Gold
Gold has a softness about it that allows craftsmen to make beautiful jewelry.
It is so soft that other metals, including copper, silver have to be added.
It does not tarnish and has a lustre appearance making it the No1 choice for artisans.
Measured in Karats, 24 karat represents 100% pure gold and 18 Karat is 75% pure gold.
Yellow gold is the most popular gold and usually contains copper, silver and zinc.
White gold has seen a mini revolution as demand has risen over the past 10 years.
Palladium is added to yellow gold to produce white gold and is plated with rhodium.
Rose gold is produced by adding more copper to yellow gold giving a reddish-rose hue.
Platinum
Platinum has a natural white lustre and is 30 times more rare than gold.
It’s true that 10 tons of ore have to be mined to produce 1 ounce of platinum.
Platinum has a higher density making it heavier and stronger than gold.
It resists tarnishing and is hypoallergenic which is good for sensitive skin.
Hallmarking
In order to ensure and guarantee the gold or platinum content in a ring
Government’s have created assay offices in the respective countries to test
the metal content. If the ring contains the amount of gold the manufacturer
has stated it has then it will receive a stamp called a Hallmark.
e.g .750 = 18k gold, 585 = 14k gold and 417 = 10k gold
Diamond settings
There are several settings styles used to hold a diamond on a ring including
Channel setting – diamonds set in a channel supported by a metal wall on each side.
Prong setting – usually 4 or 6 prongs grip a diamond evenly around its circumference.
Bezel setting – a band of metal completely encircles a diamond
Tension setting – the pressure of the metal holds and suspends the diamond. |
