Buying gold jewelry requires some thought. There are many different grades of Gold; therefore, it is rated in purity by karat (k) measurement. The highest grade available is 24 karat gold; however, most people prefer to buying gold jewelry that is rated at 14 karats.
Because Gold is a soft metal, the purer it is, the softer it is. Many people choose to buy the more inexpensive Gold jewelry pieces, such as 14K Gold Chandelier Earrings or 14K Gold Dangle Earrings, because they are much more durable. Gold is very expensive, so it’s important to purchase something that will last for a lifetime, such as a wedding ring that is worn daily. If one is buying a piece of gold jewelry to be worn occasionally, then 24K gold would be an option.
Gold based jewelry alloys are within the 10k to 18 karat range and contain primarily gold, copper, zinc and silver. This particular alloy is formulated to create a unique color that is a mid-range hue with a soft appearance that compliments a variety of gemstones and skin tones. This alloy also has an increased hardness over standard yellow alloys for longer wear and improved polishing characteristics. It has wonderful castability and formability, and it responds well to typical jewelry manufacturing processes, including tooling, stone setting, soldering, remelting, forging, and plating. This particular type of alloy contains about 40% to 76% gold, about 20% to 52% copper, about 0% to 12% zinc, and about 0% to about 12% silver.
Another thing one must consider when buying gold jewelry of any karat measurement is the weight of the object. Sometimes earrings, bracelets, rings, or Gold necklaces are hollow. Even though hollow gold jewelry may be less expensive, it is also less durable. It can be difficult to repair if it is bent or suffers a punctured hole. One advantage to hollow gold earrings would be in the case of a large pair of gold earrings. Because they are hollow, these earrings would be much more comfortable to wear.
Other types of gold jewelry are gold overlay or gold plate and gold fill. Gold overlay or gold plated means that the gold is bonded to another metal and the gold content is usually required to be 2.5% of the total weight of the metal. Gold filled jewelry is also bonded to other metals and the layer of gold must be 5% of the total metal.
Even though buying gold jewelry that contains smaller amounts of gold is considerably less expensive, be careful. The gold does have a tendency to rub off when jewelry is worn daily; therefore, sometimes it is a good idea to invest a little more to purchase a piece of jewelry that has more gold.
Most often gold is viewed as a yellow colored metal; however, the metals that are added to gold can change its color. For example, Gold Chandelier Earrings could be purchased as 10k gold earrings in white or gold. Gold Dangle Earrings that are 14k gold can be available in white, pink, or yellow. A person’s skin tone should be considered when buying gold jewelry.
Our collection of Gold Chandelier Dangle Earrings features 14K Gold earrings with inlaid designs created by hand cut stones to make unique pieces. These gemstones include Lapis, Turquoise, Blue Opal, White Opal, and Coral.
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