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By: Ikedi Ani-okoye.

Introduction to Gold

Gold is the softest of the precious metals. In fact the greater the purity of the gold, the softer it is. Hence the 'old' prospector's biting test for gold - pure gold is marked by a hard nibble! (Not to be advised without a dentist on standby!!)

This 'softness' property is one of the reasons why gold became so precious and desirable, to every civilisation. Gold, although rare and difficult to obtain could be easily 'worked' - Just one ounce of gold can be beaten out to cover a surface area of over 27 square metres!

A facts of the Gold

Pure gold is 24k (ie.100% gold), the other common alloy carat weights are 22k, 18k, 14k, 10k and 9k. 9k gold is the hardest alloy. Obviously, this means that 9k gold will scratch all the softer k weights. This is the reason it's advisable to always wear items of the same gold carat weight, if your jewellery is likely to come into contact (rings etc). Gold is resistant to oxidative corrosion - it won't tarnish, rust or corrode.

Pure gold is too soft to be of any use in the making of Jewellery. The pure gold is alloyed with silver, copper and various other metals in order to render a material hard enough for jewellery. The percentage of pure gold, in a Jewellery alloy is denoted by its carat (k) weight.

Gold prices

Internationally, gold prices have risen strongly since 1999. Today’s spot price is the range of US$ 735 per ounce. It must be remembered that despite this rise, prices have not reached the peak reached in 1980 (US$ 850 per ounce on 21 January 1980). Recent price rise appears to be driven by global financial worries, lowering US interest rates and strong demand in China and India.

White Gold facts

White Gold was originally developed in the 1920's as an alternative to Platinum. It's not actually another type of gold; there's no such thing as 'pure' white gold, or 24k white gold. It's simply an alloy in which the choice of alloyed metals has been made to achieve a 'white' or platinum like colour.

CONCLUSION

Buying Gold is like making any good purchase you should be look for the best quality. Following the tips advice above about gold should push you in the right direction, there are a whole range of gold outlets to choose from. The best place for comparing prices would be the internet. Whether you are looking for pure raw gold or gold jewellery the internet will have something for you.