Some Thoughts on Gold

[AGBF]

I think we need a forum for talking about precious metals and jewelry available in those metals. I don''t usually post in "jewelry pieces", so I find myself discussing gold (my metal of choice) in many different fora: Rocky Talky; Diamond Hangout; and here in Colored Stones. The threads are in so many different places that I can only find them by doing a seach for a key word!

I have gotten very interested in so-called "high karat" gold. I do not know if I am just reflecting a trend in society (i.e. if this is becoming in vogue) or if I am suddenly noticing that high karat gold is in fashion because I am so much more attuned to it.

I went into Neiman Marcus and saw some high karat gold jewelry by a French designer. I see that Bergdorf Goodman also has some (extraordinarily expensive) pieces of 22K (I think) jewelry for sale. Shop NBC on the web has a "24K Gold Collection" that is Chinese-inspired. I am seeing 19K-24K gold everywhere! Yet no one has the pieces I am looking for! Have I found an under-supplied market niche? High karat gold in styles an American woman would wear that is moderately priced?

Deborah

 

[Petra]

Well I think you''re seeing the fruits of "bohemian chic" which is the current flavor in the fashion industry.

If you want 22Kt gold just go to any jewlery store that caters to Indians or Asians, they sell by the weight.

 

[AGBF]

Date: 4/29/2005 4:56:16 PM
Author: Petra
If you want 22Kt gold just go to any jewlery store that caters to Indians or Asians, they sell by the weight.

Well, that's what I did to get my one pair of 22K earrings, but the shop I found was not large and did not have the more western pieces with which I usually feel more comfortable. Uh...where did bohemian chic come from?

Deborah

 

[movie zombie]

in the last week while shopping i''ve stopped a couple of indian women to ask about their gorgeous jewelry....22K. i was under the impression it was too soft for every day wear. but the young woman i spoke with said she has no problems and wears hers all the time. it was rather large. the gold really does have a look to it that i really like.

i did a search on the internet for 22K gold but didn''t come up with much. are their problems with working with 22K gold?

peace, movie zombie

 

[AGBF]

Date: 4/30/2005 3:18

1 AM
Author: movie zombie
i did a search on the internet for 22K gold but didn''t come up with much. are their problems with working with 22K gold?

I cannot answer that, but since Asian jewelers *DO* work in it all the time, I suspect that it is perfectly *possible* to work in it and that if there were a market for it that jewelers would use it in western jewelry, too. It is not only softer than gold mixed with more alloys, it is also heavier. So it has its deficits. If you love the look, though, you love the look!

Deb

 

[Petra]

Uh...where did bohemian chic come from?

From people who were board with being white? I donno, but it is all the rage this year. Never have I felt to trendy for marrying an Indian! Or are you asking why I brought it up? If that is the case that''s because bohemian chic takes aspects of indian fashions, and part of this is that Indians tend to wear high karat gold so you''re seeing high karat gold in the stores now.

You''re right you''re not going to find any western things in a jewelry store that caters to Indians.

As for long term wear, my mother has some 22kt gold that the Greek side of our family gave to her when they got married and it has lasted for 37 years.

 

[movie zombie]

pk, petra, if its good enough to last 37 years then its got to be able to hold up. count me in for being in the market for 22K gold rings!

peace,movie zombie

ps any pricescopers out there that work with 22K gold?

 

[AGBF]

Date: 4/30/2005 8:46:55 AM
Author: Petra

Uh...where did bohemian chic come from?

From people who were board with being white? I donno, but it is all the rage this year. Never have I felt to trendy for marrying an Indian! Or are you asking why I brought it up? If that is the case that''s because bohemian chic takes aspects of indian fashions, and part of this is that Indians tend to wear high karat gold so you''re seeing high karat gold in the stores now.

I had never heard of bohemian chic, although I did hear of "bohemians'' in Greenwich Village in the 1950s who were part of the beat generation! So I needed the entire lesson you provided above and, in fact, would love to hear more about the phenomenon. My fashion sense was frozen years ago and my daughter is still so young (12) that all she wears is Abercrombie and Fitch. The haute couture trends pass me by!

Deb, anxious to hear more!

 

[AGBF]

Since the Internet let me down with its choices of high karat gold jewelry pieces, I decided to try the yellow pages. I made a list of stores with names that sounded Asian, including one store that did not have an Asian name but which said it had 18K and 22K pieces. I made a few phone calls about hours and then decided to take a ride. My daughter came along, but not dressed to go into a store (pj bottoms, a T-shirt, and pink, fluffy, bedroom slippers). I tried a store called Allure in Chantilly, Virginia and although they did not have earrings in th beaded look I wanted, they said they could make them! The 'net jewelers I contacted had not been willing to make up anything to order! I have to post a photo of my one pair of 22K earrings, as I have been planning to do. I discussed them in a couple of other threads, too, including this one!

Deborah

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

I have a favorite haunt in (China) town where I buy 24K jewellery--but most of it is traditional; although they are willing to (try) make most pieces you describe. I recently had a cushion cut tourmaline set there. However, the most "chic" 22K jewellery I recall seeing to date, was in the G. Jensen studiio in Copenhagen. Impossibly beautiful handcrafted stuff....

cheers--Sharon

 

[movie zombie]

well, well, well....george jensen and ''high'' karat gold....! i already like the jewelry coming from george jensen...not the price tag though! will check it out. thanks for the tip!

peace, movie zombie

 

[AGBF]

...meanwhile, back at the ranch!

Today I bought my daughter a pair of 22K huggies (a kind of earring) in one Asian jewelry store and an 18K heart necklace that coordinated very well with it in *another* Indian jewelry shop!

Deb

 

[Sagebrush]

22k gold is softer and more pliable than 14-18k but if the item is heavy enough and if it is worked by hand, tempering the metal, it is quite acceptable for use in jewelry.

Much of the "fad" for 22k is based on the fact that it is almost impossible to use the granulation technique (tiny balls of pure gold) to create designs in the "Etruscan Revival" style. Granulation is a technique that was used throughout the Mediterranian from about 4,000 BC, the Etruscans were the true masters of it often creatiing pieces with intricate designs using thousands of tiny gold beads. These beads are fused to the surface of the metal without the use of solder resulting in a crisp looking design. True granulation is practiced by a number of American craftspersons.

One caveat: 22k is quite orangy and is not always flattering to caucasion skin and for this reason has not generally been popular in the West. Personally I prefer 18k as it is more durable and overtime develops a beautiful buttery patina.

We use it often in married metals pieces to extend the palatte allowing us to use multiple colors and textures in a piece.

 

[AGBF]

Date: 5/2/2005 12:12:51 PM
Author: Richard W. Wise
One caveat: 22k is quite orangy and is not always flattering to caucasion skin and for this reason has not generally been popular in the West. Personally I prefer 18k as it is more durable and overtime develops a beautiful buttery patina.

Thanks for the input, Richard. I came across your name on a bibliography while researching gold, by the way .

Hest88 said in one thread that she did not like the 24K gold her family uses because she does not feel it is flattering to her. I think (and other people seem to think) that the bright gold is *extremely* flattering to me! I would never have guessed that it would be, but it turned out to be once I put on some 22K earrings!

I have very fair, pink-toned skin and freckles. I have hazel/green eyes and blonde eyebrows and eyelashes. My (naturally almost black) hair is colored light, ash blonde. I have almost no color at all if I don't have on makeup (which I usually don't wear).

When I put on the sparkling, very bright earrings they just make me glow. One jeweler actually asked me if I thought I'd be able to wear rose gold (why the heck not?), because I seemed to be such a yellow gold person.

You can't get more "Caucasian" than me. Maybe on some coloring it doesn't work, but I don't know why it wouldn't work!

Deb

 

[AGBF]

Richard,

What is the technique used on the surface of these earrings? I have noticed that it is common in Indian jewelry.

Deborah

 

[Sagebrush]

Deb,

Beautiful jewelry on a beautiful woman, what could be more appropriate! Can''t really see the earrings, image is a bit fuzzy. Everyone''s skin is different and all generalizations are false. The whole question of matching of jewels and skin types what I call "sympatico" is particularly relevant in matching pearls. Its not how it looks in the window but rather how it works with your skin.

Would be interested in knowing what bibliography I showed up in.

 

[AGBF]

Date: 5/3/2005 7:50:36 AM
Author: Richard W. Wise
Would be interested in knowing what bibliography I showed up in.

If I see it again, Richard, I will make a note of where I saw it. Sometimes when I decide to research something I go all over the map and then don''t have a clue where I came across something. I''m sorry about that. I would be going wild if someone told me he had seen my name and then couldn''t recall where! What I *do* recall was that it was with other gemologists/gold connoisseurs and I noticed it because...well, I "know" you, but also because I associate you with colored stones and I was researching gold. I was surprised to see you mentioned on a site discussing gold.

Deb

 

[AGBF]

I just had a phone conversation with Tom Pryor whose website is:

23kgold.com.

Tom and his Thai wife are now living in Prescott, Arizona but hope to spend part of each year in Thailand. I had found his website interesting and found our phone call even more so. I am hoping he will join in the discussions here on Pricescope! I am buying a pair of 18K earrings from him for my daughter. When I told him I did not know that the Thai people worked in 18K gold, he said that apparently they have been doing so for far longer than they knew...some Thai gold of lower purity has been marked as higher purity for years!

Deborah

 

[Sagebrush]

Deborah,
Started off as a goldsmith and that is what my company does. We specialize in handmade originals. Gems became a passion a bit later.

 

[AGBF]

Date: 5/3/2005 1:37:30 PM
Author: Richard W. Wise
Started off as a goldsmith and that is what my company does. We specialize in handmade originals. Gems became a passion a bit later.

Aha! The plot thickens! I am so enamoured of gold, especially gold mesh, that I could keep several goldsmiths employed full-time just making jewelry for *me*. Well, that is I could if I had a bit more money with which to *pay* said goldsmiths. But mine are *fantasy* goldsmiths...spinning gold into mesh and being paid with dew drops or cookies or something .

Hugs,
Deb

 

[AGBF]

I am still looking at high karat gold jewelry all the time. I have found some websites and designers I really like. I keep seeing the name "Gurhan" on pieces of 24K gold jewelry. I love these Gurhan earrings!

Deb

 

[movie zombie]

i really like those earrings! have you posted all the designers/websites you''ve found with high gold?

peace, movie zombie

 

[AGBF]

Date: 5/22/2005 5:04:20 PM
Author: movie zombie
i really like those earrings! have you posted all the designers/websites you've found with high gold?

No. I needed some encouragement to do so. When I discuss gold, I hear my voice echoing off the walls .

Deb

 

[AGBF]

I also loved this 24K hammered gold ring, but would not buy it unless I planned only to wear it (with other 24K jewelry) for very special occasions. I think a 24K ring is just too soft to wear casually, although I *could* see casually wearing 24K earrings! In fact, I think this ring, the earrings above, and perhaps a matching necklace would look great with a little black dress!

Deb

 

[lonewoodminer]

Hi

We are designing and making some gold products at the moment and I asked my maker about 22k or 24k gold.
It seems there are no problems in making almost any design from this as long as the user is aware of the softness of the finished product.What sort of designs are you interested in?

Cheers Andrew Lane
www.aussiesapphire.com.au

 

[AGBF]

Date: 5/23/2005 6:25:54 AM
Author: lonewoodminer
It seems there are no problems in making almost any design from this as long as the user is aware of the softness of the finished product.What sort of designs are you interested in?

I am interested in many different designs. I keep coming back to earrings since I feel that those are the most protected pieces of jewelry. I love the earrings pictured above. There is a pair I mentioned in another thread with a curtain of beads that I also love. I''ll post a picture of them below. (I asked a jeweler to make those in 22K, but he couldn''t get the beads for it. He said he could do it in 18K.) I would like some knot earrings. Gee...I see tons of pieces I would like! I also love *MESH* jewelry.

Deb

 

[AGBF]

I wanted these made up in 22K *yellow* gold (the pair pictured is 22K white gold). The Gold Palace, where I found these, could not or was not interested in finding these. (I believe they import their jewelry.) A local (Indian) jeweler who makes jewelry on the premises said he could make them in 22K, but then couldn''t find 22K beads. I think these would be fabulous in 22K or 24K yellow gold!

Deb

 

[AGBF]

I have been assuming that the earrings above are made from tiny beads since most earrings with that look (see below) *are* made from tiny beads.

Deb

 

[valeria101]

How about platinum beads AGBF ? These just happened to be in my way

Christian Tse pieces don't come out in estate sales very ofen... there were a surprise. There might be copycats out there, I just do not know any.

Are the earrings you posted last are made of bead chain ? If so, the material is widely available in the usual 14k and 18k, but I have yet to see any made of high carat gold (if even feasible). Chunky designs are allot more likely than feathery lace because the metal is so soft.

 

[AGBF]

Date: 5/23/2005 9:40:56 AM
Author: valeria101
Are the earrings you posted last are made of bead chain ?

Hi, Ana-

I wouldn''t mind the platinum necklaces, as long as I could still have my yellow gold!

The tri-color gold earrings appear to *ME* to be made out of bead chain! I also *have* a pair of earrings that are 22K that have bead chain in them. The only other possibility (besides these earrings being made with bead chains that are 22K) is that they and the earrings I bought are described as 22K but are actually not. The more I read about high karat gold, the more I read that pieces that are supposedly 22K are actually 18K.

Deb