All About Gold: Types, Karat, Composition, Durability (TKCD)

Stamps:
In the United States of America, it is required by the National Gold and Silver Marking Act of 1906, that all gold products be marked with a stamp of at least 1.5 karat of the stamp. It is considered unlawful to willfully stamp jewelry that is not a certain percent gold. This is the standard of fineness in gold jewelry. If there is ever a time you receive a piece of jewelry from GEMaffair.com that does not have a gold stamp, please contact us so we can have your jewelry appropriately stamped. Mistakes rarely occur, but when they do we will stand by our products.

Gold (Yellow & White):
Gold is by far the most popular type of metal quality used when making jewelry. The most popular karat used in jewelry is 14K. A question we get far too often is, “What’s the difference between karats and what type of karat will last a long time?” If you are measuring a piece of 10K jewelry against one that is 14K, you can expect the 14K weight to be more, because gold is heavier than the other metals mixed with the gold. Pure gold is not typically used in gold jewelry. While it is the most expensive and most malleable type of gold, it is not durable. Listed below are the various components and percentile of gold within yellow gold jewelry

Metal	Percent	Other Components
10K Yellow Gold	41.7%	copper, silver, zinc, nickel
12K Yellow Gold	50%	copper, silver, zinc, nickel
14K Yellow Gold	58.5%	copper, silver, zinc, nickel
16K Yellow Gold	66%	copper, silver, zinc, nickel
18K Yellow Gold	75%	copper, silver, zinc, nickel
20K Yellow Gold	83%	copper, silver, zinc, nickel
22K Yellow Gold	91%	copper, silver, zinc, nickel
24K Yellow Gold	99.9%	copper, silver, zinc, nickel, x<0.1%

White gold is made up of other metallic components in contrast to yellow gold. It was first introduced in an attempt to imitate platinum. While yellow gold is almost always the same components (percent varying) to give it that ‘yellow’ color, white gold describes any gold metal combination with a white hue. Often, platinum will be used for a greater/heavier weight and durability as one of the components of white gold; the percentage of other metals in white gold ranges in percent and type of metal.

White gold can be made up of nickel (which is good for malleability), palladium, manganese, titanium, platinum, and more. The design and type of ring are often predetermined by jewelers before they are made. 22K to 24K white gold bands do not exist. By definition, white gold contains a white hue, and 24K pure gold is a yellow metal. It is difficult to remove all other particles from yellow gold, so pure gold is typically 99.9% gold metal.

Metal	Percent	Other Components
10K White Gold	41.7%	usually nickel, palladium or manganese
12K White Gold	50%	usually nickel, palladium or manganese
14K White Gold	58.5%	usually nickel, palladium or manganese
16K White Gold	66%	usually nickel, palladium or manganese
18K White Gold	75%	usually nickel, palladium or manganese
20K White Gold	83%	usually nickel, palladium or manganese
22K White Gold	91%	Does not exist
24K White Gold	100%	CANNOT COMPUTE, DOES NOT EXIST

Next UP in PART II, we will cover PURPLE gold as well as a brief history and explanation for why 10K gold in Brazil is still considered gold, but in Europe the lowest gold rating is 18K. Tune in and subscribe!

Does it hurt to get your ears pierced?

I’m often asked if it hurts to get your ears pierced.My reply is, “no, it’s a quick and painless process.”I always fail to recollect – possibly as a defense mechanism – my first experience with the ear piercing gun.

I was ten or eleven years old and my mother took me to get my ears pierced at the piercing pagoda at the Cranberry Mall in Pennsylvania.I was nervous, but excited as I perused the earring selection.Even then I was overly concerned about choosing a style that would complement everything.I settled on a simple yet classic pair of sterling silver ball stud earrings.

As I pointed out my selection to my mother, a teenage girl wearing a New Kids on the Block t-shirt walked over.She lauded my choice in an effort to ease my obvious anxiety and reassured me that, “it’s over real fast; you won’t feel a thing.”

She handed me a teddy bear as we walked over to high bar stool that loomed over my small frame.I politely refused the teddy bear, and much to my mother’s chagrin, the hand she offered in comfort.I wasn’t a baby.I would be able to do this without a stuffed animal or my momma.

The young girl drew on my ears with a pen and, handing me a mirror, asked if they were straight.I nodded without really looking and set the mirror face down on my lap.I wanted to get this over with.Perceiving my urgency, she looked at my mother who nodded once.That was the universal signal for “Go” and proceeded to ready the gun.

The gun. The ear piercing gun.Why did it have to be a “gun?”Shooting earrings into the head is insane.Even as a kid, I remember thinking that whoever decided to call their invention a “piercing gun” was an idiot.It did not ease my fear.

“Take a deep breath in and let it out slowly,” the girl said as she clamped the plastic contraption over my tiny ears.What torture.I took a breath and before my lungs were even full I heard a loud POP!The first side was done.A piece of metal just went through my entire ear and it didn’t even hurt.Since she literally jumped the gun the last time, I was a bit more hesitant.She didn’t even let me get a full breath.I forged ahead though; I didn’t want just one side.That would be worse than holding a teddy bear.

She walked around the high chair to the other side and zeroed in on her mark.She steadied her aim using my shoulder as a tripod and repeated the instructions.POP!The other was done.I had pierced ears.I picked the mirror and admired the two silver earrings that framed my face.For some reason, it scared me.A high school student just stuck pins through my ears and now I have holes in my head.

Perhaps I was an alarmist child, but it runs in the family.

I stood up.It felt weird.My skin got hot.My vision skewed.I took a step.It got worse.I panicked and took off.

For reasons I’ve never understood, I always ran when I was about to pass out.It was as if fleeing the environment would stop me from fainting.I’m not sure what my reasoning was, but that was the last time I ever did it.

I woke up on the floor, both my mother’s colorful sweater and the New Kids on the Block stared down at me.The girl looked terrified and was asking if I needed a doctor, ice, water, the bear, anything.Apparently, in my frantic effort to leave the premise, I passed out and hit the display wall on the way down.Getting my ears pierced certainly did not hurt, but the injury I sustained after the fact did.I had a half-inch gash above my right eye where I collided with one of the metal stands.

It wasn’t very deep, but left a small scar.Now I never run when I get the faint feeling.I stop, drop, and avoid head injury.

Next time a little girl asks me about the ear piercing process, however, I think I will keep my answer as, “No, it doesn’t hurt a bit.It’s over real fast.”We don’t need more alarmist children running around malls and falling into jewelry displays do we?