When buying a gold ring, size will be a determining factor, but there are many other things to keep in mind. Durability, style, and price are also important, but how do you know if you are getting the best deal? Learning more about the way gold jewelry is made, classified, and priced, will help ensure that the gold ring you choose is the ideal one for you.
First, it helps to understand that other metals are alloyed with gold, such as copper, iron, nickel, platinum, steel, silver, and zinc. Alloying gold with different metals makes it easier to work with as well as more affordable. Different alloys can also be used to give gold a different color. For example, nickel or platinum can be used to create white gold and copper is used to create a golden rosy tone.
Another issue that determines cost is the amount of skill and difficulty that goes into the creation of a gold ring. Since gold is a considered a soft metal, it is fairly easy to work with, but it can quickly loose its shape or become scratched. The purer the gold, the softer it is, which is why alloys play an important part in the making of a gold ring.
An everyday ring should be made from lower karat gold or from metal that is gold-plated. Delicate rings with intricate designs that are not intended to be worn everyday can safely be made from the purest quality of gold, which is 24-karat. Being the purest, it is also the softest and the most expensive.
Slightly lower in price is 18-karat gold, which is about 75% pure and 25% alloy. It is still soft enough to create a detailed design for a gold ring, but it is also somewhat stronger and less expensive than 24-karat gold.
The most popular quality of gold used in jewelry making is 14-karat gold, which is perfect for rings. It is slightly over half-pure, and is priced accordingly. It is very strong and is a good choice for frequently worn jewelry, especially a gold ring, such as an engagement ring or wedding ring, which is worn on a daily basis.
For jewelry to be advertised as gold in the U.S., it must be at least 40% pure, which is classified as 10-karat gold. This is the strongest quality for gold jewelry and is also the most affordable.
Once you choose a gold ring, learning to care for it properly is also important. Washing it with a soft towel and warm soapy water, rinsing it completely, and allowing it to dry thoroughly before putting it away will help your gold ring remain beautiful. It is also a good idea to keep special pieces separate from other jewelry. You might want to keep your gold ring in the box it came in when not wearing it, or wrap it in cloth before putting it into your jewelry box.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Wear Your Gold Pendant And Flaunt It
A gold pendant is an ornament or charm (worn for protective or magical power) made of gold that hangs from a cord or chain worn around the neck. Even Necklaces have pendants.
Practical tips to purchase Gold Pendants
? Most gold jewelry manufactured in the U.S. is marked ''14K'' which means that the actual gold content in it is 58.3 percent. As pure gold is designated as 24-karat; hence, a 14-karat item consists of 14 parts gold and 10 parts of another metal known as an alloy which works out to 58.3 percent pure, unalloyed gold. The added alloy serves two purposes - They make the jewellery durable and reduce the prices greatly thereby making it affordable too.
? Sometimes gold pendants also come with the marking ''14KP''. Here ''P'' stands for plumb, meaning the pendant is exactly 14 parts pure gold.
? On the other hand if a gold pendant is engraved ''999'' it means it is a pure gold pendant which equivalent to 24-karat gold. ''999'' is the European designation for pure gold. Also sometimes more plentifully available in the market are European-manufactured pendants marked ''750'' which is equivalent to 18-karat or 75 percent pure gold. Actually, it is the 14K gold that is much popular in the US.
? The heft or weightiness of a gold item is measured in terms of Pennyweight. One troy ounce equals 20 pennyweights which equals 31.1 grams. Ounces and grams are the most common weights used in the U.S. and when you see prices quoted on pendants, such as $20 per gram it should be kept in mind that finished items, such as jewelry, have an artistic value that may be actually greater than the actual value of gold in it.
? Interestingly there are a few who would like to buy Gold in colors other than its natural yellow color which also has become quite a fashion. The most popular is the green gold. When gold is alloyed with metal combos like silver, zinc and copper, these metals contribute a subtle greenish tint. Only Copper is used to make pink gold and nickel is often used in white gold.
? Gold-plated items contain very thin topcoats of gold of about seven-millionths of an inch in thickness. Some better quality gold-plated items may also have more than the minimal 0.000007inch coating.
? Rules prescribe that the gold filling of an item should be at least 1/20 or 5 percent of the total weight of the item. Gold content must be stamped on items -- for example: 1/20 14K GF means the gold content is 14-karat and makes up one-twentieth of the total weight of the item.
Practical tips to purchase Gold Pendants
? Most gold jewelry manufactured in the U.S. is marked ''14K'' which means that the actual gold content in it is 58.3 percent. As pure gold is designated as 24-karat; hence, a 14-karat item consists of 14 parts gold and 10 parts of another metal known as an alloy which works out to 58.3 percent pure, unalloyed gold. The added alloy serves two purposes - They make the jewellery durable and reduce the prices greatly thereby making it affordable too.
? Sometimes gold pendants also come with the marking ''14KP''. Here ''P'' stands for plumb, meaning the pendant is exactly 14 parts pure gold.
? On the other hand if a gold pendant is engraved ''999'' it means it is a pure gold pendant which equivalent to 24-karat gold. ''999'' is the European designation for pure gold. Also sometimes more plentifully available in the market are European-manufactured pendants marked ''750'' which is equivalent to 18-karat or 75 percent pure gold. Actually, it is the 14K gold that is much popular in the US.
? The heft or weightiness of a gold item is measured in terms of Pennyweight. One troy ounce equals 20 pennyweights which equals 31.1 grams. Ounces and grams are the most common weights used in the U.S. and when you see prices quoted on pendants, such as $20 per gram it should be kept in mind that finished items, such as jewelry, have an artistic value that may be actually greater than the actual value of gold in it.
? Interestingly there are a few who would like to buy Gold in colors other than its natural yellow color which also has become quite a fashion. The most popular is the green gold. When gold is alloyed with metal combos like silver, zinc and copper, these metals contribute a subtle greenish tint. Only Copper is used to make pink gold and nickel is often used in white gold.
? Gold-plated items contain very thin topcoats of gold of about seven-millionths of an inch in thickness. Some better quality gold-plated items may also have more than the minimal 0.000007inch coating.
? Rules prescribe that the gold filling of an item should be at least 1/20 or 5 percent of the total weight of the item. Gold content must be stamped on items -- for example: 1/20 14K GF means the gold content is 14-karat and makes up one-twentieth of the total weight of the item.
How To Choose The Best Gold Wedding Band For Your Wedding
Gold, by itself is a very soft type of metal that can be shaped and bent quite easily. This is the reason that many wedding band manufacturers mix gold with other types of metal to increase the strength of the gold. When it comes to gold wedding bands there are many different varieties. For example, you can get several different types of gold bands with ranges of 14 karats to 24 karats. A gold wedding band consisting of 24-karat gold is the purest form you can get.
The purer the gold, the softer the wedding band will be, which means it will not easily stand up to the roughness that can be placed on it. Therefore, if you are looking for a stronger type of wedding band your best bet is to opt for a 14-karat gold wedding ring. In a 14-karat gold ring, it is not pure gold; it is typically mixed with other metal types in order to make it stronger for use. However, this mixture could cause the gold to fade in color occasionally.
Therefore, most people choose to go with eighteen-karat gold wedding bands. They can hold their gorgeous golden color and still be strong enough to withstand use. Yellow gold is not for everyone, some people prefer to choose a white gold, which is often mistaken for silver. It looks very similar to silver; however, white gold has a slight golden tint to the ring. It also contains better properties than that of silver, which includes the fact that it will not tarnish or decay in the way silver wedding bands do.
Back to the varieties of gold wedding bands, there are many. The wedding band you choose can be elegant but simple plain gold. You could also choose to have embedded diamonds on the gold wedding band. One such ring is called the Eternity wedding band; these are absolutely gorgeous bands with exquisite diamonds eloquently placed within the entire band.
In general, people like setting themselves apart from other people; this is especially true with men. Diamonds are generally a girl's best friend, but men like having one or two diamonds embedded into their gold wedding band so he is different.
In conclusion, your wedding band can be anything you want it to be. You can have it encrusted with diamonds all the way around the band, a few diamonds here or there is an elegant design or no diamonds at all, which is the traditional wedding ring. Furthermore, today you can get bridal sets, which include three rings all matching each other. These sets come with an engagement ring, and two bands, one for the groom and one for the bride.
The purer the gold, the softer the wedding band will be, which means it will not easily stand up to the roughness that can be placed on it. Therefore, if you are looking for a stronger type of wedding band your best bet is to opt for a 14-karat gold wedding ring. In a 14-karat gold ring, it is not pure gold; it is typically mixed with other metal types in order to make it stronger for use. However, this mixture could cause the gold to fade in color occasionally.
Therefore, most people choose to go with eighteen-karat gold wedding bands. They can hold their gorgeous golden color and still be strong enough to withstand use. Yellow gold is not for everyone, some people prefer to choose a white gold, which is often mistaken for silver. It looks very similar to silver; however, white gold has a slight golden tint to the ring. It also contains better properties than that of silver, which includes the fact that it will not tarnish or decay in the way silver wedding bands do.
Back to the varieties of gold wedding bands, there are many. The wedding band you choose can be elegant but simple plain gold. You could also choose to have embedded diamonds on the gold wedding band. One such ring is called the Eternity wedding band; these are absolutely gorgeous bands with exquisite diamonds eloquently placed within the entire band.
In general, people like setting themselves apart from other people; this is especially true with men. Diamonds are generally a girl's best friend, but men like having one or two diamonds embedded into their gold wedding band so he is different.
In conclusion, your wedding band can be anything you want it to be. You can have it encrusted with diamonds all the way around the band, a few diamonds here or there is an elegant design or no diamonds at all, which is the traditional wedding ring. Furthermore, today you can get bridal sets, which include three rings all matching each other. These sets come with an engagement ring, and two bands, one for the groom and one for the bride.
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