Choosing the right type of gold for your jewelry
Traditionally, gold is the preferred metal for jewelry. As far as recorded history can trace, this precious metal has always been used for this purpose as well as many others. Ancient Egyptians buried their pharos in gold sarcophaguses created to look like the person it held. Other ancient civilizations used gold for religious or political ceremonies. Some even used it to create sculptures. All of them, however, used it for jewelry.
There are several types of gold used for jewelry making. Selecting the appropriate weight and colors for your design is as important as the design itself. First you must understand the importance of weight so you know your piece will be durable when it is worn.
Gold is available in weight measurements called carats. The numbers that are associated with the carat represents the amount of actual gold that is contained in the piece. Gold is generally always mixed with another alloy to make it usable in jewelry. The lower the carat number the stronger the gold will be.
Gold comes in 9, 10, 14, 18, 22 and 24 carat increments. 9 carat gold is generally used by European jewelers, with its American counterpart being 10 carat. This is the strongest gold and is normally used for men’s rings. As a standard, a man’s wedding band is often made from this carat of gold.
10, 14 and 18 carat gold is used for all other jewelry. 22 and 24 carat gold is very soft and not recommended for making any type of jewelry, though some show pieces will be made from 22 carat.
Different weights of gold will also posses different colors. In yellow gold, for instance, an 18 carat gold ring will be much brighter in color than a 10 carat ring will be. This is because there is more gold in the mixture in the higher carat piece.
The different carat weights will also come with different price tags. Higher carat gold will always be more expensive than a lower carat. This is due to the higher gold content. When you are selecting what type of carat weigh you wish to use you should consider three factors: Price, durability and the difference in colors.
Gold also comes in three colors: standard gold color, white and rose. The colors are determined by the alloys used. Yellow gold is made by mixing pure gold with zinc or copper. Sometimes both are used to create a specific yellow tone. Yellow gold that has a very dark yellow tone will be high in copper, whereas yellow gold that is lighter in nature is higher in zinc.
White gold is a mixture of pure gold and either silver or palladium. White gold, in its original state can almost look like a light shade of grey. Because of this, white gold is often coated with Rhodium, a super white alloy.
Rose gold is made from pure gold and copper. The darker the rose color signifies the more copper content that is contained. Rose gold is not made from any other combinations.
If gem stones are being used in the piece it is a wise decision to compare the color of the stones to be used with the color of the gold prior to making the piece. It should never be assumed that everything looks great in yellow gold. You may be able to enhance the beauty of your piece simply by selecting a different color of gold to use.
Dark colored stones often look terrific in white gold. The white magnifies their dark colors and make the stones stand out. Red stones look fabulous on yellow gold, but often can be tamed down by using rose gold. Multi color pieces may need to be compared until the visual effect that is desired is achieved.
If no stones are to be used you can consider intertwining different colors of gold. Many beautiful pieces have been made by combining different colors of gold. The only thing to remember is to use the same carat weight in all the colors to ensure uniformity.