Gold

History

India is smitten by gold and how! This metal is the epitome of heritage, prosperity and opulence. Its warmth and traditional appeal makes it a true classic piece of any bridal jewellery. The charm of gold dates back to 2600 BC when Egyptians revered Gold as an indestructible and a divine metal. Romans rekindled this relationship and took it to another level by mass producing it. India’s love affair with gold starts with mythological tales of how Gods rode on chariots made of gold. Over centuries this liaison has helped Gold become an inseparable part of the Indian psyche.

Persona

India, one of the world’s largest gold consumers, is a significant market for gold jewellery. In the last decade itself, about 75% of gold demand has been for gold jewellery alone. Through ages, gold has not only been used for jewellery but is also vital for technological applications and innovation. Characterized by a distinct yellow colour, this metal is resistant to tarnish, rust and even corrosion. Pure gold is so soft that it can be moulded with someone’s bare hands. Hence, 24K pure gold is never used for jewellery. 22K gold is 22 parts gold and 2 parts of other additional metals which makes it 91.6% pure. The next in line is 18K gold which is 75% pure and is usually alloyed with metals like silver, copper, nickel and zinc for added strength and durability. Gold is a metal that can complement any occasion. Whether you choose to wear it every day or as traditional gold wedding jewellery, it never fails to lure admirers.

9K gold denotes 37.5% gold purity. 9K is the minimum standard used in India and is widely used for making profound jewellery to minimize the cost.

14K gold denotes 58.3% gold purity and it often comes stamped with 585.

18k gold denotes 75.0% gold purity. 18K is highly recommended for fine jewellery.

22K gold denotes 91.6% gold purity. Gold in 22K is very soft and is not suitable for manufacturing studded jewellery. It can be used for plain gold jewellery.

24K gold denotes 100% gold purity. Gold in this form is extremely soft and cannot be used for any type of Jewellery making.

About Colour Gold

• Yellow Gold : Natural gold and color-saturated alloys are what give yellow gold jewelry its rich shine. The alloys most commonly used, are copper with a red hue, and silver featuring a green hue. An expert mixture of copper, silver and pure gold gives this precious metal its original color.
• Rose Gold : Rose gold, also known as pink or red gold, is created by increasing the copper-colored alloys mixed with the gold and decreasing the silver-colored alloys. 14K rose gold is slightly pinker in color compared to 14K gold because there is more copper in the alloy compared to the amount of copper in 14K gold alloy. 18 k gold, containing 25% copper is found in antique and Russian jewelry and has a distinct, though not dominant, copper cast, creating rose gold.
• White Gold : To give White Gold its brilliant shiny white luster, the final process of making White Gold involves plating the metal with a layer of Rhodium. Rhodium is a shiny white metal, which is extremely hard and durable. Over time, with regular wear, the Rhodium plating may wear off revealing the yellow Gold underneath, and can be easily repaired by a jeweler who can redo the Rhodium plating. White gold alloys can be made with palladium or nickel. White 18-carat gold containing 17.3% nickel, 5.5% zinc and 2.2% copper is silvery in appearance. High-carat white gold alloys are far more resistant to corrosion than are either pure silver or sterling silver.

Platinum

All platinum jewelry is made of finest quality 950 grade platinum. It is 35 times more rare than gold, and has a naturally bright or true white color that never requires additional rhodium treatments, is 90-95% pure, and most importantly, it is Eternal.

Silver

Sterling silver is the standard for beautiful high-quality silver jewelry. It's over 90% pure silver, mixed with alloys to add strength and durability. And it won't wear down, as silver plating can. Pure silver, also called fine silver, is relatively soft and very malleable. Sterling silver is most often used for jewelry and household accessories because of its combination of beauty and durability. When buying silver acceptable quality marks for silver include: sterling silver or 92.5 and Bis hallmark stamp

Worth its weight in Gold

Economies have been underpinned by the value of gold. That just shows that this metal is held in high regard by all countries. Owning gold jewellery in form of gold bangles, gold rings and even gold earrings make for a great investment option. Many Indians prefer buying 24K gold coins over gold jewellery when they choose to invest in gold.

The price you ultimately pay for your gold jewels depends on the current market value, its purity, weight and of course the craftsmanship of the design.

Gold is naturally found element and is a extremely durable and timeless. What are Elements and Alloys?

Metal sheet assortment. Metals can be elements or alloys. Elements are the basic building blocks of chemistry. Examples of elements: Oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, iron(Fe), copper(Cu) and niobium(Nb).

Lead(Pb) is an element that was popular for 1,000's of years as an ingredient in casting alloys (and some other alloys) because it makes some metals softer, less brittle and/or helps them melt at lower temperatures. Lead is now known to be related to certain cognitive and health problems (especially in children), and most governments are regulating allowable amounts of lead in jewelry components, due to the dangers of children swallowing beads or other parts of their jewelry. Jewelry components containing lead are generally considered safe for adults to handle and wear externally, as adults are less likely to ingest their jewelry. More about lead in jewelry components.

Alloys are mixtures of various elements. Alloys can be a "base" (less costly) metal, like brass, or a "precious" (more costly) metal, like sterling silver or karat gold. Jewelers and engineers create alloys to change the color, melting temperature, and/or strength of elements. For example, solid gold is too soft for most applications. To make it stronger, it is alloyed (mixed) with other elements.

What are Base Metals?

Base metal is a catch-all term in the jewelry industry for metals used in costume jewelry. In metal working, base metal is any metal that is not one of the noble or precious metals. Base metals may be plated or raw (bare, unplated). In costume jewelry, base metals are often plated with a very thin layer of gold, silver, nickel, rhodium or other metal on the surface of the bead, finding, chain or other component. Gold does not rust, corrode, or tarnish. It's also the most malleable of all precious metals hence can be worked into gorgeous and timeless designs.

Gold Characteristics

Gold is measured in KARATS. The higher the karat, the greater is its gold content and price. 24k, 22k, 18k are standard contents in gold. 22K is generally used for plain gold jewellery and 18K is used for Studded or diamond jewellery. When buying gold jewellery, one must always look for BIS hallmark along with 916 if 22k jewellery and 750 if 18k jewellery. Jewelsvalley.in manufactures all its jewellery in 22k & 18k purity and it is BIS hallmarked.