THE
BRAZILIAN CONNECTION
Information about GOLD
History---
Gold, one of the world's
most precious metals, dates back to the dawn of mankind. All great
civilizations built up treasuries of the lustrous metal,
reserving golden objects for
their most important rituals. Gold has a long and complex history. From
gold’s first discovery, it
has symbolized wealth and guaranteed power. Gold has caused obsession
in men and nations, destroyed some cultures and gave power to
others. Archaeological
digs suggest the use of Gold began in the Middle East where the first
known civilizations began. The oldest pieces of gold
jewelry Egyptian jewelry were found in the tomb of Queen Zer and that
of Queen Pu-abi of Ur in Sumeria and are the oldest examples found of
any kind of jewelry in a find from the third millennium BC. Over the
centuries, most of the Egyptian tombs were raided, but the tomb of
Tutankhamen was discovered undisturbed by modern archaeologists. Inside
the largest collection of gold and jewelry in the world was found and
included a gold coffin whose quality showed the advanced state of
Egyptian craftsmanship and goldworking (second millennium BC.)
When
Rome began to flourish, the city attracted talented Gold artisans who
created gold jewelry of wide variety. The use of gold in Rome later
expanded into household items and furniture in the homes of the higher
classes. By the third century AD, the citizens of Rome wore necklaces
that contained coins with the image of the emperor. As Christianity
spread through the European continent, Europeans ceased burying their
dead with their jewelry. As a result, few gold items survive from the
Middle Ages, except those of royalty and from church hordes.
In
the Americas, the skill of Pre-Columbian cultures in the use of Gold
was highly advanced long before the arrival of the Spanish. Indian
goldsmiths had mastered most of the techniques known by their European
contemporaries when the Spanish arrived. They were adept at filigree,
granulation, pressing and hammering, inlay and lost-wax methods. The
Spanish conquerors melted down most of the gold that they took from the
peoples of this region and most of the remaining examples have come
from modern excavations of grave sites. The greatest deposits of gold
from these times were in the Andes and in Columbia.
During
the frontier days of the United States news of the discovery of gold in
a region could result in thousands of new settlers, many risking their
lives to find gold. Gold rushes occurred in many of the Western States,
the most famous occuring in California at Sutter’s Mill in 1848.
Elsewhere, gold rushes happened in Australia in 1851, South Africa in
1884 and in Canada in 1897. The rise of a gold
standard was meant to stabilize the global economy, dictating that a
nation must limit its issued currency to the amount of gold it held in
reserve. Great Brittain was the first to adopt the gold standard in
1821, followed, in the 1870s, by the rest of Europe followed. The
system remained in effect until the end of the first world war, after
which the US was the only country still honoring the Gold Standard.
After the war, other countries were allowed to keep reserves of major
currencies instead of gold. The arrival of the great depression marked
the end of the U.S. export of gold in the 1930s. By mid 20th century,
the US dollar had replaced gold in international trade.
Is there a difference between
real gold and karat gold?
No, they both mean the same thing, they are both genuine gold. Gold
jewelry comes in several degrees of purity, but it's all real gold. The
purest gold, 24 karat, is generally considered too soft to be used in
jewelry, it is most often alloyed with other metals to increase its
strength and durability. In most civilized countries,gold jewelry
is required to be stamped with a quality mark that indicates the purity
of the gold. A karat is a measure of golds purity, not to be
confused with a carat, a measure of a gemstones weight.
Below
is a list of quality marks that are commonly found in gold jewelry.
symbol
|
purity
|
country
|
375
|
37.5%
|
Europe
|
9
Kt.
|
37.5%
|
Europe
|
417
|
41.7%
|
Europe
|
10
Kt.
|
41.7%
|
United
States
|
585
|
58.5%
|
Europe
|
14
Kt.
|
58.5%
|
United
States
|
750
|
75%
|
Europe
|
18
Kt.
|
75%
|
United
States
|
875
|
87.5%
|
Arabic
Countries
|
21
Kt.
|
87.5%
|
United
States
|
916
|
91.6%
|
Europe
|
22
Kt.
|
91.6%
|
United
States
|
999
|
99.9%
|
Europe
|
24
Kt.
|
99.9%
|
United
States
|
Anything
less than 10 karat gold
cannot be marked or sold as gold jewelry in the United
States.
COLORS
Gold comes in a variety of
colors. Because gold is alloyed with other metals to increase its
strength, it can also be made in a variety of colors.
Yellow Gold - This is gold in its
natural shade. It is by far the most common type of gold used in
jewelry. Yellow gold used for jewelry is usually alloyed with copper
and silver to strengthen it. The warm glow of yellow gold works with
virtually any outfit, any skin or body type and any gemstone. How
yellow a piece is will depend on its gold content. Generally, 14 karat
gold has a brighter yellow than 10 karat gold; 18 karat gold has a
deeper yellow than 14 karat gold, and so on.
White gold - White
gold has become very fashionable in recent years as many consumers have
opted for the cool, contemporary white look over the classic yellow
look. White gold has the same properties as yellow gold, but is mixed
with different alloys to give it its white color. Generally, white gold
is created by using a nickel or palladium alloy, zinc and copper.
Sometimes, white gold is plated with an even whiter metal, such as
rhodium (a rare member of the platinum family) to enhance its
appearance. A white gold setting can enhance the look of white diamonds
and put a modern twist on a traditional standard.
Rose gold - By
alloying just copper with yellow gold, metalsmiths can create gold with
a pink, blush-like tint, which experts say lends a soft, flattering
effect to the skin.
Green gold - This alloy is created by mixing silver,
copper and
zinc to yellow gold.
OTHER TYPES OF GOLD JEWELRY
The
other types of gold jewelry include gold-filled, gold-plated and
vermeil. Gold-filled refers to a layer of gold mechanically bonded to a
base (non-precious) metal; the gold content must be at least 1/20th of
the total weight of the piece. Gold-plated merchandise has a coating of
10 karat gold or higher applied to a base metal by electrolysis.
Vermeil is jewelry that is made by applying a layer of karat gold to a
sterling silver base.
To keep the classic appeal of yellow
gold but
update it with a more modern look, many are opting for two-tone
styles that combine white and yellow gold within the same piece. These
types of pieces are considered very fashionable and have become
particularly popular in bridal jewelry in recent years.For an even
more original look, some are choosing jewelry which combines
three colors of gold (most often yellow, rose and green) within the
same piece.