Precious Metals
Everyone wants precious metals nowadays and there are many people to buy them from. Some offer precious metals just for investing in and others offer them for collection, and still others offer jewelry made from precious metals. You must decide which way you want to buy these precious metals.
However that you choose to buy precious metals, you will need to do some research. One way to research is by reading reviews such as this one https://www.publishwhatyoupay.org/7k-metals-review/ that gives a review for 7k Metals. This is just one review that you can read to get information.
There is more that you can learn about precious metals and this article will share a little bit of that. This article will tell you about the precious metals that you can buy as jewelry. There are many types of precious metals that you can buy this way.
Metals
Gold
Gold has been used since the beginning of history for different uses, one of which has been jewelry. Gold is unique in that it is the only metal that is not silver, white, or gray, but a distinctive yellow color. It is a very malleable metal and does not react with other metals. Gold is thought to have been deposited in the earth’s core by meteorites of ancient times, much like other metals.
One place that seems to prove that this is true is the Vredefort Crater in South Africa that has one of the richest gold deposits on earth. There have been gold deposits in Vredefort Crater before the crater was made, but it was under lava. This still means that more gold was possibly deposited there after a meteorite impact.
A carat is the content of gold in metal, and the bigger the carat the more gold is in the alloy. There is 9 carat gold which is 37.5% pure gold, 12 carat gold that is about 50% pure gold, and 18 carat gold which is 75% pure gold. There is also 24 carat gold that is nearly pure gold. All these gold contents are sold in jewelry, the best and most expensive being 24 carat gold, of course.
The colors of gold, such as white gold, rose gold, and yellow gold depend on which other metals are added to the gold. For instance, rose gold has copper added to the gold to give it a pinkish color. White gold has more silver- and silver-colored metals added to the gold to make it a whitish color. Yellow gold is mixed with copper and zinc to give it a yellowish color.
Silver
Although silver is not as fancy, or expensive, as gold and platinum and other precious metals, it is still favored by many. There are many different types of silver, as well, but it is not measured in carats as gold is. Instead, it is given different names – Sterling Silver is a mixture of 92.5% pure silver and about 7.5% copper or other metals. Britannia Silver is a purer mixture of 95.84% and was the standard in England until the late 17th century.
There are other types of silver, as well, but some of these alloys contain absolutely no silver and are just given that name. This includes Alpaca Silver, Nickel, and German Silver, which all contain other metals and no silver at all: http://theassayoffice.com/tarnish_resistant_labexpert. They are silver in name only and are still popular to many people.
Platinum
Unlike gold and silver, platinum is used in its purest form to make jewelry. Platinum is naturally less malleable than gold and silver, therefore it does not need to be mixed with other metals to make it stronger. It is a heavier metal and is also much more expensive than the other two metals. An 18-carat platinum necklace will cost you at least twice as much as a similar gold one.
Platinum is also measured in carats, but the color of platinum does not change. It does not tarnish as other metals do and has less maintenance than other metals. It is stronger and lasts longer than the other metals, too. Many times, because of this, platinum will be used for engagement rings and wedding rings.
Bronze
Bronze is an alloy, and it is mostly copper mixed with a little bit of tin. The tin makes it stronger and less malleable. People in ancient times loved working with bronze and made tools, jewelry, and art, among other things with it. We have examples of this from around 4500BC and after in the form of tools and weapons that have lasted almost intact. That shows how durable bronze really can be.
Modern Bronze has about 88% copper and 12% tin, while Classic Bronze had 90% copper. It was used for casting and Mild Bronze only had 10% copper and was used to make sheets of bronze from ingots. Classic Bronze was used for bladed weapons and Mild Bronze was used for making helmets and armor.
Today the main types of bronze are Bismuth Bronze that contains 52% copper, 1% bismuth 5% lead, , and 12% zinc. Plastic Bronze contains lead to improve its malleability, and Architectural Bronze is 57% copper, 40% zinc, and 3% lead. Bronze was also used for boats and ships because it resisted damage from salt water. It is also used for musical instruments such as bells, cymbals, and musical strings.
Conclusion
All these metals can be used to make beautiful jewelry, as well as other items. They are wonderful metals and there is a metal that can be used for jewelry in any price range. Silver is the least expensive of them all, and platinum is the most expensive. You can find wonderful jewelry in all types of metals to fit your budget.
These metals have also all been around for centuries and are still popular today. They are used for more intricate items than they used to be, but they are still used for a variety of purposes. This can include the electronics industry and the automotive industry.