By David Arnold Livingston

Undoubtedly, gold remains as the ultimate medium of
jewelry expression. For thousands of years, gold has
beguiled man with its beauty, its warm luster and glow
and its amazing attributes. Artisans and jewelers have
crafted gold into stunning pieces of jewelry that are
priceless and eternal. Gold is one of the most precious
of earth's metals. It can be found almost anywhere but
it is very difficult to extract pure gold. Although
platinum is more expensive, gold remains unsurpassed as
the most popular jewelry metal. As it does not corrode
or rust, gold jewelry is exceptionally durable. It is
also very malleable and pliable: a single ounce of gold
can be drawn into a thin wire stretching almost 5
miles. In fact it is the most malleable and ductile
metal known to man.

Pure gold or 24-karat gold is soft and pliable. That is
why it is mixed with other metals to increase its
durability. Karat quality determines the purity of
gold. For instance, 14-karat gold is 14 parts pure gold
mixed with 10 parts of a base metal. The higher the
karat rating is, the higher the proportion of pure
gold. Most gold jewelry pieces are marked with its
karat quality. This helps you verify that the product
you are viewing are truly made of gold. Gold is crafted
into an endless myriad of jewelry pieces such as rings,
chains, bracelets, charms, pendants, brooches, earrings
and others. Moreover, because of the many amazing
qualities of gold have many other uses. It is used in
dentistry, coinage and for industrial purposes. The
value of gold forms the base of monetary standard by
many nations.

Buying gold jewelry is an excellent investment. Any
jewelry collection would not be complete without any
gold jewelry. Its radiant, sensual and warm quality
make it the preferred metal used in wedding rings and
other jewelry meant to be given to a loved one. When
buying gold jewelry there are some important things to
consider. One of these is the karat quality, as
mentioned above. The different karat qualities include
10-karat gold, 14-karat gold and 18-karat gold.
However, some gold jewelry is not necessarily purely
made of gold. Jewelry can also be plated with gold.
This means that a base metal is coated with a layer of
gold. In time, the layer of gold will wear away
depending on how often the piece is worn. Other terms
you should know about gold jewelry include gold-filled,
gold overlay, and rolled gold plate.

When choosing gold jewelry, it is important to know its
qualities and characteristics. Gold jewelry has many
finishes such as matte gold, which is achieved by using
an abrasive, resulting in a dull and non-reflective
surface. Another kind of finish is the high-polish
finish, where the jewelry is polished to an almost
mirror-like shine. Gemstones and other metals that can
be inlaid with the gold itself add another dimension of
beauty and value, although gold is simply stunning by
itself. Choose a piece of gold jewelry that matches
your personality. Whether it is a simple gold chain, a
ring engraved with your names or a chunky gold
bracelet, you will find the gold jewelry piece that
exudes your personality. Moreover, wearing it also
enhances the way you look, giving you class and style.
Without a doubt, gold continues to enamor men and
women, and continues to be the ultimate jewelry metal.

About the author:
Timothy A. Garyantes enjoys jewelry and recommends: http://www.rkgold.com/
as a resource for information about gold jewelry.



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