| Gold |
|
Gold has been the one of most desired metal through the ages. There are many reasons for that, mainly it is beautiful and rare. Gold has an amazing durability. There has been found objects that has been buried for centuries, and still they are as beautiful as when they were new.
The reason for that is that gold is a precious metal. That means it doesn’t oxidize. Other metals such as iron will oxidize and in time dissolve. There used to be a lot of superstitions about gold. Gold stands for purity, immortality and spirituality, and is for these reasons used in religious objects even today. It is also a symbol of loyalty and everlasting love. That is why this is the metal most commonly used in wedding rings. (see also the origin and history of the wedding ring). Today we don’t make jewellery out of pure gold, but out of an alloy. This is because pure gold is very soft and very expensive. Several different alloys are used for different purposes. They are containing different metals in addition to gold, mainly silver and copper. These metals determine the strength and colour of the alloy. White gold is also an alloy, there is no such thing as naturally occurring white gold. To make an alloy look white, the gold is mixed with white metals such as palladium. There are very strict laws concerning how much gold the alloys used in jewellery are to contain. In Norway they have to contain at least 58,5% gold. This is the same as 14 karat. (Karat means 1/24th). In Germany 75% (18 karat) is most common, and in Britain they may use alloys containing as little as 37,5% gold (9 karat). In Asia the alloys contains a lot of gold, often as much as 92% (22 karat). As mentioned, the laws differ between the countries, but it is common to stamp jewellery with 2 different marks. One mark tells us how much gold the alloy is containing. Some use karat, some use the number in thousands (for instance 585/1000 is marked 585). The other mark tells us either who has made the piece (Norway) or which assay office has tested the alloy (UK). How to take care of your gold jewelleryTo clean, use warm water with soap. Dishwashing soap is fine. If the piece is very dirty, you may let it soak for a while, and then use a soft brush (for instance a toothbrush). Rinse and dry with a soft cloth.
Note! Some materials and stones must not come in contact with water. Be extremely careful with all sorts of opals, only the jeweler may clean these. Always ask the jeweler how to take care of the piece when you buy it.
Tips:
- Do not keep your jewellery in the bathroom. If you drop it on a tiled floor, it may dent, and even diamonds may crack or chip.
- Put on creams and perfumes a while before the jewellery, so that as little as possible transfers to the jewellery.
- Chlorine will erode on gold, so do not wear jewellery in the swimming pool.
- Bring frequently worn rings with stones to the jeweler once a year to get the settings checked.
Ailin Rølvåg 2009
|