Gold Jewelry: Trends and Buying Advice

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Since antiquity, jewelry has been an art as delicate as it is sophisticated.

The jewelry serves to assert a social position, to highlight a face, a hand, an arm, or to accessorize an outfit. The gold jewelry remains the pinnacle of elegance.

Today, we will dedicate this article to this accessory that is as luxurious as it is essential.

Is gold jewelry still in fashion?

With the arrival of costume jewelry on the market, there has been a tendency to set gold aside, wearing it only on special occasions. But today, we are more easily returning to gold for several reasons. First, gold jewelry does not tarnish or darken, unlike other alloys. They are much easier to maintain and their longevity is infinite. Next, because they are less allergenic than other jewelry. Finally, jewelers offer very trendy gold jewelry collections that depart from the grand classics.

What you need to know about gold purity

The purity of gold is measured in carats. One carat represents 1/24 of the total alloy. Today, in jewelry stores, you can find 9-carat gold, 14-carat gold, and 18-carat gold. For example, 18-carat gold contains 75% pure gold. 24-carat gold in jewelry does not exist, as pure gold is a metal that is very sensitive to shocks and too soft to be worked with. It is only used for making ingots and collectible gold coins. Gold jewelry contains an alloy that makes it more durable.

Yellow gold, white gold, and rose gold

Beyond the difference in color, white gold, yellow gold, and rose gold do not come from the same mixture. As mentioned earlier, the gold used in jewelry is not pure gold, as it is a soft material that would become damaged or scratched too easily. Therefore, it is necessary to add another metal to give it the needed hardness to be worked and worn. Depending on the added metal, gold takes on another color. For example, 18-carat gold. Yellow gold contains 75% gold, 12.5% silver, and 12.5% copper. Rose gold contains 75% gold, 20% copper, and 5% silver. White gold is made from an alloy of gold, silver, copper, and nickel.

Giving a gold jewelry

When giving jewelry to someone, it is important to know a few basic principles. For declaring one’s love, for example, gold jewelry is a classic choice. On Valentine’s Day, to simply say “I love you” on other occasions, or for a partner’s birthday, one might opt for a beautiful bracelet, earrings, or a gold pendant with precious stones (sapphire, ruby, emerald, diamond). For an engagement proposal, the gold ring with its solitaire diamond remains a timeless choice.

If you wish to give jewelry to someone in your circle, costume jewelry in gold is ideal, but rings are reserved for special attentions.

Finally, for baptism or communion ceremonies, medals and gold bracelets that are engraved are also great classics, even if costume jewelry is increasingly chosen by godparents because they are less religiously connoted.

Treating yourself to a gold jewelry

If the pleasure of giving remains intact, we notice that both women and men enjoy treating themselves to jewelry, simply for pleasure. Today, modern women no longer need to be in a relationship to indulge in gifts, and the same applies to men. Gold jewelry thus becomes a favorite, and that is why major jewelers have gradually moved away from grand classics to offer more original collections with costume jewelry, bracelets, earrings, pendants, or rings in yellow gold, white gold, or rose gold and fine stones.

Why choose artisanal gold jewelry?

More and more of us are looking for quality jewelry and returning to collections from locally established artisan workshops. First, this helps to support the local economy and to highlight the incomparable know-how of major French jewelry houses. Next, returning to jewelry made in France ensures their authenticity and origin. Finally, French artisans are increasingly using recycled gold to create more eco-friendly jewelry.