Ever since the
very onset of civilization, physical appearances and adornment have been part
and parcel of social activities. Body adornment basically involves the
extensive use of fabric and a show of jewelry. They have both always
complimented one another. While creating Rivet
Circle Necklace and other precious belongings, usually precious
metals are part of the settings and designs. The metals used in jewelry making
are alloys of nearly every metal known. While bronze, silver and gold were used
in jewelry in the earlier times, the modern jewelry available now includes
white gold, platinum and palladium, in addition to the all time favorites, gold
and silver.
Most gold jewelry
is made of an alloy of gold and copper and the purity of the metal is measured
in carats. The purity of gold is different in different countries. While in America gold jewelry must be of ten carats, the
requirement in England
is usually nine carats. Alloys do not have high purity levels. For example,
those with twenty two carats and twenty four carats are considered too soft for
use as metals in jewelry making in America
and Europe .
However, the high purity alloys are popularly used in the Orient and Africa . The alloys of platinum are within the range of
nine hundred to nine hundred and fifty. In the case of silver jewelry, the
silver used is usually 'sterling silver'. There had been a number of other
materials used in the art of jewelry making earlier. We have on record the use
of glass, enamel, wood, shells and ivory. Today even plastic is popularly used
and widely accepted within the hip-hop and junk jewelry categories. Still, the
use of metals in jewelry making has had a long history. The gothic cool
punk taper jewelry offers is not comparable to that of the other
materials.
Metals are used to set mirror, glass and gemstones in jewelry. The jewelry made
and marketed today includes bracelets, amulets, necklaces, rings, bangles,
earrings, belts and anklets. The metals are used in varying proportions and in
accordance with the standard that jewelers are expected to adhere to. However,
now there is a choice of plated jewelry and artificial jewelry. The alloys of
various cheap metals are also plated to look like the real ones. This kind of
mixing is most often seen in markets that cater to those with a limited budget,
like in the case of teenagers and children and the dance and drama troupes.
In the case of jewelry made from real metals-gold and silver and platinum-the
latest "woven" style with intricate designs is in vogue. The popular
designs created by exquisite handwork during the Victorian era are witnessing a
come back within the modern jewelry making industry.
The metal jewelry available today is created through advanced techniques
developed within the industry. The goldsmiths and silversmiths of today use
enhanced methods of casting, forging, soldering, cutting, carving and
cold-joining. These enable the skilled workers to assemble parts of the
jewelry, to accommodate gemstones, beads or the designs themselves, with the
use of graded adhesives or rivets or special staples.
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