Fashion is said to be a whimsical thing. This statement can be fully applied to jewelry. Its appearance, fashionable metals and stones, have changed with the course of the time. However, there is a number of things that remain classic over the years and centuries. Gold is one of such constants in jewelry.

It is the only metal that has a beautiful natural bright yellow color. On condition of good care, gold jewelry items have a very long life. No wonder that it is gold that we often prefer for the wedding rings. Durability of gold is believed to give strength to a family along with happiness and good-luck. As a matter of fact, gold exists everywhere; in plants, oceans, rivers, etc., but it is extremely hard to be extracted. The fact that you can stretch 1g of gold into a string more than 2 miles long comes to be amazing.

Pure gold is very soft, not durable and hard to work with. That is why in jewelry it is mixed with other metals such as silver, copper, zinc, nickel. The use of alloys hardens the gold and also lends the color. For instance, copper and silver retain the yellow color, whereas nickel, zinc and palladium produce white color alloys. Fashion jewelry is now being crafted in different hues such as pink or rose.

The proportion of gold in the alloys is defined in karats. Here are the gold karat standards used in jewelry manufacturing:

24karat (24K) gold is gold itself, its pure version.

14karat (14K) gold contains 14 parts of gold, mixed in throughout with 10 parts of other metals.

The higher the karat rating is, the higher the proportion of gold in the piece of jewelry is.

Most jewelry is marked with its karat quality, though it is not required by law. But near the karat quality mark there should be the name of the U.S. registered trademark of the company that will stand behind the mark. Never buy the jewelry pieces without a trademark near the karat quality mark.

The mystic properties of gold are very interesting to know: It is one of the first metals known to the mankind. There were times when a meal in a gold dish was considered a sigh of peace and the fidelity oath when served for a hostile tribe envoy. The envoy could be sure that the food is not poisoned as gold could not adjoin with poisons.

In Ancient Greece and Rome gold discs with the picture of the person engraved on them were used as a bewitching weapon.

In ancient times this metal was considered to cure heart pains, mental anguish and shyness. Our grandfathers truly believed that gold could stimulate your mental and heart activity, improve the memory and even awake your spiritual nature, if it had slept so far. And, by the way, gold is used in medication up to the present day. Here are some of the most popular beliefs about gold:

- Hold gold in mouth, and it will make the breath fresher and cure throat diseases.

- If an ear is pierced with a gold needle, the hole will never close up.

-If a child has a gold necklace on, he/she will not give a cry.

-Gold protects from sadness and on the whole the more gold you have with you the jollier you are.

-The searing of heart region with gold cures heart pains.

Gold is the symbol of love and permanence, so gold jewelry is ideal for gifting to beloved persons. Besides, it is fabulous for elderly people as, being the Sun metal, gold is the additional source of energy for them.

Silver

Silver is the second most popular metal after gold. Its history goes back to the times of the ancient Byzantine, Phoenician and Egyptian Empires.

In the ancient times silver was one of the Alchemists favourite metals, the Moon metal on account of its cooling effect. Lots of diseases were cured with medication having silver content.

In its purest form silver is pretty soft and that is why often mixed with other metals.

- Coin silver refers to 90% pure silver with 10% metal alloy.

- German silver or nickel silver is a mixture of nickel, copper and zinc.

- Sterling silver is 92, 5% of pure silver and 7, 5 % of copper. Copper is the best alloy for silver as it improves the metal's hardness without affecting the lustrous color. Sterling silver jewelry is usually marked as sterling, sterling silver, ster, or 925.

Probably due to the cooling property silver is considered the right metal to wear for people whose characteristics are hastiness, quick speech. Silver helps get rid of the fear of constantly being late and the fear of possible negative consequences of the preplanned actions. And another sign of silver-prone people is the sweet tooth.

Silver is used as a traditional setting for the gemstones, which gives them a sophisticated look without going over the top. Silver jewelry is a popular gift to women and children. Whether it is silver rings, necklaces and chains or charms and pendants, silver jewelry looks fabulous and exquisite. It is an ideal match for an every day outfit. Men can be gifted silver cuff links and signet rings. It is a symbol of a tender emotion or a love memory. By the way, do you know that silver jewelry worn over a period of time acquires a patina that varies according to the chemistry of the person wearing it? Try it with somebody else and you will be amazed to see different results.