Precious Metals and their definitions

The very quality that may irritate some people who know me is the quality that gives me an ongoing investment and interest in life itself.

It is no secret that I always have had an intense fascination with precious metals, gemstones, minerals and anything that can be made into jewelry or an exquisite objet de virtu.

In case there are others who may share this interest, I am going to post some definitions:

Carat or Karat Gold:

Whether listed as 24 Karat Gold, 24K, 24Ct or 24Kt, this is PURE gold. What it signifies is that out of 24 parts, all 24 are gold, 100% pure in other words. .999 fine gold is infinitisimally less pure as 999 parts out of 1000 parts are pure gold.

Seldom is any jewelry or other luxury item made from pure gold. The closest is 22ct. or 22kt. The reason for this is the softness of pure gold. Without a little alloy, it will break far too easily. 22ct or 22kt gold is 22 parts pure gold and only 2 parts alloy. This intensely beautiful, high quality gold is what is used in India, the Arab Nation and indeed can be found throughout Asia. Where gold continues to be part of the traditional 'dowry' or 'bride price', you will find 22kt/22ct. gold.

The problem with high-quality gold like this is that it tends to be reused frequently, thus resulting in the loss of incredible art pieces. As fashions change, the gold will be melted down and redesigned for its owner. This is a very common practice in the Eastern world. Other considerations apart from the actual value of the gold itself is 'luck'. Wearing a piece of jewelry with any history attached to it might be considered 'unlucky', where a new piece made from the same gold would have achieved purification by fire.

In the West, on the other hand, sentimental considerations as well as an interest in art forms and fashions from the past have preserved antique jewelry more than in other parts of the world. The fact that lower concentrations of gold reduce the intrinsic value of the metal may play a part in the longevity of any item of jewelry as well. Costs of labour is another consideration. Where labour is cheap, one may not think twice about refashioning metals into new pieces. In the West, where labour is very costly, one would be more inclined to keep an old piece of jewelry, both from appreciation of its value as an art object and because the price of custom jewelry would be too high to make it worth the effort.

It therefore is more likely that 22ct/22kt. jewelry would be used in the creation of new pieces than gold with lower concentrations of the pure metal.

Less pure but stronger than 22ct/22kt gold is 18 karat or 18Kt gold. This signifies that 18 out of 24 parts are pure gold. The remaining parts consist of an alloy or various alloys. 18 karat gold is more common in Europe than in the States.

14 karat or 14Kt gold would be 14 parts pure gold mixed with 10 parts alloy. It can be marked as .585 which would represent percentages instead.

Formerly, 13.5 karat was considered acceptable marked as .565, but sold as well as 14karat gold. This is no longer the case. 14kt must be the equivalent of .585 gold and is known as 'plumb' gold. It can be marked as 14KP or 14 karat plumb. Do not mistake the 'P' here for 'plated' as it does not signify that at all!

10 karat or 10Kt gold is a very popular mix, as it is less expensive than 14kt. but nonetheless is considered to be 'solid' gold. It is very strong, representing only 10 parts of pure gold and 14 parts of alloy or alloys. In percentage terms, it is marked as .417.

'Low' karat gold common more in the U.K. than in the States is 9 karat or 9ct. This is the lowest quality of 'solid' gold commonly used in jewelry.

The colour of gold of any 'karat' is determined not by the concentration of pure gold necessarily but by the alloy or alloys used.

'Rose gold' or 'red gold' for example is the result of copper being added to the mix.

In basic percentage terms:

24k. gold = 100% gold
18k. gold = 75% gold
14k. gold = 58.3% gold
10k. gold = 41% gold

Of the popular tints of gold, the most common contain the following alloys:

Yellow gold: 50% silver/50% copper alloys
White Gold: Nickel, silver, copper and manganese
Pink/Rose Gold: 90% copper/10% silver
Green Gold: High silver or cadmium content
Blue Gold: contains Iron
Grey Gold: 15% to 20% Iron

Electrum is an ancient metal created by mixing silver and gold to achieve an amber colour. In medieval times, it came to represent an entirely different metal that contained neither gold nor silver but which was 50% copper, 30% nickel and 20% zinc.

Fool's Gold or Pyrite contains no gold whatsoever. It is a form of iron. Marcasite stones are made with pyrite.


There is a wide range of jewelry made from base metals or from other metals with a covering of gold to give the appearance of 'solid' gold.

'Gold-filled' signifies a layer of karat gold bonded to the outside of a 'base metal'. In any markings, the gold content will be indicated by a fraction. For example, 1/20th 12Kt. G.F. signifies that 1/20th of the total weight of the item is 12kt. gold. In fact, in order to obtain the classification of 'gold-filled', at least 1/20th of the total weight must be 12kt. gold.

Rolled gold plate is a form of gold filling used frequently in the manufacture of antique and vintage watches. The cases would be marked to indicate the content of gold in the outer layer. For example: 10K R.G.P. or 14K R.G.P. would signify that the outer layer would be 10K and 14K respectively.

Rolled gold is considered to be superior to gold plating as it wears very well over time. The amount of actual gold used in the process tends to be greater than that used in gold-plating.

'Gold plated' signifies a total lack of actual gold content in the metal used to create the item in question. If preceded by a karat designation, however, it will indicate a very thin layer of actual gold applied to the base metal, measured in thousandths of an inch. In other words, '18Kt or 18K gold plated' or '18Kt. H.G.E.' would signify a very thin layer of actual 18Kt. gold over base metal. G.E.P. is another marking that signifies Gold Electroplate, or Electro-plaque d'or.

Electroplate is a process in which one metal is coated with another using electricity. Electrogilded coating is the thinnest, being less than .000007 inches thick. Gold-cased metals have a coating that is thicker than .000007 inches.

Gold-dipped is precisely what it would appear to be: jewelry that is made from any other metal, then dipped in gold.

Pinchbeck is not gold at all and in fact is known as 'false gold'. It is nothing more than an alloy that resembles gold. It is named for its inventor, Christopher Pinchbeck who lived in the 18th century and it consists of 83% copper and 17% zinc. Pinchbeck jewelry was very popular in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Hallmarks are official marks that either indicate the fineness of the metal or give the manufacturer's mark. Some hallmarks are more accurate and reliable than others. The U.K. has a very exacting standard in terms of hallmarking and therefore any British hallmark is considered to guarantee a superior quality of gold.

In terms of Silver, another precious metal, the closest to pure silver used to create any item would be .999 fine. .999 fine is considered pure silver, with 999 parts out of a thousand consisting of silver.

Sterling silver is NOT pure silver but is very close to being so. Sterling silver equals .925 fine, consisting of 92.5% silver and 7.5% alloy. Common markings for Sterling silver include 'Sterling', '.925' or 'S/S'.

'Nickel silver' is popular in Europe but it in fact contains absolutely no silver whatsoever. It is Nickel as its name would imply.

Mexican silver, known for the art created in Taxco is usually about 90% silver.

Vermeil is a combination of gold and silver, consisting ordinarily of Sterling Silver as the 'base metal' with a heavy plating of 14Kt. gold.

Platinum is another precious metal and is white, very hard and very dense. It usually is alloyed with Iridium and is 90% Platinum and 10% Iridium. Cobalt is an alloy that has been used in Platinum recently.

The Platinum group of precious metals includes Palladium, Iridium, Rhodium and Ruthenium.

Troy weight is a traditional measurement for precious metals. The Troy unit is the pennyweight. This is equivalent to 24 grains or 1.5552 grams. 1 Troy Ounce equals 20 pennyweight or 31.1035 grams. 1 Troy Pound equals 12 Troy ounces or 373.24grams.

If you are interested in fine jewelry or in antiques, you really need to be familiar with these definitions. An ounce of gold may not be worth an ounce of prevention but you ought to know what amount of gold actually is present to avoid being cheated.
On the other hand, in the area of 'vintage' or 'antique' dealing, much misrepresentation is no more than the result of the seller's ignorance. As with 'Jet', which so often is nothing more than glass, sellers tend to copy terms used by other dealers without knowing precisely what they mean.

There are contemporary jewelry merchants who advertise counterfeits blithely and proudly. There is one British firm that advertises 'Pinchbeck' items and describes Pinchbeck as 'an arcane metal invented in the early Eighteenth Century by the famous watchmaker Christopher Pinchbeck in his search for an alternative to gold. The formula, a closely guarded secret, includes zinc, copper, carbon and other 'unknown' elements. Pinchbeck is a beautiful and unique metal that is nickel safe and has the look and warmth of old gold and of course is more affordable.' The products are advertised as 'guaranteed for life and as 'good as gold'. For lovers of 'faux' items, they offer such pieces as 'Pinchbeck Victorian-style' items set with 'faux Jet stone' or 'faux Ceylon Sapphire'. There is nothing wrong with that, of course, if you have no particular interest in genuine gems but when one could obtain the 'genuine article' at almost the same price, one wonders how these merchants manage to be successful. Actually, one doesn't wonder at all. People often are too lazy to look for a genuine antique or prefer a new counterfeit piece to a genuine 'used' item. There are quite a few individuals who view vintage or antique items of any kind rather distastefully as nothing more than 'used' objects, never considering that the history attached to an item could be positive rather than negative.

A ring made from 'Black Hills Gold' is displayed above for the purpose of showing different colours of gold. 'Black Hills Gold' is produced by a contemporary manufacturer known precisely for combining gold of different colours. This particular piece has great symbolical significance as it depicts a grapevine heavy with grapes.

The other photograph I have included here is of an antique cameo of a Bacchante set in Pinchbeck metal. This actually shares the same significance as the gold band. It is a glorious cameo, even if the metal may not be as precious as solid gold and indeed is not gold at all. Here is a situation where one would have to weigh the quality of the carving against the quality of the setting... throw in the age of the piece and the fact that 'genuine' antique Pinchbeck has a value of its own to antique collectors. One then could scrutinise the actual cameo closely and see that it has a hole in it, a 'flea-bite' as it were. It is a good carving but it is not 'unique'. A serious collector with sufficient funds to purchase ANY item on the market might shun it entirely. Some one else might appreciate it and covet it at any price. It appeals to me personally but I can't afford the price. If I had the money, though, I would rather have a genuinely old cameo set in pinchbeck than a new resin cameo set in gold. In the best of all worlds, one would choose an antique shell cameo of high quality set in solid high-carat gold, but that is where fantasy is not able to circumvent reality.

In any event, value ultimately is nothing more than a matter of perception.

Mystical Transformations

Dwarves and gnomes as magical races never were favourites of mine as a child, but in retrospect, I have to admit that I have much in common with those who delve deep within the earth for treasures. I love caves and have held a lifelong fascination with gems and minerals. The mysteries of the forge speak loudly to my soul as well, and I always loved edged weapons. The races who hold the power of magical transformations of substances in myth are the dwarves and smiths. Although in their own physical forms, they tend to represent the very antithesis of beauty, the objects they create are the most beautiful and potent known to humankind and to the gods themselves. It is the dwarves who craft the spear of Odhinn and the Brisingamen of Freyja.

The magic of transformation is at the heart of many myths and legends. In many cases, it is art and skill that make the transformation possible, but there are a couple of natural substances that truly embody Nature's own magical powers of transformation. These are Jet and Amber.

It is no accident that necklaces of Jet and Amber are the symbols of power of a Witch. Both are organic substances that, through the force of time and Nature, have acquired the qualities of gems. Fossils always are magical. Amber essentially is fossilised tree sap and Jet is fossilised coal. Another natural transformation of coal is the diamond, most valued of all gemstones. Jet, however, is equally magical if less valuable in financial terms.

Jet and Amber have been crafted into talismans and jewelry by humans since the dawn of time. A great proliferation of Jet and Amber can be found as early as the Bronze Age. Archaeological evidence from settlements prior to that are not as many nor as well preserved but use both of jet and amber was known in prehistoric eras as well.

Amber and jet are the embodiment of Light and Darkness. The light of the Sun can be seen in golden amber. The opaque darkness of Jet is the colour of Eternal Night. Yet, though they may appear to be opposites, both Amber and Jet share some of the same qualities. Both produce static electricity and generate heat when rubbed.

Although Jet and Amber are substances of land rather than sea, they often were found at the seashore by ancient people, having floated from one continent to another. This enhanced their association with magic.

Even in ancient times, there was a brisk trade in false gems, including Amber and Jet and it often required expert knowledge to distinguish the true from the false. Now, in our own era, amazingly enough, it still can be difficult to determine whether or not a piece of amber or jet is genuine. Many jewelers and antique dealers who traffic in these substances are not experts and misrepresent faux gems as genuine.

In the case of Amber, bakelite, glass and reconstituted amber all are mistaken for the real substance. Jet is even more problematic, mainly because of the proliferation of 'mourning jewelry' in the late Victorian era, involving the use of glass, vulcanite, bog oak and other substances. In fact, 'French Jet' is not jet at all, but is glass.

Experts in these substances may quibble with my definitions and argue that as vulcanite is made from rubber, it is organic. Most substances are created from some organic substance... Vulcanite actually is a name given to two very distinct substances. There is a mineral named Vulcanite but the Vulcanite used to make jewelry is made from rubber.

Many would ask: What difference does it make if it is beautiful? In fact, it is not a matter of monetary value, as bakelite and vulcanite nowadays can command a higher price than genuine amber or jet. For me, however, the organic natural quality of the substance as well as the layers of myth, legend and superstition that have accrued to it from every civilisation is part of its value.

Another aspect both of Jet and Amber is their softness, lending themselves to elaborate carving. Any scholar of magic knows that carving is an act of magic, imprinting the will of the creator on the object. When Odhinn speaks of the mysteries of the runes, one of the questions he asks is: 'Do you know how to carve them?' Carving in magical terms is not simply a matter of setting a sharp tool to the stone or gem. It is a ritual and the potency of the object depends partly upon the dedication of the carver.

Many people either do not believe in magic or find it rather off-putting. Where they do believe that objects can contain some vestige of power bestowed either by the creator or a former owner, it usually is considered negative rather than positive. Many tales and films deal with 'cursed' objects and however little an individual subscribes to 'superstition', there always is a hesitation to live in a house where a murder was committed or to own an item, however rare, beautiful and valuable, if former owners met with violent ends.

Jet more than Amber has been associated with Death during certain periods in history. The pinnacle of popularity may have been the late Victorian era, when mourning became a fine art due to the influence of Queen Victoria.

Whitby Jet was famed long before the Victorian era. The Romans sought it and traded in it and artifacts made from it can be found from almost every century. It was in the Victorian period, however, that Whitby Jet became overwhelmingly popular. Carved beads and cameos are among the items made from Whitby Jet and most of these were not particularly expensive at the time. Every servant girl could own a pair of Whitby jet earrings or a cameo if she wished although, like any substance that can be carved, the talent and skill of the artist partly determines its ultimate value.

The art of carving Jet still is being pursued in Whitby and any one who is interested in this fabulous substance should visit the Whitby Heritage Site:

Whitby Jet History Page

The link will take you to a page devoted to the history of Whitby Jet but the site is quite large and has much to offer its visitors.

Jet and Amber, like many organic substances, were ground and used as medicines during many periods of history. Although medicine in China has an unbroken tradition of using organic substances, it is only recently that Western medicine has returned to the practice. One now can find oyster shells and shark cartilage, for example, commonly mixed and bottled for daily use. While pharmaceutical organisations endeavour to glorify synthetic combinations over natural treatments, it is almost impossible to create anything that is truly superior to Nature.

There was a time when synthetic substances such as vulcanite, bakelite and plastics were extremely fashionable. Even now, there are collectors who are enamoured with them, but I never could see the attraction. I think there is something noble in the struggle to work with Nature. Moulded substances may be more versatile but the mystery and individuality of Nature has been removed from the equation.

What brought me back to my lifelong exploration of Amber and Jet, oddly enough, was a visit to a Cameo factory outside of Pompeii. I never studied cameos in any profound manner but classical subjects always have appealed to me. I rather thought that all cameos were rather similar in nature where their subject matter was concerned, that they generally were set mythological themes copied by the artisans decade after decade.

This is true up to a point, but it is very interesting to find that the styles of cameo carvings mirror the styles of their eras to some extent and there is a great difference between Regency cameos, Victorian cameos depicting the Goddess Diana, those made half a century ago and those being made now. The difference between genuine Roman cameos and modern ones is even more pronounced, but that is to be expected.

I suppose I should have realised that every art form reflects its era, however much it follows a tradition of its own. One can be dazzled by the idea of an 'antique' piece of jewelry to the point where one does not focus on subtle details. Even if one does concentrate on details, one cannot become an expert in a few days, but having looked at hundreds of cameos now, I do believe I have acquired some sense of discrimination.

Cameos have gone in and out of fashion from decade to decade far more than cut gems or metalwork. There was a time when cameos were considered 'old lady' jewelry and a young girl would not be caught dead wearing one. With the advent of the New Romantic movement and later the Goths, cameos and all 'Victoriana' in fashion regained a measure of popularity. Jet cameos, like anything black, can be quite expensive now. 'Mourning jewelry' of any kind, whether organic or synthetic, has an allure to wannabe vampires and Goths. To the genuine devotee of Victorian art, it has an eternal appeal.

The Victorians really did create a religion based on Death, although they would not have termed it as such. Where some ancient cultures created lavish houses for the dead, the Victorians brought the cult of the dead to the living, and romanticised the idea of decay and death. Lockets filled with the hair of the dead and bracelets woven from hair were only two examples of a close and personal embrace with death.

Mythological subjects were very popular during the Victorian era, and the Symbolists brought a reflowering to ancient myths in opulent and sometimes baroque style. Dionysus and the Bacchantes were among the more popular subjects in carved jewelry.

Cameos in the last three hundred years appear to be divided for the most part between classical mythological subjects, pastoral or landscape vignettes and idealised but mortal women. There are few 'realistic' portraits. Portraits of mortal women tend to follow an Art Deco style, although this changes a little from decade to decade.

In my own view, where mythological subjects are concerned, the cameos from the Regency and Victorian periods have far more power than those created later. The faces are beautiful but rather stern. The 'otherworldly' quality of the portraits hints of fearsome power rather than mere prettiness. A portrait of Diana or Artemis, for example, when shown with the crescent moon in her hair and a bow in the background, is a portrait of a goddess who can slay both mortals and gods with that weapon, despite complete femininity. The same subject portrayed in the mid-20th Century, on the other hand, tends to depict a girlish character whose bow and arrows are merely decorative.

Contemporary cameos follow the styles of the mid-20th Century more than earlier portraits for the most part. The fact that most shell cameos are made in Italia in traditional factories probably is the reason why there is a certain sameness to the portraits. They can be quite exquisite but they do not exhibit much originality. of course, it is not really fair to judge an entire art on samples that, although carved by hand, are created in factories.

I have a personal weakness for depictions of the young Dionysus. The cameos that interest me the most are those that depict Dionysus or Bacchantes. You can see how much the character of the god varies from cameo to cameo. Stern, almost intimidating in one, he has a very girlish beauty in another. This makes sense when you consider that Dionysus was a god who could embody both genders and who could bring both ecstacy and death in a single act.

Most of these cameos are made of shell, although some are fashioned of Angelskin coral. There are two cameos carved in jet that depict a Baccante, a follower of Dionysus.

Cameos are made from many different substances. Onyx, Sardonyx and other forms of Agate were popular even in the classical period and often were used to create 'seals'. In the early 20th century, a fashion for men's rings depicting a 'Roman warrior' or other generic 'warrior' developed and one still can find these being made and sold, although they are not as popular as they once were.

One reason that cameos of mythological subjects are particularly interesting to me is the way they embody traditional symbolism. Each of the classical gods and goddesses has a number of symbols that are associated with him/her. Apollo has the lyre; Artemis/Diana has both bow and crescent moon as her symbols; Ceres/Demeter has wheat; Bacchus/Dionysus has the grapevine and grape, as well as the leopard and leopardskin and thrysus as his symbols. His Bacchantes are depicted with grapes and grapevines twined into their hair.

In the case of Dionysus, however, the grape and grapevine are not decoration but rather are a part of his essence. Like the Christ, Dionysus IS the vine that must be cut in order to be reborn. His blood is the 'water of life', a form of mystical communion. The cameos that depict him as nothing more than a very beautiful effeminate man do him an injustice, however attractive they may be. The sea is linked to Dionysus as well. He is the Bull who came from the sea in his rebirth. He was crucified and torn to pieces on board a ship. To carve his image on coral or shell therefore is apt.

It is the shell and coral cameos that have the most mystical power, in my opinion, although they are quite different in substance from Jet or Amber. Shells used to carve cameos are not generally fossilised. They do not undergo a 'sea change' in terms of profound transformation. They were shells and shells they remain. Nonetheless, the shell is another very ancient talismanic item revered throughout the globe and throughout the centuries. Shell necklaces are included in some of the earliest graves discovered and the shell is believed to be the symbol of the Goddess, or more specifically a symbol of the labyrinth or womb of life, death and rebirth. To carve the head of a deity on a shell therefore seems appropriate.