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JEWELRY - Gold |
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Around
75 - 80% of the gold produced world wide goes to jewelry
production. It is because of the gold's workability,
unique beauty, and universal appeal makes the favorite
of jewelers all over the world. Gold is dense, soft,
shiny and the most malleable and ductile pure
metal known. Gold is very easy to work and
it can be drawn into wire and can be hammered into thin
sheet. Most gold used to make jewelry is an alloy of
gold with one or more other metals such as copper, silver,
nickel or palladium and a tiny percentage of titanium.
Gold is generally used for necklaces, pendants, bracelets,
bangles, rings and earrings. |
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than jewelry production gold is used for Industries
and investment by coins and bars, exchange traded
gold, gold accounts, gold certificates, and gold
oriented funds and so on. Gold's purity is measured
in karats. Pure gold is known
as 24 karat gold and is marked with "24K".
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In 24 k gold other metals like silver, cooper,
nickel, or zinc are added in small quantities
to make workable, durable and even colourful.
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An
alloy that is 50% gold by weight is known as 12 karat
gold (12/24ths=50%) and is marked with "12K".
An alloy that contains 75% gold by weight is 18 karat
(18/24 = 75%) and marked "18K". In general,
high karat jewelry is softer and more resistant to tarnish
while low karat jewelry is stronger and less resistant
to tarnish. |
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The most common carats used for gold in bullion,
jewelry making and by goldsmiths are:
• 24 carat (millesimal fineness 999=24/24)
• 22 carat (millesimal fineness 916=22/24)
• 20 carat (millesimal fineness 833=20/24)
• 18 carat (millesimal fineness 750=18/24)
• 15 carat (millesimal fineness 625=15/24)
• 14 carat (millesimal fineness 585=14/24)
• 10 carat (millesimal fineness 417=10/24)
• 9 carat (millesimal fineness 375=9/24)
• 8 carat (millesimal fineness 333=8/24)
• 1 carat (millesimal fineness 042=1/24)
We most know the fineness of the most widely used gold
for jewellery in various parts of the world and that
will help when you plan purchasing of gold:
In Europe……….. …18 and 14 carat
In Britain…………… 9 carat
In Portugal …………19.2 carat
In the United States… 14 carat and 10 carat.
In the Middle East, India and South East Asia, jewellery
is traditionally 22 carat (sometimes even 23 carat).
In China, Hong Kong and some other parts of Asia, chuk
kam or pure gold jewellery of 990 fineness (almost 24
carat) is popular.
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