Precious Metals: Gold With its beautiful color and unique versatility, it's no wonder gold has been a valued jewelry metal for centuries. Pure gold is too soft to be used for jewelry so it is combined with other metals to increase its strength. Depending on the metal, the color of pure gold can change to white, pink and even green. The standard measurement of gold is the Karat. Gold Marks Add Chart Minimum Gold Content To be called gold, there are minimum gold content. It varies by where you are, but in United States, item must be at least 10K and in England and Canada 9K and in Italy and France 18K Add Chart What causes skin discoloration with some gold jewelry? Pure gold does not change in color or tarnish and it won't discolor the skin. But when alloy is used to mix with gold, the gold can change and oxidize. Also humans fat or acids in perspiration can start this change in gold. It usually gets worse in warm and damp areas where lots of salt is in the air. Sometimes, womans makeup can start the problem. How to solve discoloration in gold? 1. Make a habit of removing jewelry often and cleaning the skin and jewelry. 2. Use soft cloth to wipe and clean jewelry to remove tarnish. 3. Try to switch to higher gold content jewelry. When you have discoloration gold problem in 14k gold, try to switch it to 18k gold. What is gold coatings? Jewelry or item less than solid 14k is considered as costume jewelry. Anything less than 10k is definitely is costume jewelry. Also you may run into term such as gold plated or vermeil jewelry. Vermeil jewelry comes into two part. When its vintage or antique jewelry and if its from abroad, vermeil means gold coated on bronze, brass, copper or other cheaper material. Here is the simple figure for you to understand difference between types of gold.

When gold filled is concerned, it means 1/20th of the total weight of the piece or more. So in a sense, gold filled is better than gold plated jewelry. Gold plated jewelry is consisted of 100 millionth of an inch is chemically electronically plated. If your jewelry is a gold-flashed� or a gold-washed means its plating is thinner than 7 millionths of an inch. Platinum Platinum has become an extremely popular jewelry metal, especially for rings. Its natural white color is a beautiful complement to diamonds, while its rarity also makes it highly valued. Compared to gold, platinum is five times as rare and weighs much more. It is also tarnish-resistant and hypoallergenic. Latinum is a white metal, but unlike gold it is used in jewelry in almost its pure form (approximately 95% pure). Platinum is extremely long wearing and is very white, so it does not need to be rhodium plated like white gold does. Platinum is very dense and heavy metal, so a platinum ring will feel heavier than an 18k gold ring. Platinum wedding ring-platinum is, however, significantly more expensive than gold. With all other things being the same, a platinum ring will be approximately twice the price of an 18k white gold ring. Platinum is a prestige choice and is often chosen for its sophisticated appeal and popularity amongst the rich and famous. Platinum is normally not used in the full range of jewelry products due to its higher price. Platinum is mainly used in mens wedding bands and womens engagement rings, ladies wedding rings and men's wedding rings. Platinum can also be used to make dress rings, though it is not commonly used to make earrings, pendants, bracelets or necklaces. Other Metals Aside from gold, platinum there are several other beautiful metals used for jewelry. Titanium, stainless steel and tungsten have recently gained popularity. Titanium is a lightweight metal admired for its supreme strength. Stainless steel is less likely to rust and tarnish than other metals. Tungsten is also a very strong metal that's resistant to corrosion and easy to maintain. Metal Care When it comes to caring for your metal, it's important to remember that every metal is different. While little maintenance is needed for durable metals such as tungsten, other metals require some attention. For instance, platinum is a strong metal but is susceptible to scratches. Getting your platinum buffed every six months is recommended. You can also remove build-up with jewelry cleaner or mild soap and water. Gold is another metal that needs gentle care. Soap film easily builds on the surface of gold, so it's best to remove your gold jewelry before showering or using household cleaners or chemicals. Chlorine has also been known weaken gold, causing it to break more easily. Placing your gold jewelry in a solution containing a few drops of ammonia, mild detergent and warm water will bring back its shine. Rubbing alcohol can also be used to remove grease and body oil from gold jewelry.