What is 24 Carat Gold?

The English poet John Donne wrote “Like gold to aery thinness beat ” when he was comparing the separation that he and his lover would soon have to partake in. He was suggesting that their love affair would not be a separation but rather just like gold it would be stretched almost indefinitely without breaking.

That’s what pure gold is like. I have heard that you can hammer it until it is so thin that you can see through it. I guess they didn’t mean you could watch television through it. It is unlike other metals in so many ways.

So what is 24 carat gold? Well, it is pure gold. Does it come out of the ground like that? Sometimes, but most times it is mixed up with other metals and minerals. So it needs to be refined a little to get rid of the other things we don’t want mixed up with it.

Is it the best for making jewellery? Heck no! It is too soft. It would get pushed out of shape and scratched and it is rather dull as well. So what do we do to make it into gold jewellery? Simple! We mix it with other metals to make it stronger, a different colour and cheaper!

Author: Gary Hocking who has his own website http:www.jewelleryexpress.com.au