Information about gemstones and minerals - gemstone buying tips, jewelry care, information on goldfill (rolled gold, gold overlay)

"14/20 goldfill", "gold overlay", or "rolled gold" is made by heat and pressure- Bonding several thick layers of gold to a silver (and sometimes brass or copper) core.

Pure gold is too soft to withstand regular wear, so early metallurgists learned to add other metals to gold to make it stronger. These metal alloys have included copper, silver, zinc, and nickel. In addition to making the gold stronger, these materials can also be used to change the color of gold. If copper is the controlling alloy, the gold is yellow or red. If the controlling alloy is nickel, the gold is white. An alloy of silver and zinc creates green gold. In addition to adding strength and altering color, these alloys make gold less expensive. Pure gold is called 24 karat. Other karat designations (10, 12, 14, 18) indicate the amount of alloy which has been added to the gold. For example, 14K gold is 14 parts pure gold by weight and 10 parts other metals.

Even in these lesser concentrations, karat gold is expensive. The 1742 discovery that silver could be fused to copper to create what became known as "Sheffield plate" set metalsmiths on a quest to develop a process for doing the same thing with gold. In 1817 an Englishman named John Turner discovered a technique for applying a thin layer of karat gold over base metal. He patented his discovery and entitled it: "Certain improvements in the plating of copper or brass, or a mixture of copper and brass, with pure or standard gold or gold mixed with a greater portion of alloy, and the preparation of the same for rolling into sheets."

Price became an important factor for those buying jewelry during the Great Depression. Disposable income largely disappeared, and although women still wanted to adorn themselves they simply couldn't afford the precious metal jewelry that had been popular in the previous decade. Fashions changed, as well. Beginning in the late 1930s, the style we now call Retro or Retro Modern replaced the Art Deco designs of the 1920s and early 1930s. (Style specifics: Retro Style is a recent designation for the period in the forties when large scale, stylized geometric forms, drapes, bows or ribbons were all the rage. Pink Gold, set with colored stones, sometimes in floral forms was common). Retro jewelry was big, bold, and consisted mainly of metals. Warm yellow and rose gold colors dominated the Retro styles, largely replacing the white metals of the Art Deco period. The United States Department of Commerce played a role in the new popularity of heavily gold-plated jewelry by issuing Commercial Standard CS 47-34 which created a precise definition for "gold filled," decreeing that the total weight of gold filled jewelry had to be 1/20 or more (5% or greater) 10K or higher karat gold.
Gold filled jewelry is made from karat gold which has been bonded to the surface of a supporting base metal through a process of fusing and rolling. It is always marked with the karat designation and an indication that it meets the legal standard. Look for marks such as 1/20 12K G.F. or 12 Kt. Gold Filled. Rolled gold plate is also made by fusing and rolling gold onto base metal, but the plating is significantly thinner. Rolled gold plate may be marked 12 Kt. R.G.P. or 1/40 12K R.G.P. Another mark you will sometimes encounter is G.E., or gold electroplate. This is the thinnest of all gold plating techniques. The gold or gold alloy is not fused and rolled onto the base metal beneath, but rather plated in solution using an electrical charge to make the bond. By law, gold electroplate must be at least 7/1,000,000-inch thick, but this is extremely thin when compared with gold filled.
The manufacturing of gold filled material is a remarkable feat of technology! Two trade publication articles about this process dating from 1953 and 1958 supply a wealth of information, as well as some wonderful photographs.

Because of the unique properties created by this manufacturing process, gold filled jewelry has many advantages. It is stronger than karat gold jewelry because the inner core of base metal adds structural strength. It is extremely durable because the gold plating is so thick. Unlike rolled gold or gold electroplate, it is rare to see gold filled jewelry which has lost its gold plating. The luster of gold filled jewelry is generally excellent because the perfectly even thick karat gold plating produces the rich appearance of fine jewelry. More finely worked designs are possible with gold filled jewelry than with thinner plating or base metal because the thicker plating creates a malleable surface. Best of all, however, is the price difference between gold filled jewelry and fine karat gold. The development of this process brought the look of fine gold into the range of affordability for the masses at a time when the middle class was rapidly growing.

Gold filled over silver should not be confused with vermeil, which is sterling electroplated with gold. While lovely in its own right, vermeil lacks the durability of gold filled. Vermeil has more versatility in design, however, because it can be used as a finish on cast jewelry.

The design and appearance of gold filled jewelry is heavily influenced by the types of gold filled stock available to manufacturers. Gold filled jewelry can not be cast in molds, and it is not generally deeply sculpted or heavy in weight. It is, necessarily, made from flatstock sheets and tubes or wires of various sizes. Within these design limitations, however, jewelry makers have always shown tremendous creativity.

Gold filled jewelry continues to be manufactured today. The enduring popularity of this material demonstrates how well it has achieved the goals of those who first imagined it, those who labored to perfect the alchemy by which it is manufactured, and the artistry of the designers who have continued to shape it into jewelry which has satisfied the demands of fashion through many generations.

References

Fine Jewelry for the Millions: The Story of Gold-Filled…An Opportunity, Jewelry, September 1953.
S.L. Cantor, How "Gold Filled" Is Made, Jeweler's Circular-Keystone, September 1958, p. 57-60.

The 1/20 notation refers to the ratio of 14 Karat gold layer to the silver layer by weight, which is 5%. Karat gold covers the silver (or brass) surface, making it tarnish-resistant.
The value of the gold-filled is far greater than gold-plated, because gold-filled has an actual layer, not just a microscopic, mechanically applied film of karat gold, so it will not rub off.

Goldfilled materials are in common use by jewelry designers in the United States as a VALUABLE, AFFORDABLE option WITHOUT THE PRICE OF GOLD. This material is something we have used in our own jewelry for some time, with fantastic and very successful results!

All of our gold-filled jewelry is of the highest quality, it is economical, and it will last a life-time.

Most Jade on the market today is the so-called "nephrite"- jade. Nephrite - jade is a so-called "soft" jade, mineralogically a kind of amphibole, with a glassy (vitreous) or silky lustre. It is mainly found in: Sin Kiang (China), Russia, South Korea, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Taiwan.

The "jadeite" jade is rather rare: the emerald-green, translucent form is even called "imperial jade" or "gem" jade. (The color in "jadeite" is caused by a small amount of chromium). Depending on the color, jadeite jade is sometimes called "Apple Jade", "Yunan Jade", (very darkgreen) and "Moss-in-snow Jade" a white jade with vivid green spots and streaks.
Jadeite jade is a so-called "hard" jade, mineralogically a kind of pyroxene. with a glossy or pearly lustre. It is mainly found in: Burma, Russia, Guatemala, US (California), Japan.

With nephrite- and jadeite jade the quality is determined, (like with other stones) with the 4 C's:1) Cut: mostly cabochon or freeform. 2) Clarity: ranges from transparant to opaque. The best quality has a consistent clarity, like honey, free of impurities. 3) Color: the best colors are vivid and penetrating, pure and evenly distributed. 4)Carat: weight is important for every stone.

There are many similarities between turquoise and nephrite- jadeite jade in the field of treatment: the three kinds of treatment for jade are: 1)"untreated" or"virgin": for jade this is an internationally recognized standard treatment entailing washing with plum juice and polishing with beeswax, without any color-enhancing; only the "true color" of the jade is present.This treatment is not considered to be artificial for jade.
2) The second treatment is similar to the "stabilizing" treatment for turquoise: the jade is bleached with acids and then impregnated with polymers.
3) The third kind of treatment is: bleaching, impregnating, AND coloring/dyeing.

Nephrite and jadeite range in color from white to all kinds of shades of green, lavender, and from yellow to red, to black. The name "jade" has always been given to a lot of materials that look like the real thing: "Korean" jade is in fact mostly serpentine or bowenite,"Indian" jade is mostly aventurine, "Mexican" jade is mostly green-dyed calcite, "Transvaal" jade is mostly green garnet, "Amazon" jade or "Colorado" jade is mostly green amazonite, and "Oregon" jade or "Swiss" jade is mostly green chalcedony.

This is not always done with fraudulous intentions: The Chinese have, culturally, always called serpentine and Soapstone (talc) "jade" as well.

There are a few other types of jade. The so-called "candy-jade", which is basically a white Chinese (mostly nephrite) jade that is colored in a complicated process, with the color permeating the stone from the outside in. A lot of "candy-jade" really has candy colors like pink or peach, hence the name.
Then there is the "Siberian jade", (mostly nephrite) with a beautiful lightgreen color and a lovely translucency. This jade is found in the Baikal-lake region in Russia.

Turquoise. Real turquoises appear in 3 different types: the "natural" or "virgin" turquoise is the most valuable, and is, after mining, only shaped in the desired form, and then polished.

The next type is the so-called "treated" turquoise. This turquoise has been altered, making this fragile stone much "harder", but also less valuable. Treatment may consist of waxing, dyeing, and impregnation with artificial resin or colloidal silica. The result of these treatments is called "stabilizing", and if performed correctly, the stones have become darker, the pores have been filled with one of the substances mentioned, and they have become much harder.

Obviously, from the "treated" turquoises, the one only having received a waxing and a polishing, is the most valuable.

Last, and unfortunately least too, there is the so-called "reconstructed" or "reconstituted" turquoise. Such a stone does consist of real turquoise, but it is "reconstructed" of turquoise-powder (ground turquoises which were too small for other purposes).
This powder, together with an artificial resin, is then heated and formed into a new stone. The result is a hard and naturally stable material. From these "stabilized" stones the ones which give off a strong smell of resin long after they have coolled down, are the least valuable.

Unfortunately, there are also quite a few imitations around, like dyed howlite, dyed calcite, dyed soap stone, and many other substances, like plastic .

Should you be fortunate enough to possess a real and wonderful turquoise, then treat it with care. (each of the above-mentioned "real" kinds). It is best to keep turquoises out of direct sunlight, heat, and away from cosmetics. Turquoises should be kept apart from other, "harder"stones, and they should not be rubbed. Remove skin oils and other natural substances with a soft and clean piece of cloth, and, if necessary, the stones can be carefully washed with luke-warm water and dried with a clean and soft piece of cloth.
A little care prevents the colours from fading, which, in turn, may also cause your luck to fade! Yes, the turquoise is one of the most important "good-luck"stones!

It has been told, that a turquoise has prevented major floods, and it certainly gives its owner a lot of power and strength!

Most Ammolite on the market today is only found in one area, namely the Bearpaw formation, that extends from Alberta to Saskatchewan in Canada, and south into Montana, in the USA. This entire area used to be a warm sea, that teamed with life. One of the creatures living in this sea, was an early mollusk. These marine animals had no vertebrae, but they were protected by a hard shell(usually coiled) made from calcium. After they died, their shells remained. After a very, very long time, some of these remains would become ammolites, as a result of encredible changes in the earth's crust. (For more, scientific, information, please Google "ammonite" or "ammolite")

It was not before 1981, that ammolite was recognized as a gem by the CIBJO, the "colored stones commission", and it belongs to three (only three!) stones that were recognized as gem stones over the last fifty years. It is also one of the few organic gemstones, like amber, pearl, jet and coral. Ammolite has been compared to opal, but opal, of course, is not organic.

Ammolite is basically a fossilized ammonite shell, and it is sometimes referred to as "grandmother of pearl".

Ammolite concists mainly of aragonite, which is also the main mineral of the pearl, and traces of other elements, like copper and iron. The amazing colors are produced by interference with the light, that rebounds from thin layers of stacked small "platelets" in the aragonite. The layers are only .5 to .8 mm thick, but this is still sufficient for manufacturing jewelry.

Other names for ammolite are: aapoak (Blackfoot for "small crawling stone".The Blackfoot indians being the first who found and named the stone), calcetine, korite, ammonite shell, or gem ammonite.... .

Many precious and semi-precious stones are found in the form of so-called "geode's", or "drusies" (druzies). A geode is a roundish, rough piece of stone, not much to look at. One of the most exciting moments for a "rock-hound" must be the moment a geode is opened, and the amazing sparkling and flashing crystals on the inside can be seen!

One of the most common "druzies" is the quartz "druzy". By vapourizing a thin layer of gold, platinum or titanium on the "druzy", beautiful flashing colors can be applied.
A natural "druzy" can be white (quartz), pink (cobalto-calcite), green (uvavorite or tsavorite garnet), turquoise-blue (chrysocolla), very rarely lavender or blue (chalcedony), or rust-colored (jasper). Another natural "druzy" is rainbow-pyrite - incredibly beautiful too!

The crystals flash and sparkle with ten thousand pinpoints of light when a "druzy" is moved. With some "druzies" the color is BENEATH the colorless crystals, with others the crystals THEMSELVES are colored.

With normal use a "druzy" is not brittle and it will not fall apart.
Nevertheless, it is better not to use a "druzy" in rings or bracelets, since banging it can damage it.
A layer of color is, after all, applied by vapourization, and is therefore very thin, and it CAN wear off.

Every "druzy" should be cleaned very carefully in soapy water, rinsed with demineralized water, and blown-dry with a hair-dryer, when the sparkle of the crystals has diminshed a little.

When a "druzy" is taken care of properly, it will remain beautiful at least as long as the piece it is set in!

Thai Karen Hill Tribe Silver.
In Thailand live approximately 400,000 Karen People, being the largest grouping of the Hill Tribe settlers in Thailand. The Karen (Kariang, Yang) liked to settle in the foothills. The Karen people live at a heigtht of between 800 and 1800 metres in the mountainous and densely forested regions of Mae Hong Son, west of Chiang Mai, in villages far away from Thai civilisation, in bamboo houses raised on stilts, beneath which live their domestic animals: pigs, chickens, and buffaloes. They, like all the tribes, are skilled farmers who practice crop rotation, and they also hunt for game, with spears and crossbows, and use tame elephants to help them clear land.The Karen have their own language, but some speak Thai as well now. There are also many voluntary groups which help the children learn Thai and English.
Many of the hill tribes were involved in opium growing in the Golden Triangle (The "golden triangle" is the point where 3 countries, Laos, Burma (Myanmar) and Thaland, meet. The name "golden Triangle" was first used by an American CIA-agent in the seventies, and the name stuck).
.In 1969 Thailand's King Bhumipol Adulyadej introduced a constructive approach to help the people. He visited many of the Hill Tribe villages in the mountainous areas near Burma, and the cities of Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai to study the regions problems. The Royal Project was born - new rotational crops that could replace the opium were encouraged and assisted by volunteers and governments, with an emphasis on self sufficiency for the Hill Tribes, and conservation. Silversmithing had been practised for many generations and was used throughout the different hill tribe peoples to represent wealth and status amongst themselves. However, it was not until around the time of the Royal Project that many of the farmers of the Karen Hill Tribe peoples were taught silversmithing techniques. It became a cottage industry up until what we now see today.

The Thai hill tribe silver jewelry from Thailand is unique, one-of-a-kind silver jewelry.
That's because of its stylish nature, with rough but great designs of a lot of natural things, like shells, leaves, flowers, fish etc. The jewelry is created by the indigenous peoples in the northern part of Thailand.
Hilltribe silver jewelry from Thailand has been among the most sought after silver jewerly, because of its purity (95-99%, much more than silver sterling), of its design and its handcrafted nature. Thai Hill Tribe Silver Jewelry is made by the Karen Hill Tribe in northern Thailand using traditional tribal processes passed down from generation to generation. In buying Thai jewelry from the tribes, a traditional art and craft will be sustained in remote areas, thus providing the Thai Karen people with a reliable, steady source of income.

(Text: courtesy of Harold Weinstein gemology lab, Photo's: G.I.A..)
Diamond Grading Terminology.
A diamond's cost is based on the characteristics known as the "4 C's". Clarity, Colour and Cut (proportion) are the quality elements which together with the Carat Weight determine the value of a stone. The closer a diamond grades to the left of one or all of these scales the rarer and the more costly it will be. While clarity is frequently assumed to be the most important factor of all the "C's", in fact, colour and cut (especially cut) have a more profound affect on the visual appearance of a diamond.
Carat Weight.
Carat is the unit of weight for all gemstones. One carat is subdivided into 100 "points". Therefore a diamond measuring 75 points is 3/4 carat in weight, or 0.75ct. There are five carats in a gram. The word "carat" comes from the seed of the carob tree pod which is found in tropical climates. These seeds were used until this century to weigh precious gems.
Clarity.
A diamond's clarity is determined by the number, nature, position, size and colour of internal characteristics called "inclusions" and surface features called "blemishes". These irregularities occured in the liquid magna (volcanic rock) within which the diamond was created. Diamonds are mostly pure carbon, however, during crystallization other minerals nearby, or even other bits of carbon forming more quickly may have become trapped within the cooling mass. These show themselves as the various characteristics which make up the clarity of a diamond (included crystals, feathers, clouds etc). Clarity is measured on a scale ranging from pure (flawless) to heavily included (I-3). The clarity of a diamond is graded by using 10X magnification under good lighting by an experienced grader. The final clarity grade is usually determined by how easy the inclusions and blemishes are for the grader to see.
Colour
Ideally, a diamond should have no colour at all, like a drop of spring water. Increasing degrees of body colour are measured on a scale ranging from no colour at all (D) to deeply coloured (Z). Beyond "Z" is the range where the diamond's colour is vivid and rich, called "fancy colours". Diamonds of known colour are used as comparison stones for colour grading. Grading is done by comparing the diamond to be graded against these "master stones" under either artificial or natural north daylight ( in the Northern Hemisphere). A machine called the "Colorimeter" can be used for colour grading but there is no substitute for the trained human eye.
Cut.
Cut, sometimes the forgotten "C", ensures that a given stone has maximum brilliance and sparkle which would not be the case were the stone cut for weight alone.Simply put, when looking at a diamond, if it doesn't catch your eye or if it doesn't flash in the light, it's probably not well cut. Good cutting is what brings fire to the ice.

Silver jewelry. Gemstone custom beaded jewelry, gem stone wirewrapped and wiresculpted jewelry made from gold and silver. silver bracelets, gold necklaces, gold earrings.

Gold and silver jewellery. Gem stone wire wrapped jewellery, beads jewellery. gemstone wire wrapped,wire sculpted jewellery made from gold and silver. Silver pendants, gold bracelets, silver necklaces and silver earrings.

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Silver jewelry. Gemstone custom beaded jewelry, gem stone wirewrapped and wiresculpted jewelry made from gold and silver. silver bracelets, gold necklaces, gold earrings.

Gold and silver jewellery. Gem stone wire wrapped jewellery, beads jewellery. gemstone wire wrapped,wire sculpted jewellery made from gold and silver. Silver pendants, gold bracelets, silver necklaces and silver earrings.

Handmade Jewelry Boutique

® Auroborea Handmade beaded jewelry.gemstone wire wrapped jewelry,silver jewelry,custom gemstone beaded jewelry.

Handmade
Jewelry Boutique