Jewelry Info

• Golden Jewelry- Why gold is so popular around the world?
• Gold Colors - How different alloys create different tints of color.
• Gold Karats - What is 10k, 14k, 18k, and 24k?
• How To Buy Gold -Things you should know when you shop for gold.
• Gold Care - How to keep you jewelry in perfect condition and aways nice looking.

Golden Jewelry
The mining and production of gold dates thousands years ago. Italy is the counrty with most well known gold jewelry industry. The Italian Renaissance coincided with the discoveries of the new sources of gold, and wealthy Italian patrons supported goldsmiths as they did painters and sculptors. Today, factories that automate hundreds of machines that "knit" gold wire into chain flourish in the towns of Aires, Geneve, and Vicenza.The beauty of gold is timeless.

Gold Colors
Gold is highly malleable property that allows a skilled jeweler to create new colors and designs and mixed with other metals.Pure gold is easily scratched and slightly dull in color, which limits durability in every day. Instead, it is alloyed with other metals, such as copper, silver, nickel, palladium, and zinc, which increase its strength and its color. Purest form of 24 karats gold metal has deep, orange shade of yellow. When mixed with other metals it's shade will vary. Copper, being red, will cause gold to become redder. Silver, zinc, and other white/gray metals will cause it to become paler. Alloying gold with other metals follows the principle of mixing colors; therefore, lower karat gold often has a wider array of colors than higher karat gold because more alloying metals are added. Traditional yellow gold remains the most popular, followed by white gold, two-tone gold, and tri-color gold. Two-tone is comprised of yellow gold and white gold. It is versatile because it can match with any combination of yellow gold, white gold, and platinum. Tri-color gold is comprised of yellow gold, rose gold, and white or green gold. The use of three colors tends to make designs more distinct.

Gold Karats
24 karats denotes 100% pure gold. Any karat value below 24 is the amount of pure gold that occupies the alloy. For example, 18 karat equals 18 parts gold and 6 parts alloy which is 75% gold. Likewise, 14 karat equals 14 parts gold and 10 parts alloy which is 58.5% gold. The remaining mixture of non-gold metals are not very important in determining value, but are primarily used to increase strength and vary color in gold jewelry. The lower the karatage value, the wider the array of colors and lower the price. 14k gold jewelry generally is not as expensive as 18k gold jewelry. In addition, properties such as hardness and durability are enhanced as gold is alloyed, allowing for greater scratch resistance and less vulnerability to damage. The most popular karatage for jewelry in the US and Europe is 14k and 18k. In the Middle East, India, and South East Asia, 22k jewelry is very popular. In China pure gold jewelry of at least 990 fineness is a traditional gift for special occasions like marriage. (990 fineness means 99% gold) Fineness is just another way of measuring gold content per thousand parts. So 18k, which is 75% gold becomes 750 parts of gold per thousand parts in fineness. Below is a chart that shows the differences in popular karats.

Gold Karats
Karats	Parts Gold	Percentage Gold	European Fineness	Preferences
24k	24/24	99.9%	999	China, Hong Kong, Taiwan
22k	22/24	91.6%	916	India
18k	18/24	75.0%	750	Designer Jewelry
14k	14/24	58.5%	585	Most popular worldwide
10k	10/24	41.7%	417	Minimum in USA
9k	9/24	37.5%	375	UK Standard
8k	8/24	33.3%	333	Minimum in Germany

How to Buy Gold
Even jewelry lovers at times are confused about the true value of gold jewelry. So what are the key factors to look at when purchasing gold jewelry? The value of a piece is comprised of karatage, gram weight, design, and craftsmanship quality.

Karatage is the gold 10k, 14k, 18k, 22k and 24k? While the difference in color may be subtle to the eye, there is a great difference in price. 10k is only 41.7% pure gold and 18k is 75% pure gold, so you can expect to pay more for higher karat gold jewelry. Gram weight factor is very important because it shows how much gold is used to make the item. Generally, the higher the gram weight, the more expensive the jewelry is. Design refers to the unique and intricate patterns, engravings, and finishes on gold jewelry. There are various finishes, like brushed, matte, and satin, which cost more than a regular polished finish. You can expect to pay a higher price per gram for decorative finishes, multiple gold colors, and new styles. Also any type of custom design by hand increases the cost of the item significantly. Most jewelry is manufactured by precision machines that adhere to strict quality standards. Still, most jewelry requires a jeweler's handiwork for its finishing touches.

Gold Care
Gold is a very durable metal and with proper care jewelry can last forever. Keep chlorine bleach away because it oxidize the metal and turns it in dark color. Swimming pools and tubs have chlorine and before to go in remove your jewelry. Clean your jewelry by using soap water and a soft brush. Rinse and dry with a cotton cloth. You may use a specially treated cloth or other cleaning products or ultrasonic cleaning machine.