subject: What Is Jewellery Made Of? [print this page] From Paris to Beijing, each culture brings its own unique approach to the art of jewellery making. Though the design possibilities are infinite, most jewellery is fashioned from a few groups of materials. Gemstones and precious metals are used in fine jewellery. Some jewellery also integrates coins.
While gold, silver, platinum palladium, titanium and white gold comprise what we now think of as precious metals, nearly every metal has been used in jewellery at some point. Bronze jewellery, for instance, was popular amongst several ancient cultures. Gold is a comparatively soft metal, so in Europe and North America, most gold jewellery is fashioned of a gold alloy.
The term 10 karat gold refers to the purity of gold used in jewellery. 10K gold is 41.7% pure and 18K gold is 75% pure. In the United States, 10K gold is the lowest purity considered acceptable. In the UK, the minimum karat rating for gold jewellery is 9K, or 37.5% gold. 22K gold is 91.5% pure and 24K gold is 99.9% pure. The latter purity levels are generally considered too soft by jewellers in the US and Europe, but are fairly common in other parts of the world.
Platinum is stronger than gold, thus its alloys are usually more pure. Most platinum jewellery ranges from 900 to 950, or 90% to 95% pure platinum. The majority of silver jewellery is labelled as sterling silver. Sterling silver is 92.5% pure silver. Many people are allergic to cheap metals such as nickel, so stainless steel is often used in costume jewellery.
Glass, shells, wood, bone and ivory, natural clay, polymer clay, metal, gemstones and some plastics have all been used to make beads. Beads are used in jewellery worldwide. Hemp and similar twines are common in some tribal and natural jewellery. An English Assay office (which gives UK jewellery its hallmark) will not tolerate any use of lead in jewellery, immediately destroying any piece containing lead.
Necklaces, earrings, rings, belts and bracelets commonly feature beads. Beads come in a plethora of shapes and sizes. Seed beads are the smallest, and are used in woven or embroidered jewellery. Neck pieces, bracelets and headbands can be made by embroidering seed beads onto fabric. Beadwork is traditional in many cultures, including tribes in Africa and North America. It was also popular during the Victorian period.
Glassmakers of Venice and Murano developed methods for creating unique glass beads, including enamelled, milk, crystalline, gold-threaded and multi-coloured glass. Imitation gemstones can also be made of glass. Murano glass and beads have been popular since the 1200s. Forging, casting, welding and soldering, carving, cutting and cold-joining are techniques used by goldsmiths, silversmiths and lapidaries.
Perhaps the most popular gemstone, diamonds were first mined in India. The tradition of diamond engagement rings began with the Holy Roman Emperor, Maximilian I, who wedded Mary of Burgundy in 1477. Australia, Botswana, Russia and Canada were among the foremost producers of diamonds in 2005. The largest gem-quality diamond ever found is part of the British Crown Jewels. The Cullinan Diamond weighs in at an astonishing 3,106.75 carats.
