Popular White Gold Jewellery

I heard about white gold a few years ago and remember how intrigued I was to hear about an alternative to traditional yellow gold.

There is a lot of very popular jewellery out there today. One of the most popular is the white gold jewelry. However, what makes this kind of jewelry so popular? On top of that, what makes this gold turn white? These are all questions that we are going to answer, so if you have ever wonder this kind of information about white gold, then just keep on reading!

First of all, white gold is still gold. However, it is an alloy of gold that has been mixed with at least one other metal. Normally the two most commonly used white metals that get added to it are nickel and palladium. Just like the yellow gold that we have come to know and love, the white gold's purity is, of course, given to us in carats. This lets you know how much of it is actually gold and how much of it has been mixed with another metal. One thing to keep in mind is that you can never have a full gold ring. That is because gold by itself is way too soft. It has to be mixed with another metal to make it stronger. If you did not mix it, you would be able to simply press on it and bend it.

Whenever you are dealing with white gold jewelry, there are a few different purposes it can be used for. First of all, when white gold is made with nickel, it's a lot stronger than other white gold jewellery. This means that it is perfect for making things like rings and pins. However, when it is mixed with palladium, it becomes a lot softer and more workable. This makes it perfect to be used on gemstone jewelry. Most of the time, the highest carat white gold you are going to find is 18k. As said before, white gold is usually mixed with one or more metals, so they will often use palladium or nickel, but things like silver and copper get added in as well. In the really high class white gold rings, you can find things like platinum being used.

One more thing to keep in mind about white gold is that it does not retain it's shine quite like other metals do, thus, a lot of times white gold has to be coated with rhodium. This gives it a very nice shine, but sometimes it has been known to rub off over time. Although it is unlikely, it does happen. Without the coating of this rhodium, very few people would like the dull look of white gold.

So why do people like the white gold look so much nowadays? When did all the jewelry start getting made out of white gold? This really came about as the rappers got into the white gold look. Although some people still really like the yellow gold look, it is a little bit too traditional for some people. That is why they go with the very modern looking white gold. Of course, we sometimes see these fads change back and forth, so no one knows when yellow gold will come back into style.

By Kelly Hunter

Buying Gold: Things To Look Out For...

The first rule when you are buying any type of gold jewelry is a simple one: make sure that the gold is hallmarked. Gold is stamped according to how pure it is as you can have 24K,22K,18K,14K,10K, and 9K.

There are some instances where the hallmark comes in the form of a fraction to show the exact percentage of its purity. When looking into gold jewelry you need to look if there are the letters GP or EP anywhere on the piece of jewelry. GP stands for gold that is not pure gold but gold-plated. This is important because a piece of jewelry that you think is inexpensive can carry this insignia and it basically means that there is not much actual gold on the piece. EP means that the gold is electro-plated.

If you run into someone selling gold where there is no marking on the gold at all assume the worst that it is goldtone which is not gold in any way but a metal which is golden in color. If the price of a gold piece of jewelry is too good to be true it probably is. There are many types of gold available at different prices just be aware of the different worth of each type of gold and then see if it is a good deal or not.

You can not judge gold by its color. Even though with gold with a higher level of purity it will be brighter in color than a lower level purity gold. If you are looking into buying gold jewelry which is older if it is solid gold it should still not tarnish. If the piece is made from goldtone or is gold plated than it generally will show some sign of tarnishing.

These are some little things to know about gold, but considering gold and gold jewelry can be expensive it can be wise to have a professional jeweler or metals expert look at a piece you will be buying to see if it is the read deal or just fool’s gold.

By Christine Loxley

Gold Wedding Ring For Every Wedding Ceremony

On the day of wedding brides and grooms exchange the rings as a part of their marriage vows. It is considered as a token of love and not only love as we have said that this exchanging of rings stands for trust, promise, and companionship. On the left hand on ring finger this ring is worn. There are differences between a wedding ring and an engagement ring. Both can be made of gold, white gold, platinum and titanium. Traditionally wedding rings are made up of gold and silver alloy. But now designers are making rings of platinum and titanium. They are more durable and beautiful than a gold or silver ring. Platinum and titanium rings have a classy look with diamonds setting. Apart from diamonds valuable stones like emerald, ruby and sapphire make these rings impressive and give them a rendering beauty. Just be sure and have a clear idea about the price and make your choice.

But till now nothing can replace the priority of gold among the couples. Gold is such a metal which can not lose its aura, its shininess and beauty over the years. Gold, as a metal is a lovely yellow color. Gold is favorable because it is looking good when it is worn and giving the right shape to it is easy and it is also durable. Pure gold is also very malleable at 24 carats so it is easy to design and shape. However, the best thing about the gold wedding ring is that it is available in different shades, designs and goes well with other metals too. If you want to purchase wedding ring made out of gold then you can quite different, inspiring shades like rose, green and even white gold.

Now you may not be sure about the factor that which type of gold ring would be perfect for the design you choose. Sometimes it is good to choose a type that is not 24 carat because every design is not suitable for 24c gold. This is because a higher carat that this would make the ring prone to twisting and going out of shape. So ensure that you select a wedding band that is either 14 c or 18 c. According to your necessity you can order a gold wedding ring which has alloyed metal. Mixture of two or more alloys along with gold to create a special and inexpensive wedding ring can be applied. Also, the more the proportion of gold the more expensive the wedding rings will be. So, to have a long-lasting wedding ring that suits your budget, select the appropriate carat value. Budget is another important thing that can attract you towards choosing a golden ring comparing platinum or tungsten ring.

Another point in favor of a gold wedding ring is that the ring can always be resized when you want to. However, remember that in case of engraving or studding of diamonds or stones, the resizing could get a tad bit difficult. A gold wedding ring is appropriate for a traditional wedding.

By Mark Jones Fisher

The Truth About Gold Jewelry

Without a doubt, Gold is one of the world’s most precious metals. It is also a certainty that gold enjoys an unsurpassed popularity as a medium for jewelry expression. Both jewelry artisans and consumers alike are "in love" with gold. There seems to be no end to the range of colors, finishes and styles available and gold remains a perennial favorite setting for gemstones.

Gold can last forever, will not corrode or rust and can be found anywhere. Gold exists in plants, rivers, oceans, mountains, it’s nearly everywhere but it is extremely difficult and costly to extract this amazing metal. Did you know that a single ounce of gold can be pulled into a thin wire that stretches nearly five miles long? An artisans hammer can work that same ounce into a very thin sheet that can cover a 10ft x 10ft(100sq. ft.) area. Also, it takes nearly 3 tons of gold or to extract a single ounce of pure gold. Well if you didn’t now you know!

Gold Basics

The word Gold, used by itself, means all gold or 24 karat (24K) gold. Because 24K gold is soft, it’s usually mixed with other metals to increase its hardness and durability. If a piece of jewelry is not 24 karat gold, the karat quality should accompany any claim that the item is gold.

The karat quality marking tells you what proportion of gold is mixed with the other metals. Fourteen karat (14K) jewelry contains 14 parts of gold, mixed in throughout with 10 parts of base metal. The higher the karat rating, the higher the proportion of gold in the piece of jewelry.

Most jewelry is marked with its karat quality, although marking is not required by law. Near the karat quality mark, you should see the name of the U.S. registered trademark of the company that will stand behind the mark. The trademark may be in the form of a name, symbol or initials. If you don’t see a trademark accompanying a quality mark on a piece of jewelry, look for another piece.

Solid gold refers to an item made of any karat gold, if the inside of the item is not hollow. The proportion of gold in the piece of jewelry still is determined by the karat mark.

Jewelry can be plated with gold in a variety of ways. Gold plate refers to items that are either mechanically plated, electroplated, or plated by any other means with gold to a base metal. Eventually, gold plating wears away, but how soon will depend on how often the item is worn and how thick the plating is.

Gold-filled, gold overlay and rolled gold plate are terms used to describe jewelry that has a layer of at least 10 karat gold mechanically bonded to a base metal. If the jewelry is marked with one of these terms, the term or abbreviation should follow the karat quality of the gold used (for example, 14K Gold Overlay or 12K RGP). If the layer of karat gold is less than 1/20th of the total weight of the item, any marking must state the actual percentage of karat gold, such as 1/40 14K Gold Overlay.

Gold electroplate describes jewelry that has a layer (at least .175 microns thick) of a minimum of 10 karat gold deposited on a base metal by an electrolytic process. The terms gold flashed or gold washed describe products that have an extremely thin electroplating of gold (less than .175 microns thick). This will wear away more quickly than gold plate, gold-filled or gold electroplate.

Vermeil (ver-may), a special type of gold plated product, consists of a base of sterling silver that is coated or plated with gold.

By Sam Serio

Choosing Personalized Gold Jewelry

It's always hard to decide on what personalized gold jewelry to give to a loved one. Gold jewelry is something that will be treasured for a long time, so it is very important to go for a good piece of jewelry. You always want to have the finest piece of gold jewelry. How does one ensure this? Here are a few tips:

Get only jewelry from a company or Internet store that you can trust. This is very important since many people expect to get good quality pieces from companies that do not have a good reputation. You should also seek the help of a specialist that can help you in providing a wide range of personalized gold jewelry.

Researching on the company can also help you in determining if the company is good enough to be trusted. If the company is associated with a professional trade group, then perhaps it is a good source of personalized gold jewelry.

Ask for guarantees or warranties. You can seek for details of their return policy to help you understand your rights especially in case you find out that the jewelry has a defect, or is not the type of jewelry you expected.

Do not hesitate to spend significantly for quality jewelry. Do not fall for the trap of getting discounted prices because more often than not, the items are of sub-par quality. Also remember that indication of gold, such as 24K which stands for pure gold, 18K which means 75 percent gold, and so on. The other percentage means they are made up of different materials that aim to strengthen and add form to the jewelry.

Don't be hasty. Do your rounds to make sure that you get the best deal in the market. Consult gold jewelry stores and make a comparison of their items even before you make a decision on what to buy. You can also look into the design, engravings, and the finish of the jewelry item before deciding on what to buy.

In case you are buying for another person, do not forget to note their ring size, wrist size, ankle size, or neck size. Whether you are buying a gold necklace or earring, you have to know their sizes so that the item will fit with them nicely.

By Jennifer Gold

What is a Pennyweight of Gold? What is a Gram of Gold?

These are the most frequently asked questions we receive at GoldFellow. It's problematic for everyone as it doesn't relate to any measurement we currently use in our daily life. Pennyweights, however are still commonly used in the U.S. jewelry industry but we prefer to use the more accurate and globally recognized Grams (metric) as our unit of measure.

There are 20 pennyweights also referred to as DWT in an ounce. There are also 31.1 grams in an ounce. As we are talking about precious metals I'll use gold in my example throughout this post.

Many of our customers are weighing their valuables on home kitchen or postal scales of either mechanical or digital make. Most measure in grams and ounces, particularly when weighing food. The grams shown on your scale are not the same as the grams used in gold! You are measuring on a device that uses 28 grams per ounce while gold is measured in troy ounces. There are 31.1 grams per Troy ounce. The simplest way to use your home scale is to multiply the number showing as ounces by 20. That's it. If your scale shows 3.5 oz you have approximately 70 pennyweight. 1.5oz is about 30 pennyweight and so on. (Same for silver and platinum)

Ok, now for measuring your gold in grams. The scale shows 3.5 ounces. Multiply by 31.1 and it comes to 108.85 grams of gold. If it's 1.5 oz x 31.1=46.65 grams.

Lastly, if you would like to know a price per gram, follow this formula. $20 per pennyweight is$12.86 per gram. To convert simply divide $20 by 1.555=$12.86. Try $18 dwt divided by 1.555 and you get $11.58 gram.

A useful site to check out for conversions is http://www.metric-conversions.org/weight/grams-to-pennyweights.htm

Hope this is helpful!

By Michael Gusky