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Research, Reference, & Jewelry Education

All About Gold

You may think of gold as just something to set diamonds and gemstones into, however, gold has a rich history of its own. Humans once compared the warm shine of gold to the sun. Gold was a symbol of nobility and of the gods, and civilizations rose and fell in the pursuit of gold. Gold has been the most popular and important noble metal throughout history. Gold occurs everywhere on earth; however, all the gold ever found only equals 100,000 tons. Gold is very reusable, which is great, because we cannot solely rely on newly mined gold.

Gold is considered a noble and precious metal. The term noble chemically refers to the ability of a metal to resist oxidation and corrosion. Oxidation is the coating of a metallic oxide through heat and oxygen, and corrosion is the breaking down of a metal by chemical action. The term precious means rare (gold accounts for only about 3.5 parts per billion of the earth's crust) and workable (gold is ductile and malleable).

Pure (Fine) gold is 999.9%, which is also called 24k (gold is really never 100% pure). Gold is generally alloyed (mixed with other metals) to make it harder, change the color and reduce the cost. The different colors of gold that may be produced by mixing it with different alloys are white, rose, green and blue.

24k is very soft, therefore not easy to wear in jewelry every day, because it bends easily. There are no alloys added to 24k, so it is 24 parts (99.9%) pure gold. The foreign stamp for 24k is 999.

18k is less yellow in color than 24k and is not as soft, so it doesn't bend as easily, due to the other metals mixed with it. It is 18 parts (75%) pure gold and 6 parts other metals, to equal 24 parts altogether. The foreign stamp for 18k is 750.

14k is less yellow in color than 18k and is not as soft, so it doesn't bend as easily, due to the other metals mixed with it. It is 14 parts (58.3%) pure gold and 10 parts other metals, to equal 24 parts altogether. The foreign stamp for 14k is 585.

10k is less yellow in color than 14k, and is the lowest legal limit that may be sold in the U.S. It is 10 parts (41.6%) pure gold and 14 parts other metals, to equal 24 parts altogether. The foreign stamp for 10k is 416.

Although gold is a noble metal, it does not mean your gold jewelry is indestructible. There are certain chemicals, such as chlorine, that may break down the alloys in your gold jewelry over time. It is not a good idea to wear your gold jewelry while doing household work that involves chemicals, or while you are in a chlorinated pool.

Millimeter Chart

Free Ring Sizer Chart - Sizing your finger or ring for the appropriate ring size

Diamond Millimeter And Carat Chart - Actual Size

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Birthstone Charts - An extensive list of birthstones, including Modern, Traditional, Mystical, Ayurvedic, Zodiac, and Power Stones

All About Gold

All About Pearls

All About Diamonds

Jewelry Fun Facts

Be sure to also check out our very extensive Jewelry Dictionary for your research needs.

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