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Gold, glorious gold!

I love glorious gold! If you follow me on my socials, you may have seen I’ve started the 2nd term of my jewellery making diploma. Last week I used 9ct (carat) gold for the first time ever!

I have to say I was very nervous about the thought of using gold. There’s a big difference in price of silver and gold. For example, silver averages about 57p per gram while gold is almost 10 times that at £51 per gram!

Metal	Price per gram	Price per kilo
Silver	£0.57	£570.00
Gold	£51.50	£51,500.00
Copper	£0.00642	£6.42

Prices above correct as of 09/02/2024

When you start learning to be a metalsmith you use copper to practice and then progress to precious metals like sterling silver and gold. I remember being nervous going from copper to silver worrying about the difference in price.

Copper averages around £6.42 per kg (that’s just over half a penny per gram) so there’s a big difference there too. I soon got over my fear as I realised if I went wrong I could just recycled my silver or melt it down to make something else.

I then kept this in mind when I started with gold. Also, my skills have improved a lot since I first started out so I felt more comfortable taking the next step.

I still adore copper and will continue to use that, but I am going to add gold, specifically rose gold, to my ring collections soon!

The prices above are only indicative of the current price of gold, silver and copper and the purity or ‘carat’ and colour of the gold also creates differences in price.

But what does ‘carat’ mean

The purity of gold is measured in carats (or karats) which is the measurement of the gold alloyed with other metals. 24 carat is pure gold with no other metals added. The lower the carat the less ‘pure’ gold in the metal. For example, 18 carat gold contains 75% gold and 25% other metals, usually copper or silver.

Why is gold not just yellow?

Did you know that rose (or red) gold is so called because it has a high content of copper in it which gives it that lovely rosy hue?

24ct pure gold is too soft to make jewellery or other items so other metals are added to make an alloy which gives gold more durability and malleability. It can also change its colour. The table below gives you an idea of which metals are added to gold to give it a different ‘carat’ and colour.

Metal	Gold	Silver	Copper	Zinc	Palladium
9ct Yellow Gold	37.5%	42.50%	20%
18ct Yellow Gold	75%	15%	10%
22ct Yellow Gold	91.7%	5%	2%	1.3%
9ct White Gold	37.5%	62.5%
18ct White Gold	75%				25% (or platinum)
9ct Rose Gold	37.5%	20%	42.5%
18ct Rose Gold	75%	9.2%	22.2%

How do I know what ‘carat’ I’m getting?

Each precious metal item should be hallmarked by law if they weigh over a specific weight. Each hallmark should show

The ‘sponsor’s’ mark’: who made the item of jewellery also known as the maker’s mark.
The ‘standard’ mark’: its guaranteed standard of fineness.
The ‘assay office’ mark: the Assay Office the jewellery was tested at.

I recently wrote a blog post on Hallmarking, and you can see that the hallmarks for gold differ to those for silver.

9ct gold has .375 hallmark which shows there is 37.5% gold contained (and the rest is silver and copper).
Sterling silver has a .925 hallmark which shows that 925/1000 parts are sterling silver, and 75 parts are alloy, usually copper or zinc.

Hallmarking simply means that what you see above is what you legally get. It’s illegal for me to advertise or sell jewellery as these metals without these hallmarks. Wherever you buy your jewellery always checking the hallmark to make sure you’re getting what you paid for.

What are the benefits of different types of glorious gold

I am a big fan of copper (which I’m sure you know by now) so I’m naturally drawn to rose gold. It’s such a bright, warm and cheerful colour. I’ve never really been drawn to yellow gold however having just made a gorgeous 9ct yellow gold wedding band I can see why people like it. It’s such a warm tone and looks fab on all skin tones.

Facts about gold

CHAKRAS – Heart • Third Eye • Crown
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN – Leo

For many years people have believed in the benefits of wearing gold jewellery including spiritual and health benefits. Throughout the centuries Royals have also used gold in beauty products. Cleopatra was said to sleep in a Gold face treatment every night to enhance her complexion.

Indeed, the Egyptians were the first to use gold for medicinal purposes, especially in dentistry. Alchemists in Alexandria created a gold remedy to increase vitality and treat various ailments.

The Romans and medieval Europeans also used gold for skin conditions, while the Chinese and Indians have used it as a medicinal treatment for centuries

Gold is seen as a social status symbol and can denote royalty and prosperity. Every metal is related to a planet and whilst gold is associated with every planet, it relates mainly to Jupiter.

Other benefits of this radiant metal are

Wearing gold to enhance happiness, love, spiritual peace and luck.
Gold protects the wearer from negative energy.
Gold can bring peace and happiness.
Gold opens the crown chakra of an individual and helps them in protecting and removing bad energies from the body.
Gold can strengthen self-confidence.
Gold is often used as a remedy because it naturally regulates body temperature. For example, a standard treatment for menopausal women is to wear gold jewellery.
Gold promotes blood circulation and relieves sore and stiff muscles.
Gold is a metal that has always been associated with wealth and abundance. Wearing a gold ring attracts financial prosperity and success to any person.

Facts about rose gold

Did you know that rose gold was first used in jewellery during the Victorian era.

CHAKRA – Heart • Solar plexus
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN – Cancer

Its unique shade is often associated with the heart chakra which is in the centre of the chest and governs our ability to give and receive love.

Gold, representing the sun, is masculine, while copper, is associated with Venus and is feminine. Rose gold, an alloy of the gold and copper, symbolizes the balance between masculine and feminine energies.

The alchemical combination of gold and copper also represents transformation. Spiritually, it symbolizes renewal, rebirth, and the continuous cycle of life and death.

Also due to its copper content, rose gold is believed to have protective and healing properties. Ancient cultures often used it as a talisman to ward off negative energies.

In Ancient Egypt, rose gold was associated with Hathor, who was the goddess of love, beauty, and fertility. They believed that wearing rose gold jewellery would invoke blessings and protection from the goddess.

In Hinduism, rose gold is believed to be a sacred metal that enhances spiritual energy and is often used in religious ceremonies and rituals. It is regularly featured in statues and symbols of deities. Furthermore, Ancient Ayurvedic texts from India mention the use of copper alloys (including rose gold) in medicinal practices.

Native American tribes believe that rose gold can enhance one’s connection with nature and promote inner harmony and associate it with spirituality and healing energies.

Rose gold was also associated with Aphrodite in Ancient Greece, the goddess of love and beauty. Rose gold was revered by the Greeks for its ability to awaken feelings of love and passion.

It is also said that rose gold can promote emotional healing and sooth feelings of anxiety, stress, and sadness. It is supposed to encourage self-love and compassion towards oneself and others whilst facilitating inner growth and emotional balance.

New ring style

This is my first ever 9ct rose gold ring which is a fabulous wishbone style.

I have decided to add my new wishbone ring style to my stacking rings options. Initially they will be in silver, but I hope to start making them in rose gold soon.

Thank you for reading my blog. Which colour of gold do you prefer or are you simply a silver fan? Would you love to see more gold and rose gold in my collections? Let me have your thoughts!