These are just a few of our many
unique pieces of fine jewelry. A brief description of each item has been provided
for your convenience. We hope that you will enjoy previewing our selection below.
When buying jewelry, the
first choice you must make is one of color. This selection usually depends on
skin tone, hair color, and personal experience and preferences. If you prefer
white precious metals and can afford the "luxury of choice," then
platinum makes for an excellent piece of fine jewelry. However, if you have
a somewhat limited budget, then 18 karat (the measure of the actual amount of
pure gold present) white gold is a good alternative.
Please read below to learn more about platinum
and gold as you view some of our various pieces of fine jewelry.
Platinum
& White Gold
by S. Thai Vo
The story of platinum began 4,500 years ago with the ancient Egyptians. Small traces of platinum were found among the treasures of the pyramids. Much later, a thousand years before Columbus discovered America, the Incas found platinum in the riverbeds. They considered it even more precious than gold and dedicated it to their Moon Goddess.
The six platinum metals: ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, iridium, and pure platinum are usually alloyed together in nature, and are often mined and recovered in association with other metals such as gold, copper, nickel, and iron in ores. Platinum and palladium, being the most abundant and the most important commercially, are used in the electrical and chemical industries. Presently, only 15% of platinum used in America goes into jewelry, which is low compared to 65% in 1920. However, with the high price of gold in the mid-1970s, platinum began to regain its lost glory and today platinum plays a greater role than in the past.
Platinum jewelry never tarnishes. It stays beautifully white as the day it was first fashioned. A platinum wedding ring will not wear thin, so you can enjoy it for a lifetime. The color of platinum and white gold create a simple yet elegant style. The understated and stylish platinum color is why this precious metal complements classic and elegant clothing. While most jewelry fashions often come and go . . . Platinum's subtle beauty will certainly remain timeless.
An alternative to platinum is white gold is an alloy combination of pure gold (24 karats), copper, nickel, and zinc. If you are allergic to nickel, then wearing white gold should be avoided. However, if you are not allergic to nickel and desire a white gold look, 18 karat white gold is the most recommended. 18 K white gold consists of 18 parts of pure gold mixed with 6 parts of other metals.
Gold has always been, and will probably always remain in the metal par excellence used by jewelers. The words gold and jewelry are almost synonymous in people's minds because of its use since antiquity. Gold is unquestionably one of the world's most precious metals. It combines four basic characteristics that have made it a treasured possession: lustrous beauty, easy workability, rarity, and virtual indestructibility.
Although gold is everywhere around us--in earth's crust, in our seas, rivers, and plants--it is difficult and expensive to extract this precious metal. Because the unique bright yellow of pure gold is reminiscent to that of the sun, gold's ability to resist oxidation and corrosion often associates this metal with the sense of immortality.
Pure gold, also called "fine gold" is 24 karats. Pure 24 k gold is always yellow. However, pure gold is too soft for use in jewelry; therefore, it is common practice to mix pure gold with other metals. This helps to increase its hardness as well as allows modifications in color. Alloys most often used in gold jewelry manufacturing are copper, nickel, silver, and zinc. Yellow Gold is pure gold, copper, and silver. White Gold is pure gold, copper, nickel, and zinc. Green Gold is pure gold, copper, silver, and zinc. Pink Gold is pure gold and copper.
The word karat derives from the Italian word "carato," the Arabic word "qirat," and the Greek word "keration," all signifying the fruit of the carob tree. The seeds of the fruit were used in ancient times for weighing gems. As applied to gold, the 1/23 connotation stems from the weight of the "solidus," a gold coin used in Byzantium from 312 A.D. to 1453 AD By law, the solidus weighed 24 kerations (karats). 24 K gold is 100% gold, 18 K gold is 75% gold, 14 K gold is 58.5% gold, and 10 K gold is 41.6% gold.
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