GOLD
Gold is an element with the symbol AU, from the Latin aurum. It is a very dense, shiny, yellow metal and the most ductile and malleable of pure metals (Able to be stretched and formed). A single gram of pure gold can be beaten to a sqare sheet over 3 feet on a side! It has been used sice prehistory in artifacts, jewelry and ornaments by peoples the world over.
Gold, copper and caseium are the only three metals that are not silvery-white in color.
Pure gold is too soft for most jewelry, so gold is mixed, or alloyed, with other metals to create the properties and colors wanted for jewelry. The purity of gold in jewelry is refered to as "Karat" , not to be confused with "Carat" which is a measure of gemstone weight.
24K or 24 Karat gold is pure gold.
18K is 18/24ths gold or 75% Gold and 25% other metals
14K is 14/24ths gold, or 58.3% Gold and 41.7% other metals
10K is 10/24ths gold, or 41.6% Gold and 58.4% other metals
Most Karat Gold alloys or mixtures retain their yellow color. The particular hue of yellow can be varied by adjusting the percentages of different metals in the alloy. Most often, pure gold is mixed with silver, copper and zinc to create the colors and properties required by the jeweler. Alloys high in silver tend to lend a greenish tint to the gold, while alloys high in copper tend to give a reddish or pinkish cast. White Gold is composed of pure gold mixed with palladium or nickel to create a white color. White gold was originally created to duplicate the look of Platinum.
Back to Gem Information
|
