Why is Gold so coveted?

Since the beginning of time, the intrinsic beauty, warmth, sensuality and spiritual richness of gold has earned it the pride of place as the jeweller's favourite metal. Gold has inspired craftsman to create objects of desire that unite us with our emotions. In the Middle Ages, alchemists attempted to use their magic to make gold from other metals. They believed that gold was the source of immortality, and so it was used in medicines to fight old age and prolong life. Gold has been inextricably linked with the sun throughout history. Often described as sunshine you can touch, gold has been revered in almost every culture as the very essence of the sun. Today our need for the sun's warmth is reflected in our desire for the sensual pleasure of gold. Beautiful, desirable and incorruptible. It has been a constant source of inspiration for countless civilisations, a continuous thread connecting worlds to worlds, generations to generations and lives to lives.

For thousands of years gold has been the fascination of many Kingdoms - the Greeks, Egyptians, Aztecs and Romans fought and often died for it. Its rarity and beauty have inspired numerous magical stories. Gold has been used in medicine for centuries - it was believed by some prehistoric cultures to be a magic cure. The legendary King Midas of Greece was said to have had the power to turn everything he touched into gold. The primeval Egyptians identified gold with power; the amount of gold in a tomb indicated the importance of the person buried there. Although most Egyptian tombs were robbed centuries ago, perhaps the most famous of all was discovered by Howard Carter in 1922. This was the tomb of King Tutankhamun who ruled Egypt in the mid 1300s BC.

Gold was originally used as currency and paper money produced was based on actual reserves of gold held by the government or bank. In ancient Lydia (now western Turkey) the last King, Croesus, issued the first gold coins showing two Royal symbols. From the fifteenth to the nineteenth centuries many countries minted coins but after the First World War the minting of coins was largely suspended because supplies of gold were low. Currently a great range of gold products is available to investors. Coins are issued by various governments and are minted in a variety of sizes ranging from 10z. to as little as 1/10oz. The most popular gold bullion coins are the Britannia, the Australian Nugget, the Canadian Maple Leaf, the South African Krugerrand and the American Eagle.

Although gold is properly the oldest metal to be worked by man, it has endured the test of time and found a place in today's modern technology. Experts soon realised the exclusive qualities gold has to offer and have applied it to many modern processes. For example, gold is an excellent conductor of heat and electricity, and so has been widely used in the electrical and electronics industries. Gold plating can be used in the circuitry of calculators, telephones, and even your own tape recorder. Gold has been used on artificial satellites and space vehicles. Indeed the first step onto the moon would not have been possible without gold. Astronauts going into space use gold on their helmet visors and space suits to reflect the intense radiation of the sun.

Welcome to the allure of gold. It makes you feel radiant, sensual and sensational. It makes you fell passionate, confident and modern.
There are multiple opportunities for buying gold jewellery. For over five thousand years, centuries before Cleopatra commissioned her lavish gold rings and necklaces, woman have been expressing themselves with and adorning themselves with gold jewellery. This will never change.
More women are treating themselves to fine gold jewellery for work, evening and weekend wear. Women are buying gifts of gold jewellery for their friends; gifts for men, mothers buying gifts for their daughters and sisters, friends buying for each other. Multiple opportunities for buying gold jewellery. Day or night, casual of elegant, fine gold jewellery can be worn with casual jeans, tailored suits or elegant evening attire.

Everyone is looking for a new level of creativity, excitement and style. Designs that break with the past, capture a new level of creativity, excitement and style; understated and elegant or cutting edge and bold. Gold jewellery is a fashion accessory with lasting appeal that goes beyond the current styles.
Today’s gold jewellery is about emotion. It can be subtle, striking or seductive. Gold enriches every skin tone with a warm radiant glow unique among precious metals. Gold gives every woman a special glow; a natural sense of well being, harmony and balance.

Caratage or Karatage

The “Caret Code”

Because gold is naturally a soft, malleable metal, in order to make jewellery it is alloyed with other elements to strengthen it. The “carat code” shown on the hallmark in the UK will tell you how much pure gold your jewellery contains. The word “carat” comes from the Arabic, meaning “bean seed”, because years ago seeds were used to measure the weight of gold and precious stones.
Any jewellery - by law - has to exhibit both the fineness quality mark that indicates the caratage, which is the percentage of fine gold contained in the jewellery, and the identification mark which denotes the origin and the manufacturer. Now though, carat literally means the amount of gold an item of jewellery contains. For example pure gold is 24 carat or 99.99% pure. The ultimate in richness with a unique supple quality that lets it be shaped and moulded into spectacular jewellery with a glow that transcends all others.
In certain markets such as France, Ireland, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and the UK, the “carat code” shown on the hallmark will tell you how much pure gold your jewellery contains. Much of today’s gold is mixed with a percentage of alloys - metals that modifies the colour of gold and makes it harder and stronger. The carat mark tells you the percentage of pure gold to alloy. The higher the carat quality the greater the proportion of gold it will contain.

Countries across the world allow different minimum carat standards. For example, in France and Italy the lowest permitted standard for gold is 18 carat, in Germany it is 8 carat and in the USA it is 10 carat gold. In Britain, however the minimum standard has been 9 carat since the First World War when gold was in short supply.
Though most jewellery in the UK is 9 carat, there are also 14, 18, 22 and 24 - carat gold standards. It is a common belief that 9 carat gold is harder wearing and more durable than 18 carat but to explode the popular myth, whether your jewellery is 9 or 18 carat gold it will have an identical resistance to wear and tear.
In the UK, you will find: 9 carat gold (37.5% pure) is shown on the hallmark as 375. 9 parts pure to 15 parts alloy. 14 carat gold (58.5% pure) is shown on the hallmark as 585. 14 parts pure to 10 parts alloy. 18 carat gold (75.0% pure) is shown on the hallmark as 750. 18 parts pure to 6 parts alloy. 22 carat gold (91.6% pure) is shown on the hallmark as 916. 22 parts pure to 2 parts alloy. Pure gold is defined as 24 carat or 99.99% pure.