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| Diamonds and Gold Precious Metal Facts -- |
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gold we use to make jewelry is an alloy -- a blend of metals to make
Karat golds stronger and the gold color prettier. Pure 24 karat gold is
very orange in appearance and very soft (Remember the old movies where the gold miners bit into the gold nuggets?) |
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White
gold has a natural yellow undertone and is finished with a rhodium
plating to enhance the white or silver color. This eventually wears off
and shows this slight yellow shade. It also can be easily redone.
Platinum
is naturally white, much heavier and does not need the plating. It is
also non allergenic as there is no nickle in the metal. Being much more
rare than gold and used in a nearly pure form, Platinum costs 3-5 times
the price of gold.
Palladium is a great alternative to both
platinum and white gold. It is a platinum group metal, stays white and
is priced similar to 18 karat gold.
Chlorines and bleaches are
very bad for your precious metals; they attack the alloy and cause
discoloration and porosity, also removing rhodium and can damage many
gemstones.
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