A Look at Jewelry

A Look at Jewelry

Jewelry has long been the desires and dreams of men. Since the time man first

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discovered shiny and glittery substances, jewelry – even in its crudest form – has been used as a symbol of affluence, power, and grandeur.

Today, jewelry is still a significant symbol.  As a matter of fact, instead of subsiding, jewelry has become more important in the 21^st century. Even with the presence of seemingly more luxurious items and gadgets, jewelry continues to be an undeniable symbol of wealth and power. And in particular Gold, as a matter of fact, is again being considered to displace and replace the dollar and other banknotes as the bloodline of global transactions.  Prior to 1971 when the Gold Standard was cast off by the government, our dollars could be traded in for gold through the Gold Reserve. Today, some say there isn't more than 8,133 metric tons remaining in Fort Knox. Hardly enough to cover any of the dollars the government continues to print.

Getting back to jewelry. To have a more in depth understanding of the subject, we need to first take a close look at how gold jewelry is actually made. Basically, gold in its purest form cannot be made into jewelry. Why is that? Gold is very soft and therefore, it cannot maintain a fixed shape. To address this particular problem, other elements are added to the gold in order to make it a little harder.

We often speak of Karats when we want to buy jewelry and we are always asked, “How many Karats do you need?” Or, more commonly, “How many Karats can you afford?” Just what are Karats (with the symbol K)? A karat is not a unit of weight.  The word karat refers to the amount of gold in a particular item. Karats are measured in units of 24, where 24 karat gold is pure gold. 18 karat gold is 18 parts gold and 6 parts alloys such as copper, nickel, silver or zinc. 14 karat gold is 14 parts gold and 10 parts alloy.  Most gold jewelry is made in 14K gold, or 14 parts gold to 10 parts alloy.  The color variances of gold, such as white to rose are achieved by the alloys used to mix with the gold parts.

To make jewelry more affordable, gold plating came into the fashion jewelry market with the first being Gold Plate: This process uses a base metal such as steel or brass, which is dipped into a bath of electroplating solution, with a lump of solid gold. When an electric current is applied, a thin layer of gold is deposited on the metal. Since the plating is quite thin, the plate will eventually wear off.

The next method is called Vermeil: (Pronounced: Vermay) This is sterling silver that has been gold-plated. Most vermeil is plated with 22K-24K gold. Which is a good combination for those with allergies to normal, plated jewelry items.


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Finally we have Gold-filled: These jewelry items are not actually filled with gold. They are made of a base metal (usually brass or copper) covered by sheets of gold in a mechanical bonding process. Effectively a thick coat of gold: the gold content is 5% or 1/20 of the total weight. Gold-filled is used sometimes for your top-of-the-line fashion jewelry. Usually made with 14k gold, it is hard wearing. With reasonable care it will not peel or flake, and should last as long as solid 14k gold jewelry and it is safe for most people with sensitive skin.


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At gone-tomorrow.com, you may not always find gold jewelry in all its glory since as soon as anything is added that’s gold, it flies of the shelf, so to speak.  You will be able to find gold-tone and other metals, such as sterling silver and the newest metal to hit the floor running; stainless steel. And it all comes in every form, size and shape. Of course, gold is one of the most affordable and popular metals, whether in the gold color or in white gold. It is made even more radiant and luxurious and grand if the gold jewelry is made with expensive gems, such as diamonds. If you are a jewelry lover, if you are a lover of precious stones, and if you want to get hold of some of most awesome pieces of jewelry at huge savings, Gone-Tomorrow an Online Thrift and Consignment Store is the place to visit.