Gold
Gold is a beautiful, malleable, and strong yellow metal. In its pure form (24k gold), however, gold is too soft for everyday wear. For this reason, it is combined with other metal alloys (such as copper, nickel, and silver) in different proportions to make it more durable. Because gold jewelry tends to be fashioned in lower purities of metal (compared with platinum jewelry, for example) the price is lower than if it were in pure gold. White gold has more white metals alloyed in it, while rose has more copper. Gold does not tarnish. Ten karat gold is just over 41 percent gold, 14k is just over 58 percent pure, and 18k is 75 percent pure. White gold is plated in rhodium, a platinum group metal that makes it “whiter” and more lustrous than it would be without that plating; however, the rhodium plating wears off over time and needs to be re-plated. This improves the piece’s appearance and lessens the possibility of an allergic reaction when the rhodium wears off.
