The Guide To Metals

Have been the centrepiece for adornments throughout history. Silver

and Gold have been admired as jewellery and décor. While Gold takes
the spotlight, silver, platinum, palladium are quite popular as well. The
history of Gold finds its link to money which in course of time was
replaced by currency, as we know of today; the Gold Standard was
fixed that determined the value of their currencies in terms of a
specified amount of gold.
 History of Gold
The word ‘gold’ comes from the Old English word “geolu”
which means yellow. From the very beginning gold attracted
civilizations all over the world. It has been treasured as an object of
desire and beauty. Due to its golden color it often played an important
role in Mythology and is considered a prized possession till date.

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 Gold Facts
* 49% of the total gold mined is used in manufacture of jewellery,
rest being used for industrial purposes. 187,200 tonnes of gold has
already been mined and yet it is believed that 80% of the total gold
in the world still remains unearthed.

* Yellow is the most popular color in gold, even though gold is avail-
able in a diverse palette. The use of alloys with 24 karat gold makes
it more durable, as gold’s malleability makes it very soft, this alloying
practice is also used to change its color.

* 24 karat is pure malleable gold and is not used in jewellery. While

22 karat and 18 karat is most commonly used in India, 14 karat, 10
karat and even 9 karat is used in European and other countries.

* Every piece of jewellery is stamped with its purity, hallmarking

logo, brand name and jeweller's identification mark, which enables
the customer to exchange or sell the product later and also for the
jeweller as it helps them recognize their manufacturing.

* Hallmarking ensures that the product in question is manufactured

in the exact karat weight that it claims to be made of. The alloys
used commonly to change the caratage and color of gold are copper,
nickel, silver, zinc, palladium and manganese.

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 Shades of Gold
Differently colored gold is as pure and real as its yellow counter-
parts. Pure gold being too sof for jewellery is mixed with alloys to
gives it the durability it requires. Each metal color lends its color
turning its original color to various shades of white, pink, red, green
and the like. Nickel and silver are used for white gold, while copper is
used for pink and silver for green. The shades of yellow gold can also
vary with the alloys used for its various karat weights. The figure
shows the various color palettes of gold.

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 White Gold
White gold first came to popularity in the 1920’s. The gaining
popularity of Platinum as the preferred metal for engagement rings
brought in the demand for white gold. Not only did the affordability of
white gold increase its demand, the similarity in color made it
impossible to distinguish between the two. It lost importance over the
years, but gained popularity again in the 21st century and is now the
most popular choice for engagement and wedding rings.

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 White Gold Facts
* White gold is a mix of alloys like nickel, palladium, silver and zinc with
yellow gold that gives it its white color. The minimum karat weight
for white gold is 18k as above this it will not impart its white color,
white gold in general is a bit yellowish and so it has to be covered in a
layer of rhodium.

* White gold karat weight is measured the same way as that of yellow
gold, i.e. in both cases 18k would mean 75% gold. It is only the color of
the alloys that make a difference.

* White gold is the most selling metal after yellow gold, as it is the most
popular choice for engagement rings around the world.

* A diamond from colorless to light brown color may look better on

white gold than diamonds with a yellow tint as the yellow
shade is clearly visible against white gold through the naked eye.

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 Engagement Rings
White gold is by far the most popular precious metal for engagement
rings. The lustre and elegance of white gold color makes it a favourite
for diamond settings, as does its price difference to platinum.

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 Rose Gold
Rose first came to popularity in Russia in the 19th Century and
so it is often referred to as “Russian Gold”. Rose gold is a mixture
of yellow gold with copper and silver, copper lending it the red-
dish tint, therefore there is no such thing as pure rose gold as it
cannot be made without use of alloys.

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 White Gold Facts
* Rose Gold, Pink Gold and Red Gold are a few varieties of rose gold,
the names differ due to the difference in color intensity.

* The more copper used in the mix the more intense the color is, and
the less is the purity, for e.g. 18k rose gold will have higher purity than
10k rose gold.

* Rose gold is more durable than yellow or white gold, but less than
platinum and does not necessarily require rhodium as its color is quite
naturally pink.

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 Rose Hues
Rose gold, red gold, pink gold all belong to the same family and
has gained huge popularity as the ideal gold color for gifting
jewellery, proposals, Valentine’s Day, anniversaries etc.
Owing to its color, pink gold also complements every skin tone,
unlike white gold, which has turned it into the most desirable
color amongst the generation today.

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 Platinum
Platinum is the rarest and heaviest of metals. All of the world’s platinum
could fit into a average sized swimming pool, as a result it is more
expensive than gold. The color of platinum is greyish-white
resembles palladium and white gold closely, however, like white gold
requires rhodium coating, platinum requires none.

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 Platinum Facts
*80% off platinum mined in the world comes from South Africa. Two
more deposits are in Columbia and Russia.

* Platinum can resist corrosion as a result on scratching and erosion

there is no loss of metal, the metal is just displaced.

*The melting point of platinum is 1,769°C, and its density is 11% more
than gold and about twice the density of silver.

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Platinum in jewellery is recognized by the symbol ‘Pt’ which also
happens to be its symbol as element. Pt 950, is engraved in every
platinum product as it is available in jewellery in its pure state just
like silver.

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 Wedding Bands
Platinum being one of the rarest of metals is considered an epitome
of everlasting love and purity; as it exists in its pure form and is not
mixed with any other alloy to form jewellery. Wedding bands
are the most famous type of jewellery associated with platinum.

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Every piece of jewellery you own
has a story to tell...about you.

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