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Gold
Gold has been used and valued since prehistoric times for its beauty and purity. It has been used for trade and provided the basis for currency around the world. Click here to view Gold Jewellery at Astley Clarke.Because of its durability, malleability and warm, attractive colour, gold is used physically and symbolically for things that are important and intended to be long-lasting. Egyptian hieroglyphs that date from 2600BC describe gold; gold was one of the gifts of the magi to the baby Jesus; gold was vital in the establishment of the world’s earliest coinage in Lydia in the 6thC BC. The European exploration of the Americas was hugely motivated by reports of the Native American peoples’ skill in crafting beautiful gold ornaments, and in Communist propaganda, the golden pocket watch and its fastening golden chain symbolise the characteristic accessories of the bourgeois class enemy. From medieval times, kings have been inaugurated under a golden crown and wedding rings have long been made from gold, the strength of the metal testifying to the endurance and strength of the position and relationship, as well as being practical for everyday purpose.
Gold is also associated with notable occasions to be marked, such as the Golden Wedding Anniversary or the golden jubilee and distinctions from medals in competitions to top-of-the-range credit cards, almost invariably have gold as the highest honour.
Pure gold is relatively soft – hence the well known age-old tradition of biting into gold to tests its purity - the purer the gold, the easier it is to mark it. This softness makes gold very malleable, so it can be beaten into very thin sheets known as gold leaf. The ductility of gold also means it can be drawn into very thin wire or thread, which can then be used in embroidery. For examples of this, see our range of Carolina Bucci’s delicate silk and gold thread embroidered jewellery.
Gold has always been relatively easy to obtain, but 75% of all gold ever produced has been extracted since 1910. It is estimated that all the refined gold in the world would only form a single cube of volume 8000m3. Alchemists tried to make gold out of various substances. Today gold remains as rare and desirable as ever.
Fine and designer jewellery made of gold is as popular and timeless as ever and can always be seen adorning the stars on the red carpet.
Karats
Pure gold is yellow in colour. Because it is quite soft, gold is usually mixed with other metals to produce an alloy. The ratio of gold to other metals is measured in 24 parts, called ‘karats’ – hence 24 karat gold is pure gold, while, for example, 9 karat gold is 9 parts gold and 15 parts other metal. This system only started to be popular in the US around 1890 or so, but systems such as hallmarking have existed in Britain for hundreds of years. It is important not to confuse Karat (with a K), which refers to gold purity, with Carat (with a C), which refers to the weight of a gemstone. Throughout history, most people have preferred the colour of gold jewellery to remain close to that of pure gold itself, and so most jewellery has been made using yellow gold alloys – these include copper and silver.
Rose Gold, Pink Gold, Red Gold and Green Gold
These are alloys in which the type and quantity of metal mixed with the gold produces the relevant colour. Copper is often used as an alloy in Rose Gold (which is often also known as Pink Gold or Red Gold), while silver is used to produce Green Gold. These metals, of course, retain the yellow appearance of gold but have a pink- or green-coloured hue. Rose gold was particularly popular in late Victorian times, and in the 1940s.
White Gold
White gold became popular in the 1920s, largely as a substitute for platinum. Platinum is extremely expensive and more difficult to work with than gold, requiring higher temperatures and being less malleable. Several metals are used to create white gold alloys, among them nickel, zinc and palladium. White gold alloys are a very pale yellow. This alloy is then plaited across the industry in rhodium, which is extremely hard and acts as a whitener and a brightener. White gold was particularly popular at the turn of the 20thC, and is gaining again in popularity today for use in contemporary jewellery.
