Gold was a form of currency before the American Dollar, the Indian Rupee, or the British Pound was even thought of. In fact, gold has been valued as a form of currency almost since it was found. In some parts of the world today it is still used to denote wealth. Rare and very heavy, it has been used throughout the ages as a status symbol for the rich, kings, and merchants alike. Welcome to our little tour into the world of gold. We hope you enjoy it.

Gold has certainly set itself apart from the other precious metals. In fact, it is one of the most precious and valuable metals that you can find. It is soft and malleable, so much that a single ounce of the metal can be stretched into a single long wire that will span 5 miles in length. If you would prefer to pound rather than stretch, why not pound it down. It will create a sheet of gold that can cover over 100 square feet. Since it will not corrode or rust it will last indefinitely.

It can be found almost everywhere. It is in our rivers and seas, in the crust of the earth, and in our plants as well. Unfortunately, it is expensive and difficult to extract…which is why it is so pricey. It takes about 2.5 to 3 tons of gold ore to produce one single ounce of pure gold.

Here’s a question for you. Do you happen to know what the most popular metal being used in jewelry is? You got it…gold. It is used in heart jewelry, fine jewelry, and cool jewelry as well. Most of this gold goes into one particular form of jewelry…the simple wedding band. Since pure gold is so malleable and soft, it is usually combined with other metals in order to make it more durable and strong, and ensure that it will not bend so easily. What happens when you mix two or more metals together? You get an alloy. Most of the gold that is used in jewelry production today is an alloy.

So, what are these various types of jewelry you ask? How about: (1) Gold jewelry, (2) Rose gold jewelry, (3) Wholesale gold jewelry, (4) White gold jewelry, (5) Gold plated jewelry, (6) Gold body jewelry, (7) 18k gold jewelry, (8) Gold charm jewelry, (9) 24k gold jewelry, (10) 14k gold jewelry, (11) Gold horse jewelry, (12) 22k gold jewelry, (13) Indian gold jewelry, (14) Plus other beautiful gold jewelry items.

You have probably heard of the word karat before, but do you know what it means? The word itself is derived from the word for the fruit of the carob tree. For example, the Arabic word girat, the Italian word carato, and the Greek word keration. The seeds of the carob tree were used in the measurement of the size of precious gems in the ancient world. There was a pure gold Byzantine coin called the solidus. It weighed in at 24 karats, so the 24 karat mark (i.e.: 24K or 24KT) became the mark used to indicate that the item being looked at was make of pure gold.

Did you enjoy this little journey into the world of gold? We hope so. If you would like to learn more we would love to have you visit our blog. We will go into more details on this subject, heart jewelry, and just jewelry in general. Welcome…

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Thinking about the practical aspects of buying engagement rings may not be romantic but it is essential in protecting your investment. Since engagement rings are worn all the time they need to be well made and the diamonds securely anchored in the setting to avoid losing a diamond or damaging the ring.

Engagement ring settings come with several different types that are sometimes referred to as mountings. These settings or mountings form the way in which the diamond is held securely to the ring and can be very visible and part of the overall design or they can be hidden and out of sight on the ring. Each option has its benefits and it is really a matter of both personal taste and overall ring design.

One of the most popular and classic types of engagement ring settings is the prong setting. Like the name suggests the prong setting uses metal prongs or filaments to hold the diamond into the base of the setting at the band. They have a hooked top that clasps the top surface of the diamond, holding it into the setting base. Prong settings are generally only used on medium to larger sized diamonds or when the diamond is a solitaire in a setting.

The size of the diamond as well as the shape of both the diamond and the engagement rings will have an impact on the number of prongs required. Typically square or rectangular diamonds will have at least four prongs, one on each corner. Larger diamonds will have additional prongs along the sides.

Shaped diamonds such as hearts, pear shapes or marquis diamonds will have evenly distributed prongs on the ends and sides. Typically most engagement rings will have four to six prongs for each diamond.

While the prongs have to be sturdy enough to secure the diamond they aren’t heavy, thick or bulky. Prongs need to be able to allow light to enter into the diamonds on engagement rings to allow the stone to really shine. One way that prongs are kept small is to have them form a basket that the diamond sits in, providing maximum support all the way around.

The jeweler creating these types of raised engagement rings has to balance securing the diamond with providing light sources for the stone. While individual prongs are usually rounded on top, square corners and points on a diamond can be secured by a v-shaped prong that provides maximum support for the diamond.

To avoid loosing diamonds from engagement rings have the ring checked by a jeweler once a year. He or she can easily adjust prongs on any style of engagement ring to ensure the diamond stays secure in the setting.