Gold Necklaces

Though lately there have been a few entries added to the short list of precious metals, like platinum and palladium, there are reasons why gold still leads the list as having the most universal appeal. For jewelry necklaces, the recent addition is platinum, which is a very celebrated material. Platinum is several times more durable than gold. Since platinum is more rare and difficult to extract and process, its much more expensive compared to gold, a rather useful aspect when appraising the value of the gem. In the visual aesthetics, platinum can look as elegant as white gold and as resistant to tarnish. It’s a fact that platinum is fast becoming the de facto standard for precious metal jewelry. Is there reason to still buy gold necklaces?

But of course,

Of all the precious metals, while gold is still very rare enough to merit it as precious metal, it is the most widespread to allow store of value, a one aspect lacking to most precious metals including platinum. This prevalence earned it to the universal appeal as jewelry.

The classic choice for jewelry is still gold. That’s getting gold necklaces is still the best investment you could make, as it was once upon a time ago.

The value of gold necklaces is judged according to their Carat (abbreviated ct or commonly k); this is the unit measurement for the purity of gold in the gold alloy and platinum on platinum jewelries. Gold is a soft metal, so when used on jewelries, they are alloyed with other metals to lend structural strength, while in an indirect way also lower the price a fraction. Gold necklaces come in 14K, 18K, and 24K; lesser than 14K will result to a sub par quality jewel and higher than 24K will result to a weaker structural integrity of the gold necklace. In India, a rarer alloy combination of 22K on yellow gold necklaces is popular, as evident in their prevalent taste in gold coin necklaces that has humongous pendant.

So that leaves the option 18K as the best in between for gold necklaces. Not too soft to prevent it to be worn casually and not too slack in value that the gold necklace won’t gain the importance it deserves. And I always vouch for 18K gold necklace, all the more since quality makes are usually along this carat line.

By the way, it is a common misconception that 14K gold necklaces are far stronger than the 18K one, since the former contains a bigger ratio of a stronger metal. It really depends on the metal it’s mixed with. An important thing to consider is that the harder the jewel becomes the brittle it consequentially gets, though again, it all depends on what metal was added.

One design I would like to reach your attention. It’s the Mokume Gane design. This Japanese design is one of the most pursued metal craft designs. Jewelries made in Mokume Gane is always expensive even though it may lack inset stones. That is because making Mokume Gane metals is still very rare, and the jewelers that can do this are spaced very widely apart. If you see a Mokume Gane, take it because chances are you won’t be finding anymore anywhere.

Mokume Gane is a Japanese metallurgy concept that surfaced for quite some time already, in fact in ancient Feudal Japan. The Mokume Gane is a metal crafting technique that involves several metals fused during the forging to produce a gold material that has “grains” in them. Rings, necklaces, and any jewelry type made in Mokume Gane are always assured to sell high.