Every little thing it is advisable find out about gold, silver and different treasured metals
Every industry needs raw materials that have to be converted into a usable end product. Just like vegetables, lentils and flour, which are the raw materials in cooking a meal for your family, metals are also the raw materials in making jewelry. Fine jewelry uses precious metals 1 to a large extent as they offer a number of advantages to the wearer; Precious metals are not corrosion and tarnish resistant
also much harder and stronger. Gold, silver and platinum are metals that are smooth to the touch, take on body temperature and have appealing colors that give any wearer a very intimate experience with the metal.
“1 Precious Metals: Metals with a high jewelry value, namely gold, silver and platinum.”
Precious metals were chosen as the ideal metals because of their superiority
from:
• Durability
• rarity
• Machinability
• Temptation
DURABILITY is the metal’s ability to withstand wear and tear, heat and chemicals. Wonder why platinum is used for eternity bands? Platinum is denser than gold and this means that the setting when setting stones is stronger and can be thinner than gold. Platinum is known to be the most durable when compared to other metals and is great for use in jewelry. Gold, on the other hand, is less durable than platinum, but can still withstand a lot of wear and tear. This is the main reason why gold from shipwrecks remains undamaged underwater without much corrosion, despite all the sea salts and chemicals. Silver, on the other hand, is the fastest metal to tarnish because there are sulfur compounds in the air that react with the silver and thereby corrode it.
Rarity is another reason these metals are so popular for use in jewelry. The rarity primarily contributes to the price of these metals, that is, to their availability on the earth’s surface. Gold is an extremely rare metal in nature and is easily extracted from the earth, while platinum is more readily available but is so difficult to mine that few companies have the resources to discover the metal. This is the main reason why the price is also much higher than that of gold. “That is why diamonds are expensive and very rare to find”.
WORKABILITY refers to the fact that precious metals can easily be made into sheet or wire. Precious metals are known to be malleable and ductile, and they are much easier to work with compared to various other metals known to man. In India we use wafer-thin sheets of gold and silver on candy called “pedas” and in temples to adorn religious idols. This is the perfect example of how thin these metals can be beaten. Fine metals are completely ductile, so they can be formed into thin wires or rings for use in jewelry and other industries. This ability to transform into elongated wires is beneficial for jewelry because it can be made into delicate pieces of jewelry that would otherwise have to be thick, large, and chunky.
ALLURE refers to the color and luster of the metal. The natural yellow color of gold instantly combines with the sun and the warmth it radiates. While platinum and silver have similar colors, they differ significantly in terms of luster, as platinum takes on a higher luster than silver. White metals are perfect for referring to youth, brightness and timelessness.
GOLD & ALLOYS Precious metals are very soft in their pure form, which is why they are often mixed with other metals to create an alloy for use in jewelry. These alloys have superior strength, making them more durable. When a metal has not been mixed with another metal, the term fine is used. For example, in 14 karat gold, 58.3% of the gold is fine while the other percentage includes a mixture of other metals that are used to improve its strength. Alternatively, gold can be denoted in Parts Per Thousand (PPT), and 14 karat gold would convert to 583 parts of gold per thousand. Gold is the only metal that uses the term karats (K). The finer the gold, the more yellow the color of the metal, which means that 10 carat gold is far less yellow compared to 24 carat gold.
At KuberBox, we use 18k and 14k gold in most of our jewelry because the metals are more durable. 18 karat gold is more practical and the cost of making and retailing jewelry is reduced. This is because if the gold is wasted filing, cutting, or refining, less gold is lost. You will learn about this in detail as the program progresses. Since 18K and 14K are stronger gold alloys, it is not easy to scratch, which allows the gold to keep the polish for a long time. Despite its reduced fineness, 18-karat and 14-karat gold still has a pleasant yellow color that compliments the wearer’s skin tone. It is also highly recommended that you do not use 22 carat gold for jewelry if you want to set the jewelry with diamonds and precious stones.
In India, 18 karat and 22 karat gold is the preferred karatage when it comes to jewelry because of the beautiful yellow / gold color and thickness of the gold. Have you seen different colors of gold, like rose gold and white gold? Here’s a quick look at what they’re made of.
GOLD ALLOY TO GET COLORS | |
Yellow gold (14 carat or 18 carat) | Gold, copper, silver, zinc |
Rose gold (pink) | Gold, copper, silver (copper content is increased) |
White gold | Gold, nickel or palladium, copper, zinc |
Platinum is a very hard metal and is alloyed with many other metals. Some of the stronger metal has a number of advantages, e.g. B. Security when it is used as a prong to effectively grip the gemstones. Platinum jewelry is perfect to be passed down through generations as it is well preserved. However, the higher prices of platinum goods can be daunting for many. When platinum is used in jewelry, it must contain at least 500 parts of platinum in its alloy to be considered platinum by international standards. Most of the platinum jewelry you see have 850-900 parts of platinum in the alloy and can be identified by their markings, just like BIS which is marked on GOLD.
RHODIUM Rhodium, a fine metal in itself, is commonly used for plating white gold or platinum. It protects the softer metal underneath and gives the metal a whiter finish. Rhodium has a mirror-like surface that can make diamonds appear larger because the metal is much more reflective. This fine metal is a by-product of platinum, which explains why rhodium is so hard. Therefore, it is difficult for jewelers to work with rhodium. It’s also a pretty expensive metal. Rhodium is therefore only used to “coat” metals such as platinum and white gold.
SILVER Silver is widely used in jewelry these days because it is a cheaper and lighter alternative. Sterling silver, as you may have heard, is a popular term, but what does it really mean? Sterling silver is in fact 92.5% silver and the remaining 7.5% copper, which gives the metal enhanced durability with a beautiful white color. Silver is a cheaper option and gives its customers the look of a beautiful white metal at a significantly cheaper price.
SILVER JEWELRY: But silver has its own drawbacks that are part of the business. Oxidation is a big problem when it comes to silver jewelry, cutlery, and artifacts. Pure silver will oxidize with sulfur present in the air and tarnish sterling silver due to the presence of other metals in the alloy. This leaves your silver with a dull sheen and an unacceptable blackish layer on the surface. If you live near the ocean or in a humid area, you will find that your silver pieces tarnish much faster than in a drier condition or area. Silver is also easy to scratch and has a low hardness on the Mohs scale at around 2.5-3. This means that the metal must be cleaned and repolished regularly to maintain its polish.
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