All About Gold

All About Gold

Is that a 10-karat diamond set in 19-carat gold? Or a 19-carat diamond set in 10-karat gold?

Okay, trick question. The words “karat” and “carat,” which sound alike, are a frequent source of confusion. So, with the price of gold at record highs and legions of people looking to turn their old jewelry into cash, it’s essential to know the precise meaning of such terms.

Karat with a “k” is a measure of purity for gold. The higher the number, the closer to pure gold it is. In the Western Hemisphere, gold purity is always referred to as karat with a “k”. The number preceding karat stands for the purity or fineness, as it’s also known, of the gold used. A “24” means pure gold, very rarely used for jewelry because it’s so soft.

In American usage, carat with a “c” is a measure of weight, used for precious stones. One carat equals 200 milligrams, whether the gem being weighed is a diamond, emerald, sapphire, natural pearl, or other jewel. (In Australia and most other British Commonwealth countries, “ct” is used as an abbreviation referring to gold.)

The Gold Standard

In the Western Hemisphere, gold is marked with one or two numerals plus “K” or “kt” (as in, 14K or 14kt gold). The British Commonwealth (other than Canada) uses the same numbers followed by “ct” or “c”. European countries use three numbers that indicate the amount of pure gold in parts per thousand.

Most gold jewelry is made in one of the following karat weights:

-10K, 10 ct, 416: 41.6 percent pure gold. This is the minimum standard that can be sold as gold in the United States. Jewelry made from gold of this purity is less expensive. It won’t tarnish easily, as the lower-karat gold, (8K and 9K), made in some other countries will.

-14K, 14ct, 585: 58.5 percent pure gold. The most popular standard of purity found in jewelry made in the United States and Asian pieces made for export.

-18K, 18ct, 750: 75 percent pure gold. The standard for high-end and custom-made jewelry, and the usual purity for all European jewelry except for some pieces intended for export.

-22K, 22ct, 916: 91.6 percent pure gold. Mostly found in jewelry made in India, Asia, and the Middle East. Because of the extremely small quantity of other metals used in the alloy, this high-karat gold is expensive, very soft and very yellow in color.

Gold jewelry is occasionally found in 8, 9, 12, 15, 16 or 17 karat, seen mainly in antique and vintage pieces and/or jewelry made outside the United States. To determine the purity of such an item, the math is simple. Each karat equals 1 part 24 of pure gold. For an item marked 15K, multiply the fraction 15/24 by 1,000. The answer is 625, or 62.5 percent pure gold.

The markings on damaged, very old, or badly worn jewelry may be hard to find and hard to distinguish. However if it’s gold, you should be able to find the hallmark or stamp using a jeweler’s loupe or a magnifying glass.

All That Glitters

Throughout history, gold has been highly prized. Because it has always been rare and expensive, various methods of placing gold over cheaper metals have been developed.

Many shiny pieces of jewelry as well as certain small objects – compacts and cigarette cases, for example – may bear a mark such as GF (gold-filled) or EP (electroplated), or they may be described with terms like “rolled gold” or “gold plate”. The processes place a microscopically thin layer of gold over brass or another base metal.

Gold filled, rolled gold, gold rolled and gold overlay are terms for an industrial process that uses high temperatures and great pressure to weld a thin sheet of gold (minimum 10K) to a base of brass or nickel.

Gold filled and gold-rolled jewelry is marked according to strict regulations. A typical markings on a gold-filled piece would be “1/20 14K GF,” meaning 1/20^th (or 5 percent) of the total weight of the item in 14k gold.

Rolled gold contains less than 5 percent gold, and will be marked something like “1/40 10K RGP.” That indicates that 1/40^th (or 2 1/2percent of the total weight) is 10K gold.

The thickness of the gold layer depends on how much wear the object is likely to get. Chains and eyeglass frames typically have 20 microns of gold, while watches and bracelets generally receive 30 to 150 microns. High quality gold-filled and gold-rolled objects remain bright for many years, and usually can be repaired if slightly damaged.

Gold plate refers to an electroplating process that deposits a layer of gold plate on top of a metal. Pieces made this way are less expensive than rolled or filled gold, but the gold layer is much thinner and less durable, and can’t be polished or repaired if damaged.

Vermeil, (a French term pronounced vermeil), is a technique that bonds or electroplates a layer on minimum 10K gold over a base of sterling silver. Better vermeil pieces are plated with 14K or higher. The gold can be as thin as 2.5 microns, so inexpensive vermeil does not wear well.

Gold-filled jewelry is at most 5 percent gold by total weight. Gold rolled, gold plate, and vermeil contain even smaller amounts of gold, and so unless you have a very large quantity, it’s not practical to attempt to recover the precious metal content.

And as for “gold tone” jewelry? Tempting words, but they describe something that contains no gold at all.

Excerpted from a piece by Jane Viator in Antiques Roadshow Insider, Vol. 9, Number 6, June 2009.

Luang Prabang, Laos

Luang Prabang, Laos


Laos is not an easy place to get to, but once you are there its beauty and the hospitality of the locals will take your breath away. I was traveling in Hong Kong and Southern China purchasing for Designcenters.com before I went to Luang Prubang, Laos, and while it still took a couple of flights and many, many hours – it was well worth it.

Laos is a country composed of 68 tribal ethnic groups, and the people are primarily farmers, but many earn extra income by selling handmade goods. The city of Luang Prubang is a magnificent ancient city, known for its beautiful scenery and sites. At the city’s delightful outdoor “night market” I found many beautiful crafts to bring back home.

Every afternoon around four, a hundred rural and urban families carry their crafts in large bags to the market. Some come long distances in the back of big, packed trucks. On the main street the artists lay down blankets, upon which they carefully and neatly display their wares. Silk scarves, wool scarves, pillow cases, duvets, aprons, slippers, and all types of children’s products are just a few of the handmade crafts these families make .

It is mostly women selling in the marketplace and they often have small children with them. The hand sewn storybooks I brought back were being read to children. The duvets and pillowcases the artists create make a perfect gift for a baby or small child, along with the little jackets and aprons. I happen to love the scarves and wear them in any season. Some are a blend of raw silk and wool while others are 100% silk.

Besides the handmade goods and the great photo ops, there are many other things to do in Luang Prubang. The city has beautiful galleries, a local museum, and is packed with old temples, each teeming with young novice monks anxious to practice their English with you.

Speaking of English, the community children’s book publishing organization, Big Brother Mouse is here, and you can donate your time teaching the locals English, helping them with their computer skills or helping with book editing. (I had heard about Big Brother Mouse because our photographer at Designcenters.com donates 10% of her proceeds to them.)

Overall I had a great time in Laos, and found the people and their products beautiful and fascinating. I quickly sold out of alot of the products I brought back from my trip upon my return. Luckily, our photographer just came back with many more wonderful handicrafts, now available on our website and in the gallery.

Enjoy shopping at http://www.designcenters.com/default.aspx. Our gallery is open Thurs-Sun, noon-six. Or call us at 1-800-570-1120 if you'd like to make an appointment for another time.

Santa Fe, NM

Joe and Other Artists in Santa Fe, NM

Santa Fe is known for both its natural beauty and its artists. During my visit there I found an abundance of both.

My first morning in town, I stopped at a coffee shop run by a Native American named Joe. (Shouldn’t all coffee shops be run by a guy named Joe? Isn’t that where the term cup-o-joe comes from?) This being Santa Fe, it turns out that Joe does more than sell a cup of coffee; he’s also a musician and an artist. He told me great stories including one about being on the cover of National Geographic in his younger days. So before even finishing my first breakfast I’d bought some artwork for the gallery – see the picture below.

The rest of Santa Fe has some great galleries, unusual places to see and buy great art, jewelry and other gifts. The center of town has many great galleries where I met too many fascinating artists to list. One can certainly not pass up seeing the great Georgia O’Keefe museum – but I don’t think they’re selling any of her originals there! In town there is also a great farmer's market selling food and handmade items by the local artists.

Outside of town there is very large flea market – just off of Flea Market road. And like the farmer’s market, the flea market sells more than fleas. Of particular interest at the flea market was the many people selling jewelry with turquoise, which is a wonderful stone that comes in a wide variety of quality, types and prices – so beware of fakes. At this market there were also people selling homegrown lavender, soaps, lotions, clothing, and a dizzying array of things, including some great pottery. I bought several pieces made by a local artist. I also bought pottery made by members of the Navajo tribe, (see pictures below). Each comes with a certificate of authenticity. Unfortunately, I underestimated the appeal these would have in the gallery, and I’ve sold most of these pieces – but that just gives me a reason to go back soon to get more of these one-of-a-kind pieces, to explore more of the region and its artists, and of course, to say “Hi” to Joe, and to see his new work.

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