Gold is a is a precious metal with the chemical element symbol Au. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, and soft metal. Gold is a relatively rare element that has been used for coins, jewelry, and works of art throughout history. Gold is the most malleable of all metals. It can be made into a single-atom width wire. Gold often occurs as nuggets, veins, and river deposits. Because pure (24k) gold is soft, it’s usually alloyed with other metals for use in jewelry making. It makes it harder and more durable. Alloys with lower karat ratings, such as, 22k, 18k, 14k, and 10k, contain higher percentages of copper, silver, palladium or other metals.

The gold proportion of alloys is measured by karat (k). Pure gold is designated as 24 karat (24/24 parts gold) and abbreviated 24k. There are different gold alloys used in jewelry with 18 karat (75% pure gold), 14 karat (58% pure gold), and 10 karat (41.7% pure gold) being common. In the United States and many other countries, 10K gold (10 parts gold and 14 parts other alloys) is the lowest level of purity that can be legally be marketed and sold using the word “gold.” Others seen are 9k (37.5% gold) and 22k (91.70% gold).

24 Karat Gold
24k gold is the purest and is 99.9% yellow gold. It is the shiniest, yellowest, and most expensive type of gold. Pure gold is hypoallergenic and safe to wear if you have sensitive skin. It also has a high resistance to tarnish and corrosion. 24 karat gold is soft and not ideal for jewelry because it wears out easily.

Common 24 Karat Gold Stamp Marks:
Gold (pure gold)
24 Karat or 24K (24/24 parts gold)
999 (999/1000 parts, or 99.9% gold)

18 Karat Gold
18k gold consists of 75% pure gold and 25% other metals such as silver, copper, and zinc. It is much stronger and more durable than 24k gold and is used in a wide variety of jewelry. 18k gold doesn’t have the same intense yellow color of pure gold. Nickel can cause skin irritation. If the 18k gold alloy contains nickel, it is so low as to be a concern for most people, even those with sensitive skin.

Common 18 Karat Gold Stamp Marks:
18 Karat or 18K (18/24 parts gold)
750 (meaning 750/1000 parts, or 75% gold)

14 Karat Gold
14k gold is the most popular type of gold karatage sold in the United States. It is made from 58.3% pure gold and 41.7% other metals. 14k gold isn’t as bright as 18k, but it’s stronger and less expensive. Allergic reactions to nickel in 14k gold are uncommon.

Common 14 Karat Gold Stamp Marks:
14 Karat or 14K (meaning 14/24 parts gold)
583 (meaning 583/1000 parts, or 58.3% gold)

10 Karat Gold
Containing 41.7% pure gold, 10k gold is the minimum that jewelry can legally be sold as gold in the United States. 10k gold is durable, but its low purity gives it a paler yellow color. For some, this makes it a less popular gold alloy for special types of jewelry, such as wedding rings. Nickel in 10k gold jewelry is more likely to cause problems for those with nickel allergies, since it often has a higher nickel content.

Common 10 Karat Gold Stamp Marks:
10 Karat or 10K (meaning 10/24 parts gold)
417 (meaning 417/1000 parts, or 41.7% gold)

9K is considered real gold in other parts of the world and is the lowest permitted gold purity sold in the UK and Europe. 9K is 9 parts pure gold and 15 parts other metals. In other parts of the world Karat may be spelled Carat.

White Gold

White gold is an alloy of yellow gold and white metals, and sometimes also copper. The less gold and copper content in the metal alloy, the more white it appears. White gold jewelry is usually plated with rhodium, which makes it even whiter. White gold is usually formed from one of two different alloys:

Palladium white gold is a mixture of gold, palladium, and sometimes silver. Palladium is a hypoallergenic precious metal that’s rarer than gold. Common alloy percentages:

18K White Gold: 75% Gold, 0-10% Silver, & 15-25% Palladium
14K White Gold: 58.3% Gold, 28-35% Silver, & 8-14% Palladium
10K White Gold: 41.7% Gold, 46-48% Silver, & 7-11% Palladium

Nickel white gold is not hypoallergenic. It consists of gold, nickel, copper, and zinc. This form of gold is more affordable than palladium white gold. Common alloy percentages:

18K White Gold: 75% Gold, 17-19% Nickel, 4-6% Zinc, & 2-3% Copper
14K White Gold: 58.3% Gold, 7-9% Nickel, 6-8% Zinc, & 18-20% Copper
10K White Gold: 41.7% Gold, 16-18% Nickel, 11-13% Zinc, & 29-31% Copper

Rose Gold

Rose gold first came into wider use in the late 1800s, after it was introduced to the Russian Imperial court by Carl Fabergé. Rose gold is made from gold, copper, and silver. Copper is what gives rose gold its pinkish color. Most rose gold alloys are either 18k or 14k. 18k rose gold is shinier but has a paler rose color. 14k contains more copper and is less bright, but has a deeper rose color. Common alloy percentages:

18K Rose Gold: 75% Gold, 22-23% Copper, & 2-3% Silver
14K Rose Gold: 58.3% Gold, 31-33% Copper, & 8-10% Silver
10K Rose Gold: 41.7% Gold, 37-39% Copper, & 19-21% Silver

Need a gift? Parkville Jewelers can provide a gift in any price range. Pick something by their favorite color or by individual or family birthstones. Many gifts for events and for special interests. If we don’t have it, we can probably make it or order it for you.

Birthstones:

January – Garnet
February – Amethyst
March – Aquamarine
April – Diamond
May – Emerald
June – Pearl, Alexandrite , Moonstone
July – Ruby
August – Peridot
September – Sapphire
October – Opal, Tourmaline
November – Topaz, Citrine
December – Zircon, Turquoise

Wedding Anniversaries:

1st – Gold Jewelry or Clocks
2nd – Garnet Jewelry
3rd – Pearls, Crystal Jewelry or Leather (Leather Bracelet or Wallet)
4th – Blue Topaz or Flowers (Flower Jewelry)
5th – Sapphire or Wood (Wood in Jewelry, Pens, Boxes & Watch Boxes)
6th – Amethyst Jewelry
7th – Onyx or Copper Jewelry
8th – Tourmaline Jewelry
9th – Lapis Lazuli Jewelry
10th – Diamond Jewelry
11th – Turquoise Jewelry
12th – Alexandrite or Jade Jewelry
13th – Citrine Jewelry
14th – Opal Jewelry
15th – Watches or Ruby Jewelry or Crystal Items
16th – Peridot Jewelry
17th – Watches or Carnelian Jewelry
18th – Cat’s eye or Alexandrite Jewelry
19th – Aquamarine Jewelry
20th – Emerald Jewelry or Platinum
21st – Iolite Jewelry
22nd – Spinel Jewelry
23rd – Topaz Jewelry
24th – Tanzanite Jewelry
25th – Silver Jubilee
30th – Pearl Jubilee
35th – Emerald Jewelry
40th – Ruby Jewelry
45th – Sapphire Jewelry
50th – Golden Jubilee
We can order or make any of these or pick something we already have.

Favorite Colors:

See Gemstone Colors

Events:

Weddings
Gifts for Wedding Attendants
Baptisms
Confirmations
Baby Showers
Graduations
Anniversaries
Work Gifts
Add a Coin with a Special Date to a Coin Bezel
ETC…

Lost and Broken Items:

Repair a family heirloom
Remake a favorite piece of jewelry that was lost
Take gems from an old item and make something new with it
We do in-store repairs for jewelry that has been broken

Jewelry, Keepsake Boxes & Figurines for:

Hobbies
Activities
Animals
Travel Locations
Sport Teams
We can order or make any of these or pick something we already have.

Engraving:

Jewelry
Picture Frames
Glassware
Metal Cups
Ornaments
Watches
Plaques
Lighters
Money Clips
ETC…

Jewelry by Zodiac Symbols:

Aquarius – Black Spinel
Pisces — Garnet
Aries — Emerald
Taurus — Fire Opal
Gemini – Peridot
Cancer — Aquamarine
Leo — Citrine
Virgo – Orange Garnet
Libra — Chrysoprase
Scorpio — Zircon
Sagittarius — Amethyst
Capricorn — Sapphire

When prongs become thin or are missing, there is a risk that a stone may fall out. Worn flat prongs are more likely to get caught and break off and they need to be fixed. It is less expensive to tip a worn prong than to replace a missing one. If there is movement in the stone or the prong is bent, the prong or setting will also need to be checked. Bezel and channel settings can also become thin and may need work.

Common Prongs and Settings

Round Prong The pictures above are of a round prong. They are rounded at the tip and they are the most common style in jewelry. The smaller prong shows more of the diamond or gemstone. There are usually four or six prongs in the rounded style with six prongs offering more security than four. Some prong variations are more pointed and some are flatter. Earrings often have three or four prongs.

V-Prongs V-prongs are a good way to protect pointed stones. These prongs are longer and go around the corners of a stone to protect the corner from chipping. They are ideal for pear, marquise, and heart-shaped.

Shared Prongs Shared prongs are a style that costs less and allows the use of a prong to secure both a stone and the stone next to it. More stones can be used in the same space. If a prong is damaged, then you risk losing more than one stone.

Channel Settings A channel setting is a mounting style where the gemstones are placed in a channel formed by two metal strips. The stones create a row and can run a portion or the length of the ring’s band. Most channel set rings feature a thin lip that extends very slightly over the edge of the stones to secure them.

Bezel Settings The bezel setting surrounds a stone with a strip of metal to protect the entire edge. A bezel setting is secure and can protect a stone, but the stone won’t be as luminous because it limits light from entering it.

… clean your jewelry regularly with a safe cleaner for the type of metal and stones.
… store your jewelry properly to prevent damage, such as scratches, prong damage, and knots in chains.
… have your prongs checked regularly, to minimize the risk of losing a stone.
… minimize exposer to perfumes, cosmetics, hand and body lotions, and hair sprays.

Don’t

… leave batteries in watches for years – they may leak and ruin the watch.
… wear jewelry in pools or hot tubs – they may react negatively to the chemicals, causing weakening or discoloration.
… wear jewelry when using cleaning chemicals – chemical reactions can also cause weakening and change in appearance.
… sleep in your jewelry – you may bend earring posts, snap chains, get necklaces and prongs caught on clothing.
… wear loose rings – they may fall off without noticing it.
… wear your jewelry to the gym – necklaces can get caught in gym equipment and lifting weights can bend rings or hurt prongs.

Jewelry that is safe to wear in the pool:
Stainless steel – it has great corrosion resistance.
Tunsten – it has corrosion resistance and it is durable and scratch resistant.
Silicone – it is chemically stable, heat-resistant, corrosion-resistant, and non-reactive.
Titanium – it is non-reactive to chlorine.
Platinum – it is also non-reactive to chlorine.

Also:
Be mindful of wearing your jewelry and watches during activities, such as gardening and sports to prevent damage. Hollow chains are easy to break. Watch crystals can scratch or break. The gold on rings will wear down and weaken. When baking, flour can stick to rings and make them hard to clean. Silicone rings are a good option for going to the gym and with sports.

Jewelry has been worn for thousands of years for both decorative and symbolic purposes. The oldest known jewelry pieces are 100,000-year-old Nassarius shell beads. The use of gemstones in jewelry can be traced back to prehistoric times.

The very first diamond was found in India in the 4th century and they quickly became highly valued. Until the 18th century, people thought that India was the only source of diamonds. In 1866, a diamond over 21 carats was found in South Africa.

A large, perfect, gem quality ruby is worth more than a similar sized diamond.

The tradition of giving an engagement ring dates back to ancient times when people believed that the vein in the fourth finger (“ring finger”) of the left hand was connected directly to the heart, making it the perfect place to wear a symbol of love and commitment.

In ancient Rome, it was traditional for a groom to give his bride a ring made of iron as a symbol of their binding agreement.

The idea of engagement rings wasn’t a tradition until Maximilian, the Archduke of Austria, gave his beloved Mary of Burgundy a ring as a promise of the impending nuptials back in 1477. This influenced those of higher social class and significant wealth to give diamond rings to their loved ones. This caught on and today engagement rings are very popular.

Sapphires come in every color, except red. That’s because red sapphires are known as rubies. They are almost identical and both are made of the same corundum mineral. The change in the stone’s color is due to trace minerals. Titanium and iron both result in a blue color of sapphires. A ruby’s red color comes from trace amounts of chromium in the stone.

The only two gemstones formed in the earth’s mantle are diamonds and peridot. Although they’re formed deep within the mantle, they are mined in the earth’s crust where all other gemstones (except pearls) are mined too.

Peridot is the only gem that comes in a single color, green.

Platinum is much rarer than all other precious metals. The annual output is 15 times less than that of gold and 100 times less than that of silver.

The largest gem quality diamond ever found was unearthed in South Africa in 1905. The famous Cullinan Diamond was recorded at 3,106 carats and weighed 1.3 pounds. The diamond was cut into 105 smaller parts and is part of the British Royal family’s crown jewels.

Opals contain between 3 and 30 percent water.

Nearly all of the gold found on earth is from space and came from meteorites that crashed into earth. The use of gold dates back to ancient civilizations such as Egypt and Mesopotamia.

The world’s largest gold nugget weighed over 200 pounds and is known as the “Welcome Stranger”. It was discovered in Australia in 1869.

The oldest known gold artifacts are from the graves of the Varna Necropolis in Bulgaria from around 4500 BC.

The art of enameling (coating metal with a layer of colored glass) has been used in jewelry making for thousands of years. There are examples dating back to ancient Egypt.

Amethyst is quartz with a purple hue.

The use of pearls in jewelry can be traced back to ancient civilizations, such as Greece and Rome. It was considered a symbol of wealth and luxury.

Jade is usually thought of as a green stone, but it has also been found in lavender, yellow, red, and blue. In ancient China, jade was considered more valuable than gold and was used to create intricate carvings and jewelry.

The art of cameo carving reached its height of popularity in the 18th century. Cameos were often used to create intricate portraits of famous figures.

The ancient Egyptians knew how to alloy copper and tin to make bronze, which is harder and stronger than copper. It is a technique still used today for some kinds of jewelry.

Lab grown diamonds are chemically identical to organic diamonds and are created from tiny pieces of pre-existing diamonds. Natural diamonds are made by heat, pressure, and a lot of time. In a lab, this process is much faster. The diamonds are blasted with heat in a high-pressure environment, creating diamonds in days.

Amber is fossilized tree resin. It must be at least a million years old to qualify as amber.

In ancient Egypt, jewelry was not just decorative but also had religious and symbolic significance. Both men and women wore earrings as a sign of wealth and status. The scarab beetle was a symbol of rebirth and renewal and was often used in jewelry.

Men didn’t routinely wear wedding rings until the 20th century. Advertising made the wearing of wedding rings popular among men (along with other jewelry). By the mid-1940s, 85% of North American weddings involved rings for both partners.

Gold

Because gold is a soft metal, it is often alloyed with other metals to prevent it from bending, scratching or breaking. Silver, copper, tin, nickel, platinum, palladium, and zinc all are commonly mixed with gold. Which metals are alloyed with the gold, determines the resulting hue. The purity of gold is divided into twenty-four parts where 24 Karat (24K) is pure. Since 24K is so soft, it is unusual to see it in jewelry. The most popular alloys in descending order of purity are 18K, 14K, and 10K. There are many color possibilities for gold alloys. The most popular are:
Yellow– The natural color of gold.
White – This is achieved by using alloys such as nickel, zinc and copper. It will need to be rhodium plated every few years to keep it looking white. Rhodium is what makes white gold white. Color changes can happen from months to years after purchasing a white gold piece. It will happen because the color of the gold is being modified from its natural color. If you have a nickel allergy, white gold may cause you to have a reaction and it would be better to wear platinum or yellow gold.
Rose – The presence of copper and silver create the pink-hued alloy.

Gold Plated

Gold-plated jewelry has only a thin layer of gold applied on top. Gold-plating may wear away so rings or bracelets should not be worn daily. A gold-plated piece is usually made of 10, 14, or 18 karat gold plating. Gold plated pieces aren’t always stamped. If it is stamped, it will be with the karat gold followed by GP on the piece, such as 14KGP. The gold will start to fade over time due to natural oils in the skin, dirt, soaps, and chemicals that it is exposed to.

Gold Filled

Gold-filled jewelry has an outer layer of gold laid over another metal. Gold filled jewelry is plated with real gold, but with a thicker layer of gold. The thick layer is comprised of many thin sheets of gold. Each sheet is wrapped around the piece of jewelry and bonded by heat. In order for gold pieces to be legally sold as gold filled pieces, the total weight of the gold must be 1/20th or 5% real gold. Gold filled jewelry is usually found in 10K, 14K, or 18K. A gold filled piece of jewelry made with sheets of 14K gold should be stamped 14KGF or 14GF. You may also see it as 1/20 14K GF, indicating the piece is made of 1/20th of 14 karat gold.

Vermeil

A layer of gold over silver and perhaps other precious metals. Vermeil usually refers to a covering of 10K or 14K gold over silver. In order for a gold plated piece to be legally sold as a vermeil piece, the gold content must be at least 10 karat and two microns thick.

Platinum

Platinum is a difficult metal to manipulate and refine. It can be shaped into thin and strong wires, so platinum is a white metal that can be formed into delicate and lacy designs. It never needs rhodium plating because that is its natural color.

Sterling Silver

Sterling silver contains 92.5% of pure silver. The other remaining percentage is alloy, which is a mixture of metals to increase its durability. It’s not recommended for larger diamond jewelry because it is not very strong and the diamonds could be lost. It is not considered hypoallergenic. Sterling silver does tarnish, but it may be plated for this reason. Sterling silver is required by law to be stamped on all fine jewelry as 925 pure silver content.

Stainless Steel

Most people with metal allergies are allergic to nickel or copper but there are other alloys that cause allergies. Stainless steel is hypoallergenic. Doctor tools are made out of surgical stainless steel. It is a metal alloy of iron that contains 12.8% chromium content. Chromium is the element that keeps stainless steel from rusting. Stainless steel jewelry might be stamped as SS. You can’t resize the metal, so it may not be a good choice for rings. It is strong metal and less costly, so it is an option for chains.

You shouldn’t wear any jewelry in the shower or while swimming. Also, do not store sterling silver jewelry in the bathroom where there is steam and condensation.