Mrs. Gottrocks Fine Jewelry and Gifts

Advice and information on jewelry, the jewelry industry, gemstones, and buying and selling jewelry.

Information about jewelry and advice about jewelry and gemstone information, information on diamonds, jewelry, jewelry cleaning, jewelry manufacturing and jewelry buying advice and jewelry selling information.

Mrs. Gottrocks Over The Counter Advice in its 7th Year! OVER THE COUNTER ADVICE™ FROM MRS. GOTTROCKS

JEWELRY MANUFACTURING TERMINOLOGY

Ever wonder what the difference between gold electroplate and gold-filled are? Every industry has its own terminology, and it can be very confusing to the layman. Here are some brief explanations of some jewelry manufacturing terms: Handmade, Cast, Die Struck, Gold-Filled and Rolled Gold Plate, and Gold Electroplate.

Handmade - Literally, made by hand, without the aid of mechanical devices other than ordinary hand tools. The major components, including joints, settings, etc., are handmade from plate, bar or wire. No manufactured parts may be included for an item to be labeled "Handmade."

Cast - The method in which metals are poured or forced into molds which have cavities in the shape or form of the articles to be produced. Of the various casting processes, lost-wax casting is the one most commonly used. Lost-wax casting means the item is first sculpted from wax. The original wax sculpture, or a copy of it, is then used to make a mold and is lost in the actual casting process (thus the name lost wax casting).

Die Struck - The method in which metals are mechanically hammered into hardened steel dies to produce definite impressions. This process is used on a lot of signet rings.

Gold-Filled & Rolled-Gold Plate - Continuous plates of metal are covered mechanically by means such as soldering, brazing, or welding. The karat gold used is at least 10kt fine, and this gold covering can be applied to one or more surfaces of the base metal. Many quality costume jewelry manufacturers use this process to imitate the karat gold look of fine jewelry. Gold filled or rolled gold jewelry is not as durable as karat fine jewelry, however, because the actual layer of gold on the item is extremely thin.

Gold Electroplate - Electroplate is the process of affixing a plate or layer of fine gold onto a base of metal by an electrolytic process (uses electricity and chemicals). This process can be used to improve appearance and to prevent disintegration. Since the gold plate used won't stick to most gemstones, you can have your problem costume jewelry plated to improve its appearance, or to help if you are experiencing discoloration from your costume or fine jewelry onto your skin. Like gold plate, this process imitates the karat gold look of fine jewelry, but is not as durable due to the thin layer of gold.

Here at Mrs. Gottrocks, all our jewelry is clearly marked as to the karat of the gold so you are sure your purchase is the right one. We hope this information has been of assistance to you. Please feel free to email us with your questions or suggestions for future topics.