| Precious metals are ideal for creating beautiful | | | | percentages of gold and higher proportions of |
| jewelry due in part to their resistance to | | | | other metals. |
| corrosion. Since precious metals have an | | | | -Silver: Second to gold in malleability and ductility, |
| unreactive and oxidation-resistant nature, they fall | | | | silver is anther precious metal popular for use in |
| into the category of noble metals. Such precious | | | | jewelry. Silver is also commonly alloyed with other |
| metals with which you may be familiar include | | | | metals to create jewelry, with the popular sterling |
| gold, silver, and platinum, but palladium, rhodium, | | | | silver consisting of a combination of 92.5 percent |
| iridium, osmium and ruthenium are other precious | | | | silver with a relatively small 7.5 percent of another |
| metals commonly incorporated into jewelry such | | | | metal, typically copper. Being a superior conductor |
| as diamond rings, eternity rings, promise rings and | | | | of heat and electricity, silver has numerous |
| right hand rings. The system of measurement for | | | | applications beyond jewelry making, such as coins, |
| the weight of precious metals is troy weight, in | | | | dentistry tools, silverware, film and electronics. |
| which one troy ounce equates to approximately | | | | Platinum: Rarer than silver and gold, platinum is a |
| 1.1 standard ounces and twelve ounces make up | | | | durable precious metal common for eternity rings, |
| one troy pound. Precious metals can be combined | | | | engagement rings and wedding bands due to its |
| to form what are known as alloys, often for the | | | | resilience even with constant use. Iridium, |
| purpose of reducing cost or producing a metal | | | | palladium, ruthenium, rhodium and osmium are |
| sturdier than any one element alone. Here we | | | | other precious metals in the Platinum Group of |
| examine the major precious metals used in the | | | | Metals, which occur together naturally. Palladium is |
| crafting of fine jewelry: | | | | the metal often mixed with yellow gold to make |
| -Gold: The most malleable and ductile of the | | | | white gold, and rodium is used extensively to |
| precious metals, gold can be readily flattened into | | | | plate white gold to give it that extra white |
| thin sheets and stretched into thin wire, which | | | | brightness. The metals in the Platinum Group of |
| makes it a versatile and popular choice for | | | | Metals are resilient, tarnish resistant and stable, |
| jewelry creation. Gold is often alloyed with other | | | | making them popular for use not only in jewelry |
| metals for cost reduction and to increase the | | | | but also in numerous industrial processes such as |
| strength of the final product. In pure form, gold is | | | | crude oil refining and automobile manufacturing. |
| measured in troy weight, but as an alloy with | | | | The end price of jewelry that can be attributed |
| other metals its weight is measured in karats. For | | | | to precious metals depends not just on the |
| gold, the karat weight specifies the amount of | | | | pureness and rarity of the metal, but also the |
| pure gold present, with 24 karat being pure gold | | | | craftsperson's skill level, the intricacy of the piece |
| and smaller karat weights designating lower | | | | and labor. |