Tuesday, May 18, 2010
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12:21 PM
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Gold and silver are the two metals with the highest and probably the oldest symbolic and historic charge of all. Used ever since the dawn of many cultures for the manufacturing of jewelry and religious icons, they both had an important part in the sacred and profane backgrounds as well. Gold necklaces have always been worn with pride and
distinction as epitomes of richness, power and nobility. The larger the gold necklaces, the more important the function of the wearer: this was actually the way to show the social status. Things have changed a lot in time, and nowadays, gold necklaces are a common thing.Presently, some of the most exquisite jewelry is created of what looks
like fine golden thread; thinness of the gold necklaces is thu
s one of the main specificities of elegance and refinement. If we take for instance the case of diamond necklaces, the stones are usually embedded in white or yellow gold in general. This metal is considered among the most suitable to be combined with such exquisite and valuable stones, but it definitely shares this favorite place with platinum, an equally valuable metal.The explanation of the phenomenon lies in the historic discovery of the properties of this noble metal: gold has little if any chemical reaction with external
agents, it is not affected by moisture or heat, not to mention the electrical conductivity properties that it shares. However, the only problem our forefathers may have had when trying to make gold necklaces, was that of metal purity. In its purest form, metal is not hard, but malleable, therefore, the creation of an alloy to give it resistance was absolutely necessary. Thus, the gold necklaces we wear are actually made of gold and another metal: silver, nickel or titanium.
The prices of gold necklaces on the world market vary according to the metal purity: the 24 karat gold is definitely the most expensive, and
the prices drop if we take the scale backwards. 14 karat gold necklaces will definitely be cheaper be; then, white gold is often more expensive than yellow gold, not to mention that the association of a semiprecious or precious stones in the design has a decisive word to tell for the overall value of the jewel. A recent market tendency has been that of labeling the gold necklaces according to the metal origin: where it was actually imported from. Despite all these considerations there is one thing that remains clear here: personal taste and craftsmanship clearly influence the jewel choice too.
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