Why Does a Jewelry Crafter Use Precious Gold?
Published On: 11-10-2011 06:49pm
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Category: Crafts
Many artisans and jewelers use gold in their creations. It is a very expensive metal but invaluable, beautiful, and longed for by many. Its durability and luster makes it unique among metals. Why does it have an endearing appeal? Well, it has many uses.
The primary usage of gold is jewelry. Special properties of gold make it perfect for manufacturing jewelry. These include: very high luster; desirable yellow color; tarnish resistance; ability to be drawn into wires, hammered into sheets or cast into shapes. Eighty percent of the gold mined each year is crafted into jewelry.
Because of its resistance to corrosion and its ability to conduct electricity, it is ideal for use in electronic components. Interestingly, compact discs contain a thin layer of durable gold to ensure dependable data storage. Other uses of gold are found in computers, electronics, glassmaking, aerospace, dentistry, and surgical implants.
Gold is highly resistant to bacteria. Dentists use it to repair or replace damaged or decayed teeth. It is used in surgical implants such as stents.
Have you wondered where gold is found? There are several areas:
Rocks: Gold is present in tiny quantities in rocks. Some patches of rock contain a high enough concentration of gold to make it worthwhile for companies to mine.
Reefs: On rare occasions gold is found in sheets or veins wedged between layers of quartz. This is known as reef gold.
Rivers: Over time, gold-bearing reefs that become exposed to sun, rain, and wind break down, releasing trapped gold, which then accumulates in creeks and rivers as tiny specks or flakes.
Earth’s Surface: Odd-shaped clumps of gold that seem to form at random in the earth’s surface are known as nuggets. These clumps can sometimes reach spectacular sizes. A large nugget in Australia was called The Welcome Stranger, and it weighed about 150 pounds. Today gold nuggets, which can be as small as a match head, are rarer than gem-quality diamonds.
Given gold’s versatility and value, prospectors will no doubt continue to comb the earth for this appealing metal. And, upscale jewelry crafters will continue to use this metal due to its unsurpassed beauty and durability, making it truly precious.
While I do not make gold jewelry, I can make gold-colored greeting cards.
