Remember Me
forgot your password?

Shopping for Gold Jewelry? Understand Gold Terminology

Gold has been sought, utilized and glorified throughout ancient times, and has found innumerable uses in our society today. Highly valued for purposes ranging from the crafting of fine jewelry to circuitry, gold continues to play an integral role in both the culture and advancement of the world today. Alongside the ever increasing uses for gold have evolved varying methods of crafting this precious metal into gleaming art and jewelry. Some of the methods that have evolved as people have strived to craft durable, affordable gold jewelry have spurred the terminology you will undoubtedly encounter when shopping for jewelry such as gold charms, earrings or eternity rings. Let us take a look at some of the most frequent terms you may encounter when shopping for gold jewelry—gold plated, gold-filled and solid gold:

-Gold Plated: Gold plated jewelry is comprised of a metal base with a coating of at least 10 karat gold applied to the outer surface. Gold plated jewelry may be indistinguishable from solid gold jewelry to the untrained eye, but gold plated jewelry is only protected by a thin sheet of gold, which has a tendency to wear away with use over time. Thus, gold plated is not typically the most desired option for heavily worn jewelry such as wedding bands and eternity rings.

-Gold-filled: In order for a piece of jewelry to be designated as gold-filled, gold must constitute at least 1/20th of the weight of the piece. Gold-filled jewelry is comprised of a base metal coated with one or more layers of gold that have been mechanically bonded to the outer surface.

Jewelry that is gold-filled strikes a middle ground between gold plated and solid gold jewelry. Gold-filled jewelry is enveloped in a significantly thicker layer of gold, giving it less tendency to wear over time than its lightly plated counterpart. For many jewelry consumers, gold-filled jewelry is a desirable alternative to solid gold jewelry due to its strength, resistance to tarnish, cost effectiveness and resemblance to solid gold.

-Solid Gold: Any jewelry or other article claiming to be “solid gold” or “pure gold” must be comprised of 24 karat gold throughout. Solid gold’s resistance to corrosion and enduring brilliance have made it a desirable metal for jewelry and art throughout ancient history. However, the softness of pure gold makes it practical in many situations to mix pure gold with other metals, increasing its strength for intricate jewelry designs and lowering its cost to end consumers. Today, gold jewelry usually includes a mark designating its karat weight, with 24 K representing solid gold.

Ian Maher

About the Author: Ian Maher is the CEO of Maliere, a leading provider of eternity rings and other diamond platinum rings and gold rings. For more information, please visit www.Maliere.com.

Rate this Article: 0 / 5 stars - 0 vote(s)
Print Email Re-Publish


  • Latest Jewelry Articles
  • More from Ian Maher

Shape of the diamond

By: Misbah81 | 15/11/2009
The incise of a diamond refers to the way the take the stones out of is shaped and polished, how the facets are arranged and how deep or shallow it’s incise. There are various cuts of diamonds with the purpose of refer to with the purpose of, many of them patented. Both Asscher and Princess diamonds are square-shaped diamonds, but they are immeasurably singular in how the facet are incise and arranged.

Engagement Rings Melbourne - Choosing the Perfect Ring For Your Fiance

By: Banjo Smyth | 15/11/2009
Congratulations! You have asked your beautiful partner to marry you but now you are faced with the unenviable task of choosing the perfect engagement ring. Melbourne is Simply the best place in the world to go jewellery shopping so if you live in the fashion capital of Australia then you are in luck.

A Simple Guide For Purchasing Jewelry Online

By: staciesgifts | 15/11/2009
Make sure the company you do business has the customer’s best interest. Here are five things you need to know when purchasing jewelry online.

Pink Sapphire Rings - The Affordable Alternative To Pink Diamond Rings

By: James Craig | 14/11/2009
Pink sapphire rings are the perfect gifts for the fifth and forty-fifth marriage anniversaries and for those that are celebrating their birthdays on Sep. Once thought by kings to protect from harm and envy, pink sapphire is calm and relaxing. Pink sapphires are also believed to fix emotional agony. Pink sapphire rings are striking, yet highly affordable alternative to pink diamond rings. In Latin, the word'sapphire' means blue. But sapphires can be discovered in many differen...

Mother day Necklace Ideas

By: Bella Mclaine | 14/11/2009
Necklace is a beautiful piece of jewelry that adorns women as well as men's neck. With the evolution of primitive human to modern human necklace has always been a part of ornament to decor their body.

Cat’s Eye Stone

By: Lutus Real | 14/11/2009
This article tells why cat's eye stone can be issued starlight.

Why Hello Kitty Necklace

By: Monty English | 14/11/2009
Some ladies hate costume jewelry, whereas other ladies adore it. Some of the ladies are fans of certain people, these people always very specific as to what types of jewelry they like. Many times, it isn't the kind of jewelry so much as what it looks like. You may find that your little girl is a big fan of anything with Winx Club on it, or Strawberry Shortcake, or even Hello Kitty. In actual fact, Hello Kitty is arguably most well-liked cartoon characters in the world no matter the age...

Best Cash for Gold - How To Get the Absolute Best Cash For Gold

By: Frank Kerley | 14/11/2009
Getting the best cash for gold requires you to become an informed seller. This can be accomplished with some online research which will lead to a reliable gold buyer that will provide you with the best cash for gold.

The Emerald

By: Ian Maher | 20/12/2007 | Science
Information about the emerald, a beautiful precious stone commonly incorporated into necklaces, diamond rings, and other fine jewelry.

Elizabethan Jewelry – Past and Present

By: Ian Maher | 18/12/2007 | Jewelry
Overview of some Elizabethan jewelry styles, including some still prevalent today such as diamond rings, wedding rings and necklaces.

Jewelry – the Fail Proof Christmas Gift for a Woman

By: Ian Maher | 10/12/2007 | Men's Issues
Insight into selecting the perfect jewelry for a woman such as eternity rings, sapphire necklaces and diamond earrings.

An Overview of Birthstones

By: Ian Maher | 29/11/2007 | Jewelry
List of generally accepted birthstones often incorporated into personalized gifts such as mother's rings and eternity rings.

World Famous Diamonds

By: Ian Maher | 13/11/2007 | Women's Issues
Info about some of the most famous diamonds in the world, compiled by a jewelry industry expert and provider of eternity rings.

Considerations for Diamond Ring Shopping

By: Ian Maher | 09/11/2007 | Jewelry
Some decisions faced by shoppers seeking diamond engagement and eternity rings.

Protect your Jewelry When Traveling

By: Ian Maher | 01/11/2007 | Travel Tips
Offers tips for air travel with jewelry such as necklaces and valuables such as eternity rings and engagement rings.

What Factors Determine Diamond Prices?

By: Ian Maher | 19/10/2007 | Jewelry
Explains some factors affecting diamond prices that influence the pricing of engagement and eternity rings.

Submit Your Articles Free: Signup
Article Categories




Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the Terms Of Use and Privacy Policy | User published content is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
Copyright © 2005-2008 Free Articles by ArticlesBase.com, All rights reserved. (0.20, 1, w1)