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Guide to
Jewelry Metals
Gold-Finished and
Silver-Finished
(May also be called "Gold Color or silver- Color or Washed)
Items made in this manner have a base metal such as brass or steel.
An electroplated application of gold or silver is applied to the metal to give it a
gold or silver color.
No industry standard has been established for the thickness of the gold/silver/nickel
on the metal.
Gold-Plated and Silver-Plated
An application of gold or silver is plated to the surface of a base metal (which may
be brass or steel).
Items made in this manner must meet the industry standards of .15 to .25 mils
thickness.
Gold-Filled or Gold Overlay
Gold-filled or gold overlay refers to a process by which a thin layer of gold is
heated and bonded directly onto a base metal.
A gold-filled product is superior to a plated product because it contains much
more
gold that will not flake or peel away when
hammered, heated or bent. Gold-filled jewelry must meet federal standards
for
quality and content in order to be designated as Gold-filled.
Vermeil
Sterling silver items heavily plated with 22kt gold
Karat (KT)
Karat indicates the amount of pure gold vs. alloy mix.
The higher the Karat percentage
the more pure gold is in the item.
Items designated as Karat gold must meet federal
guidelines.
|
24 |
22 |
20 |
18 |
14 |
12 |
10 |
9 |
|
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Gold/Alloy Designation: |
100% Pure Gold |
91.7% Pure Gold |
83.3% Pure Gold |
75% Pure Gold |
58.5% Pure Gold |
50% Pure Gold |
41.6% Pure Gold |
37.5% Pure Gold |
|
Hallmark Designations: |
24 KT or .999 |
22 Kt or .917 |
20Kt or .833 |
18 KT or .750 |
14 KT or .585 |
12 KT or .500 |
10 KT or .417 |
9 KT or .375 |
Shades of Gold
Gold jewelry comes in many different
colors. The 'color' comes from the addition
of various alloys.
The popularity of the different colors waxes and wanes with fashion trends.
During the early 20th century "white" metals were fashionable.
During the 1940s, rose and green gold were all the rage.
During the 1950s & 60s yellow gold was the 'in thing'.
The color comes from mixing
various types and percentages of alloys with the gold.
For Instance:
|
18kt yellow gold is a mixture of: |
| 14kt yellow gold is a mixture of: 58% gold + 25% silver + 17% copper |
| 18kt white gold is a
mixture of: 75% gold + 5% copper + 15% nickel + 5% zinc |
| 14kt white gold is a
mixture of: 58% gold + 20% copper + 14.5% nickel + 7.5% zinc |
| 18kt rose gold is a
mixture of: 75% gold + 5% silver + 20% copper |
| 14kt rose gold is a
mixture of: 58% gold + 10% silver + 32% copper |
Silver Colored Metals:
Nickel Silver
- Alloy of
mostly nickel. Resembles sterling silver with a deeper grey tone.
Also called German Silver.
Fine Silver - Fine silver is 99.9% PURE Silver.
Very little alloy is used. Fine silver is softer and easier to work.
However, because of its softness, it may not be suitable for jewelry use.
Sterling Silver - 92.5% pure silver. The most common alloy mixed with
sterling is 7.5% copper. Sterling works well in jewelry, as it is not as
soft as fine silver, so it will maintain its shape well. Sterling will
develop a deep patina over
time which will give the item an 'antique' look.
Niobium is a space age metal.
Originally engineered as an ultralight metal used to protect aerospace vehicles
from the stresses and extremes of space travel. The Anodization of the
metal produces a 'rainbow' effect which gives the metal its coloration so
popular with jewelry makers. Wonderful metal, as most people who are
allergic to other metals can wear Niobium without discomfort.
Titanium is another space age metal. Very lightweight. It can stand
up to a great deal of stress and hard wear.
Good choice for jewelry when the item will be subjected to heavy wear & tear.
This metal can also be anodized into many colors. Another good choice for
folks who are metal-sensitive.
