Introduction to Gold and Platinum

Gold

If there was no gold, there would not be any jewelry.   Men have fought wars, braved jungles, sailed oceans, and attempted to move mountains to attain gold for thousands of years.   There has been many a civilization that has left behind a legacy of gold and gold jewelry which even today dazzles people in museums.

Gold does not oxidize under ordinary conditions and so has gained the reputation of being a “noble” metal.   In pure form, gold is sun yellow and has a metallic luster.   Mixtures of gold with other metals, such as copper, platinum, silver, iron, nickel, palladium, and tellurium, creates different color hues that range from silver-white to green and red-orange.

Since pure gold is relatively soft, it is the most ductile of metals to work with.  Since it was too soft for tools or weapons, it was considered the metal of the sun and as such, was coveted and worshiped for its beauty and mystical powers.  Today, gold is unrivaled in its physical properties for creating fine jewelry, and is cherished as one of the rarer previous metals available.

What are Karats?

Since gold is soft and ductile, it is often mixed with other materials for strength.  The measure of how much gold (percentage) to other alloys is called Karats.   For example, 14-karat (14K) contains 14 parts of gold and 10 parts of other alloys.   24K is pure gold and is considered too soft to make jewelry.   18K is more common and contains 75% pure gold.  14K is 58% gold, and 10K (42% gold) is the lowest amount of gold that can be used in jewelry and still be sold as a gold product.    Articles of jewelry which are covered on the surface with a layer of gold alloy are called “gold-filled”.  

Please note that “Karat” (kt) should not be confused with “carat” (ct) as “kt” is the measure of gold and “ct” is the unit of weight for diamonds and other precious stones.  Karat count, weight in grams, and the pieces workmanship determine the value of gold jewelry.

The most common gold is yellow gold, as it captures the metal’s natural color.   Alloys used most with gold are copper and silver.   White gold right now is very popular.

The Royal Metal - Platinum

The so-called “new metal” is platinum and it’s been around much longer than most people think.  The earliest recorded meteorite impact happened about 2 billion years ago and meteorites contain platinum.  Since this first impact, platinum has made off and on again appearances throughout history.   Sometimes it would disappear for centuries at a time, baffling and enchanting those who came across it. 

Civilizations, such as the Ancient Egyptian’s, pre-Incan’s and the Spanish conquistadors, have all encountered platinum.   In the 1700s, kings and alchemists were fascinated by platinum and its uses.   In the 18^th century its popularity continued to grow, especially with royalty and it became known as the “Royal Metal”.   Today, it has become the choice material for jewelry for movie stars. 

Platinum is the rarest of metals as it takes 10 tons of ore to yield only 1 ounce of metal.  It takes nearly 6 months for the mountains of rock to be crushed and refined to meet the demand for this metal.  Platinum contains 5 other metals even in its pure state – iridium, osmium, palladium, rhodium and ruthenium.   For every 1 ounce of palladium mined, 15-20 ounces of gold can be extracted.   Platinum also works will in its purest form, and is used in jewelry at 90% to 95% purity.  It is usually stamped one of three ways – 900Pt, 950 Plat or just Plat.   It is like gold in that it is rust and tarnish resistant.

Safekeeping Gold and Platinum Jewelry

With proper care, your jewelry can become your next generations family heirloom and be treasured for many years to come. 

We hope you will follow a few simple rules for your jewelry’s care and safekeeping.

1.) Avoid using harsh abrasives and chemicals with your jewelry on.

2.) Don't wear jewelry while working with power tools.

3.) Store each piece properly.  

4.) Check that gem settings are secure. If not, ask a professional jeweler to re-set them.