Pure Gold Does Not Rust 2 | Understanding Gold Terminologies
As my promise to you all, I will be discussing more about the never ending beauty of Gold. Well, this will be it!
At the previous part of this article Pure Gold Does Not Rust | Distinguishing Real Gold From Gold Alloy, you may have notice or read the word karat and maybe or somehow encountered also the word carat. To tell you honestly those words don't have the same meaning. A Karat means a unit for measuring the fineness of gold, while Carat defines the unit mass of gemstones and is equal to 0.2 gram. Although both words derive from the word carob seed, which were used as measurements of weight in Oriental market.
Stamps or Markings
I’ve mentioned this on my last post, the different karats of gold, US and Europe have different markings in terms of their quality stamps. US/ Canada use the 1:24 parts to mark their golds, while Europeans use the 1:1000 markings. Below is the example chart:
Gold Coating
Beside the stamp or markings indicating the karat of gold, it is somehow added a mark also for their kind of coating. Coatings are used for adding new alloys or a metal to the gold and vice versa.
- Gold Leaf: This has been hammered by hand in order to turn it into an extremely thin layers and is wrapped or glided around the metal. Usually a 24 and 22 karat golds are used to turn into sheets to decorated an art or a jewelry. It is recognized by having irregularities around the piece.
- Gold Plated/ Gold Electroplated: Its process of gold coating is called electrolytic. This kind of coating is widely used for watches, and fashion jewelry. The longevity of the gold layer depends of how thick of gold layer is. This kind of coating must have a stamp indicating plated quality: “GP”, “G.P”, “GEP”, or “G.E.P”.
- Gold Filled: This involves a sheet of gold which bonded through a base metal by mechanical process involving intense heat and pressure. The result of this is fair durability, resistant to tarnish, cost much lesser than pure gold. Under the gold filled process is gold overlay or rolled gold plated. This process involves a thicker gold coating thus making it more durable overtime. Stamp quality indicated the following: "GO”, “G.O”, “RGP”, or “R.G.P”.
- Vermeil: Pronouncing as (ver-may), this process called also as “gold plated sterling silver”. The difference between the vermeil and gold filled is that, gold in vermeil uses sterling silver as metal base. It is best choice for those with skin allergy. Vermeil usually don’t have a mark, but if a gold jewelry is marked with a “925” stamp then it probably means that it is gold vermeil. Note: Sterling silver stamp is “925”, “.925”, or for modern stamp “S925”. It stands for 92.5% of pure silver and 7.5% goes to alloyed metals.
Gold Chains
If you’re looking for a necklace or bracelets or even anklets, you may consider finding the best type of chain to use. Below are the different types of gold chains:
Light and Thin Durable Chains
- Wheat: The most basic and probably the most durable yet light as a feather chain you can have. It definitely not easy to bend or curl and durable at any thickness.
- Box: It is the second most durable and lightweight chain. They emitting shine and bring out the gold in any pendant. Only thinner bow might look very sleek and petite while the thicker ones tend to have a chunky/ bulkier look.
- Rope: A rows of metal are woven to form this kind of chain, to make it look like a two-strand rope. If turned it produced spiral effect, looking there’s more strands in the chains. Only it is very delicate when it comes to breaking the chain: if one link fails, the rest follows because each individual link is not fully connected to the next.
Thick and Heavy Chains
- Curb: This is a variation of cable chain, classic style of chain usually best choice for necklace and bracelets, aside from it is very durable. It has a uniform oval form that looks like twisted and sometimes diamond cut. Sometime it is called also as “gourmet chain”.
- Figaro: This has been popular to men now a day. Aside from it is very classic in style, it is very applicable from gold to stainless steel. It has twisted, flattened links similar to curb chain but this chain has no uniformity of their size. It is usually patterned with the combination of short and long chains.
Weak Chains
- Herringbone: It has a multiple rows of v-shaped links, lied completely flat and each row alternates. Same as the name it forms as herringbone pattern, it can have different link color depends on their likes.
- Omega: Thin type of chains is very popular for its shiny effect and strength. It is made up of lined up metal plates and crimped to an underlying mesh base. Both are flat and rounded versions and can be reversible.
- Snake: It is made of round metal plates or bands; it has a bend at the mid-point of each link. Links are created into a continuous flexible tube but has no support. It is also known as Brazilian chain or Hexagon chain, but it is trendy when it comes for the display of pendant.
That’s all guys! At last I’ve finished my topic about the “Immortality of Gold” as Egyptians says. Next, I’ll be dealing with another intriguing topic of a… That’s a secret for now. If ever you haven't read the previous part of this post here's the link:
Pure Gold Does Not Rust | Distinguishing Real Gold From Gold Alloy
'Til next time!
For more updates of my upcoming post, a follow won’t hurt. In fact I’ll be eternally grateful if you’re interested more of my posts. An upvote is a must! Hahaha, but it will be pleasing for me. Good day and God bless.
Yours truly,
Unicorn-Girl
@ja9garnett
References:
https://www.chainsofgold.co.uk/understanding-chain-types/
http://jewelrywiseblog.com/best-types-of-gold-chains/
https://emeraldparkjewelry.com/pages/chain-types
Resteem.
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