum overall equivalent of seven millionths of an inch of fine gold. If the coating is equivalent to 100 millionths of an inch of fine gold it may be marked Heavy Gold Electroplate or HEP.
A coating that is any thinner must be marked Gold Flashed or Gold Washed.
Gold can be worked into nearly any shape, including tiny strands that do not break easily and can be manipulated nearly in any way a jeweler or artisan desires. However the price of a finished piece of gold jewelry, whether is made with real gold, gold plated or gold vermeil, will also be dependent on the Design, Craftsmanship and the Brand or Designer name that has signed off that piece of jewellery.�
Have a quick pick on our selection of Designer & Costume Jewelry most of them realised in 18K and 24K Gold Vermeil!
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