BRIEF HISTORY & BASIC FACTS ON GOLD

Gold is the most popular precious metal in the world and because it tends to hold its value, jewellery in particular is a desirable investment.
Gold in its pure form is very soft and so to strengthen it in order to produce jewellery and small intricate items, it must be mixed with other metals. The purity of gold is measured in carats, the most common are 9ct, 14ct, 18ct and 22ct. The Carat is worked out by the amount of pure gold to the percentage of its alloys, mainly silver, copper and zinc; this can also create varying colour of gold which differs according to its alloys and caratage. It is thought that the word ‘carat’ derives from the Middle Eastern word for ‘been seeds’ as apparently seeds or Carob beans were used to weigh gold.