A Helpful Guide To Purchasing Gold Jewelry
When it comes to time to purchase gold jewelry, there are a number of questions that need to be answered. Gold jewelry purchases can get tricky sometimes. There are a number of things that shoppers need to know before they even set foot inside of a jewelry store. In the market for a gold necklace for women?
In search of jewelry necklaces, unique necklaces or a long pendant necklace? Let’s take a closer look at all of the considerations that need to be made before any sort of final purchasing decisions can take place.
Gold Purity
This is the first question that needs to be asked when jewelry is being purchased. Be sure to check the jewelry over to make sure of the quality mark. A quality mark should be present with any piece of gold jewelry that is being purchased. Be wary of any pieces that are considered to be “pure gold”, as truly pure gold is much too soft to be used exclusively.
Even the purest gold pieces have been mixed with other alloys, so that hand tools can be used to craft necklaces and pendants. If the jewelry is gold plated, a “GP” marking will be evident on the piece.
What About Alloys?
Alloy is one of the most commonly used terms. These metals are created when various metals are combined. The additional metals are added to the pure gold, so that base metals become stronger and less susceptible to corrosion. Shoppers must research alloy properties for each individual piece of jewelry that is being considered. When gold jewelry is combined with various metals, a variety of color schemes are created.
Rose Gold
Jewelry aficionados love to shop for rose gold pieces. Copper is combined with pure gold to create pieces that come with a warm blush that is designed to flatter the skin tone. Shades of pink are created and rose gold is able to blend with a wide range of gemstones and colorations.
White Gold
White gold pieces are favored by those who are looking to save money, while remaining fashionable. Copper, zinc, nickel and palladium metals are used. White gold is also plated with platinum group metals and they are never fully white in coloration. The shopper must also be aware of the pitfalls that are associated with white gold jewelry ownership.
White gold jewelry requires some extra tender, loving care during the course of its lifespan. The rhodium plating that is used will show signs of wear and tear. Be sure to speak to the jeweler about the benefits of re-plating. Without re-plating, the white gold jewelry will lose the brilliant white finish that the wearer has become accustomed to.