| Finishes
Gold
Weight Alloy
Karat
Gauge
Care
& Cleaning |
|
| Finishes |
| Surface treatments for
gold jewellery that create patterns and designs. Often finishes are
mixed to create contrasting effects. |
|
| High
Polish: |
|
Bright,
shiny, highly reflective. |
|
|
|
| Satin
Finish: |
|
Light
parallel lines sharply reduce the metal's reflections. Has a
soft lustrous appearance. |
|
|
|
| Matte: |
|
"Velvet-like"
finish, without shine but having a soft luster. |
|
|
|
| Brushed: |
|
A
light "satin-like" finish, produced by a stiff metal
brush. Can be applied in a linear or circular pattern. |
|
|
|
| Florentine: |
|
Parallel
lines are engraved in one direction, then lighter cross
hatchings or curved strokes are made in the opposite
direction. The lines are deeper than on a brushed or satin
finish. |
|
|
|
| Hammered: |
|
Design
created by hammering directly onto the surface. Can be light
or deep depending on the type of hammer used. |
|
|
|
| Engraved: |
|
A
design is cut with a sharp-edge tool. |
|
|
|
| Diamond
Cut: |
|
A
faceted, bright look is achieved by making tiny angled cuts
into the surface. |
|
|
|
| Filigree: |
|
Consists
of fine wires that are twisted together and then flattened and
bent into intricate designs. These delicate patterns are
surrounded by a framework of sturdier gold. |
|
|
|
| Diamond
Laser: |
|
Highly
reflective finish created by hammering the surface with a
faceted, diamond-tipped tool. |
|
|
|
| Granulated: |
|
Small,
rounded gold particles placed by hand on a gold surface and
fastened by a heating process. |
|
|
|
| Enameled: |
|
Fusing
coloured glass onto metal surface. |
|
|
|
| Embossed: |
|
Shaping
a pattern in relief in sheet metal. |
|
|
Back
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| Gold
Weight |
| For centuries, the troy
system has been used for weighing gold and other precious metals.
Internationally quoted gold prices are based on 24K gold and the
troy once. For example, the gold price you read in the newspaper
reflects the price of one troy ounce. |
|
| Troy
Weight |
| 24 grains (gr) |
= 1 pennyweight (dwt.) |
= 1.5552 grams |
| 20 pennyweights |
= 1 ounce (oz. t.) |
= 31.1035 grams |
| 12 ounces (troy)
(t.) |
= 1 pound (lb t.) |
= 373.2417 grams |
|
|
|
| 1 ounce (troy) (t.) |
= 1.09714 ounces
avoirdupois |
|
| 1 pound (troy) (t.) |
= 0.82286 pounds
avoirdupois |
|
|
|
| Weight
Conversion |
| pennyweights
to grams: |
pennyweights |
X
1.5552 |
=
grams |
| ounces
to grams: |
ounces |
X
31.1035 |
=
grams |
| grams
to pennyweights: |
grams |
X
0.6430 |
=
pennyweights |
| grams
to ounces: |
grams |
X
0.0322 |
=
ounces |
|
|
Back
to top |
| Alloy |
| Gold in its purest state,
24 karat, is often considered too soft for use in jewellery. Gold is
mixed or ALLOYED with one or more other metals to produce optimum
strength and colour characteristics. |
|
| How
alloys affect the colour of gold: |
| Colour |
Elements |
| Yellow Gold |
Gold, Copper, Silver |
| White Gold |
Gold, Nickel or
Palladium, Zinc, Copper |
|
|
| Karat |
| A measurement of fineness
(purity) equal to 1/24 pure gold in an alloy. Pure or fine gold is
24 karat. 18 karat gold means 18 parts of 24 are pure gold, mixed with 6
parts of other metals. |
|
| Karat
Gold |
| A gold alloy of not less
than 14 karat fineness. |
|
| Karatage |
|
Gold
content |
|
Fineness |
| 24K |
= |
100% |
|
= |
999 |
| 22K |
= |
91.67% |
|
= |
917 |
| 21K |
= |
87.5% |
|
= |
875 |
| 18K |
= |
75% |
|
= |
750 |
| 14K |
= |
58.3% |
|
= |
583 |
|
|
Back
to top |
|
Gauge |
|
The thickness of
metallic sheets (including gold and silver) are measured in Gauge.
The lower the Gauge the thicker is the sheet. The measurement of
gauge with respect to millimeter is given below: |
|
|
|
Gauge |
Millimeter |
|
1 |
7.62 mm |
|
2 |
7.01 mm |
|
3 |
6.40 mm |
|
4 |
5.89 mm |
|
5 |
5.39 mm |
|
6 |
4.88 mm |
|
7 |
4.47 mm |
|
8 |
4.06 mm |
|
9 |
3.66 mm |
|
10 |
3.25 mm |
|
11 |
2.95 mm |
|
12 |
2.64 mm |
|
|
|
Gauge |
Millimeter |
|
13 |
2.34 mm |
|
14 |
2.03 mm |
|
15 |
1.83 mm |
|
16 |
1.63 mm |
|
17 |
1.42 mm |
|
18 |
1.22 mm |
|
19 |
1.02 mm |
|
20 |
0.91 mm |
|
21 |
0.81 mm |
|
22 |
0.71 mm |
|
23 |
0.61 mm |
|
24 |
0.56 mm |
|
|
|
Gauge |
Millimeter |
|
25 |
0.51 mm |
|
26 |
0.46 mm |
|
27 |
0.42 mm |
|
28 |
0.38 mm |
|
29 |
0.35 mm |
|
30 |
0.32 mm |
|
31 |
0.30 mm |
|
32 |
0.27 mm |
|
33 |
0.25 mm |
|
34 |
0.23 mm |
|
35 |
0.21 mm |
|
36 |
0.19 mm |
|
|
|
Back
to top |
| Care
& Cleaning |
| Just as gold itself has
been a treasure for many years, so too should every piece of gold
jewellery you buy last a lifetime. Please learn to care for gold
jewellery and pass the information on to others. |
- Gold is a soft
metal and contact with hard surfaces can scratch and destroy its
luster. Gold jewellery should be stored safely and whenever
possible, wrapped in a soft cloth. This will protect the
jewellery from scratching and tangling.
|
- Bathing with gold
jewellery will not harm it, but ordinary soap and water can
cause a film to form on the surface of the jewellery, making it
appear dull and dingy.
|
- Keep jewellery
free from dust, moisture, perspiration and makeup. After
applying makeup, cleanup hands before putting on jewellery.
|
- The most common
ways to clean gold jewellery are with a jewellery-recommended
cleaning solution or with an ultrasonic machine. A solution of
mild detergent, warm water and a small amount of ammonia can
also be used. After cleaning and rinsing, dry and polish with a
chamois or other soft cloth.
|
| The above
facts are supplied by World Gold Council. |
|
| Finishes
Gold
Weight Alloy
Karat
Gauge
Care
& Cleaning |
| Back
to top |
|
|
|
