Jewellery, Precious Metals and Gemstones

Body Jewellery Shop
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Jewellery FAQ

What is the difference between fine jewellery and costume jewellery?

Generally speaking, fine jewellery is far more expensive than costume jewellery. Fine jewellery is set with genuine gemstones such as diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires, whereas costume jewellery may be set with cubic zirconias, semi-prescious gemstones or glass beads.

In addition, costume jewellery may be made from non precious metals, whereas fine jewellery is usually made from gold, silver or platinum.

Of course, nothing is black and white and it is common to find cubic zirconias set in precious metal, for example.

Most people are content to own a few fine jewellery pieces, eg their engagement ring, a diamond pendant bought as an anniversary present to match. However, if you need several pieces of jewellery to match different outfits, you are likely to buy a number of costume jewellery pieces. Current advances in the production of artificial gemstones and electroplating technology have made costume jewellery an option for many occasions.

Also see amber jewellery.

What are the different properties of gold, silver and platinum?

Gold

Gold is a precious metal and in its natural state is a very soft metal that it easy to shape. It is a good conductor of electricity. Gold does not dissolve in nitric acid, whereas most other metals do. Historically, nitric acid has been used to confirm that a metal is indeed gold.

Gold is naturally a yellow colour, but can take on different colours when mixed with other metals to become an alloy. It is often mixed with other metals to increase its hardness and durability. 24ct gold is 100% gold and is always yellow. 9ct gold is called 375 as it is actually 37.5% gold, ie 9/24.

Silver

Silver is also easy to work and a good conductor of electricity, but it is slightly harder than gold. It is naturally very shiny when polished, but it is prone to tarnishing. Sterling silver is an alloy of silver and copper, with the percentage of silver being 92.5%. Silver is a lot cheaper in price than gold.

Platinum

Platinum is the most expensive of the precious metals used for fine jewellery, costing about twice the price of gold. It is slightly greyer in colour than silver, durable and does not tarnish.

Terms applied to none precious metals:

• Gold plated - The base metal that the jewellery has been made from has been coated with a very thin layer of gold. This gold layer may wear off over time to reveal the base metal underneath.
• Gold filled - A gold plated piece of jewellery can be described as gold filled if the amount of gold used for the plating weighs 0.05% or more of the total weight of the metal. Gold filled jewellery pieces are plated with a much thicker layer of gold than standard gold plated pieces, and are thus less likely to reveal the base metal underneath. Gold filled jewellery is more commonly available in the US than in the UK.
• Rolled gold - means the same as gold plated.