Showing posts with label gold. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gold. Show all posts
Friday, October 16, 2009
14K Gold 3D Eiffel Tower Charm
This is a beautiful new 14k Solid Polished 3-Dimensional Eiffel Tower Charm. It is a great gift for yourself or a loved one and makes the perfect addition to any jewelry collection.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Friday, September 4, 2009
14k Yellow Gold 3mm Mesh Hoop Earrings
Diamond-patterned texturing adds a rich, sparkly look to these elegant hoop earrings, fashioned from popular and durable 14 karat yellow gold. The earrings are about the size of a nickel and have a 3 millimeter thickness with a hollowed interior for a lightweight, comfortable feel. They are set on hinged posts that fasten securely into U-shaped grooves. Extremely versatile, these earrings add a
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Baguette Diamond Earrings in 14K White Gold
Baguette and round diamonds hoops with 4 baguette and 6 round diamonds. 1/4ct of our value priced 2 star diamonds set in 14 karat white gold. Very secure lock. These have been among our best selling diamond hoop earrings for 3 years. Everyone LOVES them!
Sunday, August 30, 2009
10k Yellow Gold Diamond J-Hoop Earrings
Twenty-six round diamonds (1/3 cttw) decorate these classy J-hoop earrings, crafted in 10 karat yellow gold. Small and subtle, with a delicate sparkle, they provide a sophisticated accent to a daytime or evening outfit. These earrings are featured on posts with traditional friction backs.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
10k Yellow Gold Created Ruby and Diamond Flower Drop Earrings
Be radiant in red with these long and swingy ruby flower earrings. These elegant dangles are crafted in 10 karat yellow gold and feature matching ruby flowers--one at the post, and another suspended from a slender gold chain. Each flower consists of five luscious red created ruby petals surrounding a single diamond center. Bright, feminine, and fun to wear, these earrings will add a splash of
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Selling Unwanted Gold Jewelry For Cash
By JM Williams
Record high precious metal prices are attracting buyers and sellers of old gold jewelry. With the economy in near-ruin and slumping home values, old gold has become the new standard once again. The price today has exceeded $1000 per ounce and would-be-sellers are now flocking to sell scrap to refiners to take advantage of selling their unwanted gold for a record high.
"People are looking for the best places to get cash for gold jewelry" says Warren Price of a Seattle's North pawn industry. "The dollar is down. Stocks are down. People need cash and you can safely sell your old jewelry for 3 times more now than just five years ago." Sellers may get only $130 for a 10-gr .35 ounce 14-karat necklace but it is at the highest price than ever before. This is the right time to sell. Pawn brokers report people are raiding their jewelry boxes and bringing in old scrap jewelry. People of all walk of life are taking advantage of this opportune time. The selling of gold is up 50% from last year.
"A young woman walked in and said she couldn't pay her rent," Price said. "So she sold an old gold coin her grandmother had given her." She pocketed $984 and walked out relieved having had the option to get a good price for her gold coin.
It is no surprise that sellers are taking advantage of the record high. Since interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve could send the dollar yet lower. As the dollar falls, preciuos metal prices typically rise. Gold sales volume has shot up 8 times in recent weeks. The larger trend is the peak in interest from refiners who are buyers.
So where is the best place to sell gold jewelry? Many online refiners have sprouted up making the decision more difficult. A recent Fox News investigation put some of the better known "sell cash for gold" companies to the test. They purchased 3 identical necklaces from a department store and sent a necklace each to "Cash For Gold USA", "Cash 4 Gold", and "Broken Gold". The fastest and highest paying result was from "Cash For Gold USA" with a payment of $15.50, while "Broken Gold" paid $5.60 and "Cash 4 Gold" paid $5.52. Clearly one the first company was the best place to sell gold jewelry and scrap precious metal.
Jon Nadler who is an analyst at Kitco Bullion Dealers in Montreal expects by summer that the dollar will begin to recover and gold will return to stabilized level of $650 - $750 an ounce. This will make the window of opportunity for people to get the best cash when they sell unwanted gold jewelry and coins. It may not bring riches but it could bring financial stability to those who need money quickly.
If one is looking to sell broken gold jewelry and make some cash in the process, they would be best served using a trusted service.
JM Williamshttp://www.cashforgoldus.net/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=JM_Williams
Record high precious metal prices are attracting buyers and sellers of old gold jewelry. With the economy in near-ruin and slumping home values, old gold has become the new standard once again. The price today has exceeded $1000 per ounce and would-be-sellers are now flocking to sell scrap to refiners to take advantage of selling their unwanted gold for a record high.
"People are looking for the best places to get cash for gold jewelry" says Warren Price of a Seattle's North pawn industry. "The dollar is down. Stocks are down. People need cash and you can safely sell your old jewelry for 3 times more now than just five years ago." Sellers may get only $130 for a 10-gr .35 ounce 14-karat necklace but it is at the highest price than ever before. This is the right time to sell. Pawn brokers report people are raiding their jewelry boxes and bringing in old scrap jewelry. People of all walk of life are taking advantage of this opportune time. The selling of gold is up 50% from last year.
"A young woman walked in and said she couldn't pay her rent," Price said. "So she sold an old gold coin her grandmother had given her." She pocketed $984 and walked out relieved having had the option to get a good price for her gold coin.
It is no surprise that sellers are taking advantage of the record high. Since interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve could send the dollar yet lower. As the dollar falls, preciuos metal prices typically rise. Gold sales volume has shot up 8 times in recent weeks. The larger trend is the peak in interest from refiners who are buyers.
So where is the best place to sell gold jewelry? Many online refiners have sprouted up making the decision more difficult. A recent Fox News investigation put some of the better known "sell cash for gold" companies to the test. They purchased 3 identical necklaces from a department store and sent a necklace each to "Cash For Gold USA", "Cash 4 Gold", and "Broken Gold". The fastest and highest paying result was from "Cash For Gold USA" with a payment of $15.50, while "Broken Gold" paid $5.60 and "Cash 4 Gold" paid $5.52. Clearly one the first company was the best place to sell gold jewelry and scrap precious metal.
Jon Nadler who is an analyst at Kitco Bullion Dealers in Montreal expects by summer that the dollar will begin to recover and gold will return to stabilized level of $650 - $750 an ounce. This will make the window of opportunity for people to get the best cash when they sell unwanted gold jewelry and coins. It may not bring riches but it could bring financial stability to those who need money quickly.
If one is looking to sell broken gold jewelry and make some cash in the process, they would be best served using a trusted service.
JM Williamshttp://www.cashforgoldus.net/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=JM_Williams
Gold Or Silver - Which is the Best Investment?
By Craig Hanks
It is fall 2008; our economy is shrinking; our personal and business assets are loosing market value across the board; the banking system is going catatonic; and commodities like gold and silver are bouncing around like my truck on a road full of potholes. Earlier in the year the US dollar was declining in value against virtually every other currency and all commodities. While this fall the dollar has strengthened relative to foreign currencies because the problems in our economy are also global problems that are affecting the economies of all industrialized countries. Along with the worldwide banking collapse and strangulation of our economies by high energy prices, we are entering into a significant global recession. Price speculators have been very active all year long in all of the commodity markets, such that prices on all raw materials, including gold and silver, shot up dramatically in the first six months of 2008, while in the past few months speculation is now driving most commodity prices way down. Since gold and silver have been de-monetized for a long time their values only rise and fall with industrial demand, because social demand for them as safe-haven money is still very limited. If our economy goes into a deep recession, the uncertainty of job security, retirement security, and the near certainty of rising inflation, caused by government deficits and Federal Reserve intervention into shoring up failing banks and other private businesses, will cause more people, as well as many businesses, to exchange dollars for gold and silver. Right now there is a preference for gold rather than silver as a security hedge; but for the individual, gold is the wrong metal to own.
Consider that with more than six billion people on earth there simply is not enough gold and silver available to have these precious metals fulfill the role of money for everyone. It is estimated that about 4.4 billion ounces of gold have been mined in historical times and at least 4 billion ounces are still with us as pure bullion, or easily recovered and smelted into pure bullion; this amounts to only two-thirds ounce per person. It is also estimated that about 44 billion ounces of silver have been mined in historical times and about 20 billion ounces of this silver has been consumed in the past and disposed in ways that are not profitable to recover. Approximately 24 billion ounces of silver could be recovered and converted to coins or bullion; this amounts to about four ounces per person. Central banks and governments hold about 800 million ounces of gold and negligible amounts of silver, leaving just over 3 billion ounces of gold and 24 billion ounces of silver in the hands if businesses and individuals; or an approximate ratio of 8 to 1.
If our paper currency fails, causing people to barter with gold and silver for their daily needs and wages, then gold can at most command a value of eight times that of silver. Since the current ratio of value is $750 to $10, or 75 to 1(in the fall of 2008), gold is nearly 10 times higher that it should be relative to silver. This means that silver will appreciate many times over when gold and silver become barter money again. It is less than 50 years since silver was taken out of our US coinage; yet prior to 1964 silver has been in coins going back over 1000 years. While gold has not been barter money since 1934 in the United States, its history as coined money goes back more that 2000 years.
It makes no sense to ask whether gold will go to $10,000 per ounce or $10 per ounce, because it is the US dollar that is changing value. Gold and silver change their value very little with respect to goods and services for which they may be bartered. One hundred and two hundred years ago an ounce of gold would buy a good suit of clothes and an ounce of silver would buy a good meal at a restaurant, and so they will today. Over the years these metals have not strayed very far from this valuation except under severe economic tensions, at which time they typically rise in value rapidly.
Even though gold and silver are in relative short supply and little used as money, the U.S. paper dollar is the wrong barometer of economic stability. Assets and commodities should not be valued in terms of US dollars, but in terms of fixed quantity commodities like gold and silver. The unstable item (dollar) fluctuates in terms of the stable (gold), not vice versa. Reporting it backwards does not make it valid. Worldwide currencies should be exchanged by valuing them to gold and silver, not to the U.S. dollar, or any other currency for that matter.
In the past there have been many government attempts to peg a monetary ratio between gold and silver. It has been ten-to-one, twenty-to-one and even thirty-four-to-one during the depression. Teddy Roosevelt ran for President promising to fix the ratio at sixteen ounces of silver to one ounce of gold. These ratios not only show a historical variance, they also are all showing ratios of silver to gold that are greater than the real amounts of these metals mined and refined. The reason that these metals are not valued in direct relationship with the amounts mined is principally the hoarding of gold by governments, central banks, international banks, and some international corporations. This hoarding of gold is the same as it having never been mined, as far as the markets are concerned. This hoarding of gold tends to skew the ratio of gold available to consumers and investors as compared to the silver available. And it is a valid factor in arriving at a proper price for gold with respect to silver, provided that this hoarded gold remains unavailable for investment or payment in trade. If this hoarded gold came back into the markets as a monetary unit it would un-skew a gold-silver relationship that goes back to the late 1800's. However, if governments decide by law to remove even more gold from private ownership to government ownership, they will do so at their price, similar to the US government action in 1934; and whatever is left in private hands will be too small of a quantity to serve as money. In either case silver would increase in value as compared to gold.
I am not asserting that gold and silver are improperly valued today. But I am asserting that investors who own gold to protect themselves from the calamity of a failed economy and inflating paper currency are investing in the wrong metal, by a factor of at least eight. Our current industrial and jewelry use of these metals would have no relationship to the value they would become as barter-money in a failing US economy. So one cannot compare these metals today and make an investment in holding either of them, based on their current uses and values in our social economy. When gold and silver are re-monetized to act as money in our economies it will not be by government decree, but by the actions of citizens acting to create opportunity and build a new economy.
If a well-to-do person were going to set aside food and other necessities for future consumption in case of economic depression, should they be advised to purchase champagne, caviar, and frozen pastries (gold); or should they perhaps purchase apple juice, sardines, and crackers (silver)? Quantity is more important than show when one is trying to survive. People who invest in gold as insurance against economic depression are not acting in their own best interest; they are simply following their investment counselor's bad advice.
If investors and their counselors really understood gold and silver they would never purchase or recommend the purchase of gold at its current inflated price. If silver is mined at ten ounces for each ounce of gold and is priced correctly at $10.00 per ounce then gold should only be $100.00 per ounce, when we consider their monetary barter value. But if gold is priced correctly at $750.00 per ounce then silver should be $75.00 per ounce. Whichever way the market moves in a panic, silver will appreciate by a larger factor in relationship to gold. Actually, both metals would appreciate with respect to the US dollar, but silver would outpace gold in percentage growth at the point where producers and consumers started preferring gold and silver in exchange for goods and services. Giving investment in silver today considerable value over investment in gold, because of this growth potential.
Besides the ratio of gold to silver issue there is another important aspect of gold usage in tough economic times that must be considered; and that is the usage of gold to purchase food, toiletries, medicines, clothes; etc. If we were to do the Zimbabwe thing and have the US dollar inflating 100 % per week while very few goods are available to purchase; anyone going to a store with a shiny 1-oz gold coin would find that their purchases may only use up 10 to 20 percent of the value of their gold coin and that the store cashier would not give them change in gold or silver (even if the store had gold and silver to make change); the cashier would give them change in paper dollars that would rapidly inflate to nothing if they could not be quickly spent.
This problem would not occur with silver to any great extent because silver is still available from 100 oz bars down to 1 oz coins, and also available as old US coins, right down to silver dimes, permitting shoppers to pay with exact change for the goods they require. In the late 1970's an elderly Dutch gentleman told me how he experienced this very problem when he was sent to Germany in the early 1920's to go to university. The gold coins he received from home, for living expenses, was greatly sought by the shopkeepers, but they had little to sell and he always received change in German Marks (paper) that lost more than half their value in a week. He seldom got full value for his money, because of daily inflation. The same situation could occur here; it certainly has hit many nations in the last few decades, and for some it lasted many years. Silver is by far a superior investment to gold when it is being held as insurance against inflationary times and economic panics.
The companies that mine gold and silver for our industrial and personal consumption should be aware of the potential re-monitization of these metals by consumers and retailers; and what this could mean for their businesses in tough economic times. Recovery from a bout of depression caused by hyperinflation will depend a great deal on having a good supply of gold and silver and a vibrant mining industry to supply the money necessary to grow and expand a new economy and support international trade.
Craig D. Hanks Eugene, Oregon
This article is taken from a chapter of my book SOCIAL BENCHMARKS. Other excerpts can be viewed at http://beyondfarenough.blogspot.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Craig_Hanks
It is fall 2008; our economy is shrinking; our personal and business assets are loosing market value across the board; the banking system is going catatonic; and commodities like gold and silver are bouncing around like my truck on a road full of potholes. Earlier in the year the US dollar was declining in value against virtually every other currency and all commodities. While this fall the dollar has strengthened relative to foreign currencies because the problems in our economy are also global problems that are affecting the economies of all industrialized countries. Along with the worldwide banking collapse and strangulation of our economies by high energy prices, we are entering into a significant global recession. Price speculators have been very active all year long in all of the commodity markets, such that prices on all raw materials, including gold and silver, shot up dramatically in the first six months of 2008, while in the past few months speculation is now driving most commodity prices way down. Since gold and silver have been de-monetized for a long time their values only rise and fall with industrial demand, because social demand for them as safe-haven money is still very limited. If our economy goes into a deep recession, the uncertainty of job security, retirement security, and the near certainty of rising inflation, caused by government deficits and Federal Reserve intervention into shoring up failing banks and other private businesses, will cause more people, as well as many businesses, to exchange dollars for gold and silver. Right now there is a preference for gold rather than silver as a security hedge; but for the individual, gold is the wrong metal to own.
Consider that with more than six billion people on earth there simply is not enough gold and silver available to have these precious metals fulfill the role of money for everyone. It is estimated that about 4.4 billion ounces of gold have been mined in historical times and at least 4 billion ounces are still with us as pure bullion, or easily recovered and smelted into pure bullion; this amounts to only two-thirds ounce per person. It is also estimated that about 44 billion ounces of silver have been mined in historical times and about 20 billion ounces of this silver has been consumed in the past and disposed in ways that are not profitable to recover. Approximately 24 billion ounces of silver could be recovered and converted to coins or bullion; this amounts to about four ounces per person. Central banks and governments hold about 800 million ounces of gold and negligible amounts of silver, leaving just over 3 billion ounces of gold and 24 billion ounces of silver in the hands if businesses and individuals; or an approximate ratio of 8 to 1.
If our paper currency fails, causing people to barter with gold and silver for their daily needs and wages, then gold can at most command a value of eight times that of silver. Since the current ratio of value is $750 to $10, or 75 to 1(in the fall of 2008), gold is nearly 10 times higher that it should be relative to silver. This means that silver will appreciate many times over when gold and silver become barter money again. It is less than 50 years since silver was taken out of our US coinage; yet prior to 1964 silver has been in coins going back over 1000 years. While gold has not been barter money since 1934 in the United States, its history as coined money goes back more that 2000 years.
It makes no sense to ask whether gold will go to $10,000 per ounce or $10 per ounce, because it is the US dollar that is changing value. Gold and silver change their value very little with respect to goods and services for which they may be bartered. One hundred and two hundred years ago an ounce of gold would buy a good suit of clothes and an ounce of silver would buy a good meal at a restaurant, and so they will today. Over the years these metals have not strayed very far from this valuation except under severe economic tensions, at which time they typically rise in value rapidly.
Even though gold and silver are in relative short supply and little used as money, the U.S. paper dollar is the wrong barometer of economic stability. Assets and commodities should not be valued in terms of US dollars, but in terms of fixed quantity commodities like gold and silver. The unstable item (dollar) fluctuates in terms of the stable (gold), not vice versa. Reporting it backwards does not make it valid. Worldwide currencies should be exchanged by valuing them to gold and silver, not to the U.S. dollar, or any other currency for that matter.
In the past there have been many government attempts to peg a monetary ratio between gold and silver. It has been ten-to-one, twenty-to-one and even thirty-four-to-one during the depression. Teddy Roosevelt ran for President promising to fix the ratio at sixteen ounces of silver to one ounce of gold. These ratios not only show a historical variance, they also are all showing ratios of silver to gold that are greater than the real amounts of these metals mined and refined. The reason that these metals are not valued in direct relationship with the amounts mined is principally the hoarding of gold by governments, central banks, international banks, and some international corporations. This hoarding of gold is the same as it having never been mined, as far as the markets are concerned. This hoarding of gold tends to skew the ratio of gold available to consumers and investors as compared to the silver available. And it is a valid factor in arriving at a proper price for gold with respect to silver, provided that this hoarded gold remains unavailable for investment or payment in trade. If this hoarded gold came back into the markets as a monetary unit it would un-skew a gold-silver relationship that goes back to the late 1800's. However, if governments decide by law to remove even more gold from private ownership to government ownership, they will do so at their price, similar to the US government action in 1934; and whatever is left in private hands will be too small of a quantity to serve as money. In either case silver would increase in value as compared to gold.
I am not asserting that gold and silver are improperly valued today. But I am asserting that investors who own gold to protect themselves from the calamity of a failed economy and inflating paper currency are investing in the wrong metal, by a factor of at least eight. Our current industrial and jewelry use of these metals would have no relationship to the value they would become as barter-money in a failing US economy. So one cannot compare these metals today and make an investment in holding either of them, based on their current uses and values in our social economy. When gold and silver are re-monetized to act as money in our economies it will not be by government decree, but by the actions of citizens acting to create opportunity and build a new economy.
If a well-to-do person were going to set aside food and other necessities for future consumption in case of economic depression, should they be advised to purchase champagne, caviar, and frozen pastries (gold); or should they perhaps purchase apple juice, sardines, and crackers (silver)? Quantity is more important than show when one is trying to survive. People who invest in gold as insurance against economic depression are not acting in their own best interest; they are simply following their investment counselor's bad advice.
If investors and their counselors really understood gold and silver they would never purchase or recommend the purchase of gold at its current inflated price. If silver is mined at ten ounces for each ounce of gold and is priced correctly at $10.00 per ounce then gold should only be $100.00 per ounce, when we consider their monetary barter value. But if gold is priced correctly at $750.00 per ounce then silver should be $75.00 per ounce. Whichever way the market moves in a panic, silver will appreciate by a larger factor in relationship to gold. Actually, both metals would appreciate with respect to the US dollar, but silver would outpace gold in percentage growth at the point where producers and consumers started preferring gold and silver in exchange for goods and services. Giving investment in silver today considerable value over investment in gold, because of this growth potential.
Besides the ratio of gold to silver issue there is another important aspect of gold usage in tough economic times that must be considered; and that is the usage of gold to purchase food, toiletries, medicines, clothes; etc. If we were to do the Zimbabwe thing and have the US dollar inflating 100 % per week while very few goods are available to purchase; anyone going to a store with a shiny 1-oz gold coin would find that their purchases may only use up 10 to 20 percent of the value of their gold coin and that the store cashier would not give them change in gold or silver (even if the store had gold and silver to make change); the cashier would give them change in paper dollars that would rapidly inflate to nothing if they could not be quickly spent.
This problem would not occur with silver to any great extent because silver is still available from 100 oz bars down to 1 oz coins, and also available as old US coins, right down to silver dimes, permitting shoppers to pay with exact change for the goods they require. In the late 1970's an elderly Dutch gentleman told me how he experienced this very problem when he was sent to Germany in the early 1920's to go to university. The gold coins he received from home, for living expenses, was greatly sought by the shopkeepers, but they had little to sell and he always received change in German Marks (paper) that lost more than half their value in a week. He seldom got full value for his money, because of daily inflation. The same situation could occur here; it certainly has hit many nations in the last few decades, and for some it lasted many years. Silver is by far a superior investment to gold when it is being held as insurance against inflationary times and economic panics.
The companies that mine gold and silver for our industrial and personal consumption should be aware of the potential re-monitization of these metals by consumers and retailers; and what this could mean for their businesses in tough economic times. Recovery from a bout of depression caused by hyperinflation will depend a great deal on having a good supply of gold and silver and a vibrant mining industry to supply the money necessary to grow and expand a new economy and support international trade.
Craig D. Hanks Eugene, Oregon
This article is taken from a chapter of my book SOCIAL BENCHMARKS. Other excerpts can be viewed at http://beyondfarenough.blogspot.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Craig_Hanks
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
What is Gold Stock Trading and Could it Be For You?
By Ian Parks
Gold stock trading takes two major forms these days: They come in the form of ETFs and futures contracts.
ETFs, or Exchange Traded Funds, are one inexpensive way for investors to get into stock trading centered around this precious metal. An ETF tracks an underlying bundle of stocks from which the fund derives its value. They are like an index fund but they get traded just like an individual stock. You can sell them short, buy it on the margin, and even buy just one share. You usually command only the value of just a fraction of an ounce per share. This makes it a lot more affordable for the average person to get in on the action, instead of having to invest directly at its full spot price. You can get in on one of these funds if you have only a few hundred dollars of investment capital.
Gold stock trading with ETFs means you can get in on the action of buying and selling gold without having to take physical delivery of any bullion, since what you actually own and trade is the derived value of the reserves that the particular find has ownership of. These ETFs were first introduced in 2004.
On the other hand, In August 2008 the SPDR Trust fund was the number one traded ETF of this nature, and at that time it had accumulated reserves of the metal equaling 659 tons, according to the website ExchangeTradedGold.com. In comparison to the world's total gold reserves of 120,000 to 140,000 tons, that's precious little; but, the SPDR Trust is widely regarded as the most liquid of all ETFs of this kind.
There are some other flaws with doing stock trading with this metal using ETFs. For one thing, they can be taxed as collectibles, even though there is no investment in coins or for numismatic or jewelry value. There is no ownership of the actual solid item by the shareholder, either. But this is what the IRS said in 2008--how surprising, huh? For another thing, there is risk to you the shareholder which has to do with company risks rather than the actual price of gold on the open market. And, there are a lot of fees in these funds--you may like your gold ETF is being nickeled and dimed to death.
So, you can look to doing this kind of stock trading with futures specifically for this metal. Futures have low expenses--you pay an up-front premium to buy a type of contract which will, for a temporary period of time, enable you to either buy or sell on demand (but you don't have to take physical delivery; your monetary results simply show up in your margin trading account). The contract is for command of a certain amount of underlying gold; the premium you pay is non-refundable, but the amount you can temporarily control is far, far more than what paying that same premium in the form of an ETF investment would buy you, meaning you have far greater upside profit potential for the same money. The downside of these futures is that you can possibly lose money if you don't know what you're doing.
This kind of stock trading is big these days as the Dollar is being devalued. It could be for you!
Check out my site if you want to learn more about how to buy gold and silver and take a look at the best gold stocks
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ian_Parks
Gold stock trading takes two major forms these days: They come in the form of ETFs and futures contracts.
ETFs, or Exchange Traded Funds, are one inexpensive way for investors to get into stock trading centered around this precious metal. An ETF tracks an underlying bundle of stocks from which the fund derives its value. They are like an index fund but they get traded just like an individual stock. You can sell them short, buy it on the margin, and even buy just one share. You usually command only the value of just a fraction of an ounce per share. This makes it a lot more affordable for the average person to get in on the action, instead of having to invest directly at its full spot price. You can get in on one of these funds if you have only a few hundred dollars of investment capital.
Gold stock trading with ETFs means you can get in on the action of buying and selling gold without having to take physical delivery of any bullion, since what you actually own and trade is the derived value of the reserves that the particular find has ownership of. These ETFs were first introduced in 2004.
On the other hand, In August 2008 the SPDR Trust fund was the number one traded ETF of this nature, and at that time it had accumulated reserves of the metal equaling 659 tons, according to the website ExchangeTradedGold.com. In comparison to the world's total gold reserves of 120,000 to 140,000 tons, that's precious little; but, the SPDR Trust is widely regarded as the most liquid of all ETFs of this kind.
There are some other flaws with doing stock trading with this metal using ETFs. For one thing, they can be taxed as collectibles, even though there is no investment in coins or for numismatic or jewelry value. There is no ownership of the actual solid item by the shareholder, either. But this is what the IRS said in 2008--how surprising, huh? For another thing, there is risk to you the shareholder which has to do with company risks rather than the actual price of gold on the open market. And, there are a lot of fees in these funds--you may like your gold ETF is being nickeled and dimed to death.
So, you can look to doing this kind of stock trading with futures specifically for this metal. Futures have low expenses--you pay an up-front premium to buy a type of contract which will, for a temporary period of time, enable you to either buy or sell on demand (but you don't have to take physical delivery; your monetary results simply show up in your margin trading account). The contract is for command of a certain amount of underlying gold; the premium you pay is non-refundable, but the amount you can temporarily control is far, far more than what paying that same premium in the form of an ETF investment would buy you, meaning you have far greater upside profit potential for the same money. The downside of these futures is that you can possibly lose money if you don't know what you're doing.
This kind of stock trading is big these days as the Dollar is being devalued. It could be for you!
Check out my site if you want to learn more about how to buy gold and silver and take a look at the best gold stocks
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ian_Parks
Introduction to Gold Coin Investing
By Arthur McGuire
When it comes to gold coin investing it's a good idea to keep one eye on the gold spot price, and the other eye on the actual price of the coins you're choosing to build your investments with.
While the price of gold coins such as American Eagle tends to stay within the same area as the spot prices, these prices are not adjusted on an hourly or even daily basis, and so while the day's market closing can give you a good idea of what to expect the next time you do some gold coin investing, the coin's price will not always reflect the same number as the spot price.
This can work to your advantage of course. By keeping an eye on the spot price and keeping an eye out for certain tendencies within the market, you'll know when to get in early and when to buy before a surge and you'll know to sell a few when it peaks.
This isn't to say that the gold spot price is something you need to worry or fret about like a stock investor frantically yelling, "Buy! Buy! Buy! Sell! Sell! Sell!" into a cell phone. Certainly, one of the primary benefits when you get into gold coin investing is that it tends to be a relatively safe and relaxed investment when compared with several other options. That said, you can most certainly maximize your gold coin investing by making sure you buy them at just the right time.
This holds true even for long term gold coin investing, not just the short term. If you've been thinking about buying a few more coins then you'll want to keep an eye on the spot prices. When the price starts climbing you can go ahead and seize on the opportunity to buy another half ounce or an ounce before the surge occurs and bumps the coin price up a bit.
Again, you don't have to be one of those people who always carries a copy of the Wall Street Journal and who is constantly hustling and bustling to squeeze every last cent possible out of their investments, nor does it mean that you have to worry all day and night about sudden drops, as, well, sudden price drops just plain aren't very common in gold prices, and in the rare instances that they do, they tend to recover as quickly as they fell. All we're saying is that it's a good idea to make a quick spot-price check part of your daily routine. When you get up in the morning with your coffee go ahead and take a look and see what price gold closed at the night before.
Of course even if you choose to simply buy some gold coins when you have the money to do so and you choose not to worry about the spot prices much, you can still rely on your gold coins investment to generally improve in value over time, and to at the very least not usually suffer a major downturn. The truth is that you should invest in the metal in whatever way you find comfortable. That might mean simply keeping your investment somewhere safe and not worrying about it too much or it could mean checking the spot price several times a day. With gold, the choice is yours.
Learn more about gold coin investing with Gold-Coin.com and receive your free "2009 Insider's Guide To Gold Investing."
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Arthur_McGuire
When it comes to gold coin investing it's a good idea to keep one eye on the gold spot price, and the other eye on the actual price of the coins you're choosing to build your investments with.
While the price of gold coins such as American Eagle tends to stay within the same area as the spot prices, these prices are not adjusted on an hourly or even daily basis, and so while the day's market closing can give you a good idea of what to expect the next time you do some gold coin investing, the coin's price will not always reflect the same number as the spot price.
This can work to your advantage of course. By keeping an eye on the spot price and keeping an eye out for certain tendencies within the market, you'll know when to get in early and when to buy before a surge and you'll know to sell a few when it peaks.
This isn't to say that the gold spot price is something you need to worry or fret about like a stock investor frantically yelling, "Buy! Buy! Buy! Sell! Sell! Sell!" into a cell phone. Certainly, one of the primary benefits when you get into gold coin investing is that it tends to be a relatively safe and relaxed investment when compared with several other options. That said, you can most certainly maximize your gold coin investing by making sure you buy them at just the right time.
This holds true even for long term gold coin investing, not just the short term. If you've been thinking about buying a few more coins then you'll want to keep an eye on the spot prices. When the price starts climbing you can go ahead and seize on the opportunity to buy another half ounce or an ounce before the surge occurs and bumps the coin price up a bit.
Again, you don't have to be one of those people who always carries a copy of the Wall Street Journal and who is constantly hustling and bustling to squeeze every last cent possible out of their investments, nor does it mean that you have to worry all day and night about sudden drops, as, well, sudden price drops just plain aren't very common in gold prices, and in the rare instances that they do, they tend to recover as quickly as they fell. All we're saying is that it's a good idea to make a quick spot-price check part of your daily routine. When you get up in the morning with your coffee go ahead and take a look and see what price gold closed at the night before.
Of course even if you choose to simply buy some gold coins when you have the money to do so and you choose not to worry about the spot prices much, you can still rely on your gold coins investment to generally improve in value over time, and to at the very least not usually suffer a major downturn. The truth is that you should invest in the metal in whatever way you find comfortable. That might mean simply keeping your investment somewhere safe and not worrying about it too much or it could mean checking the spot price several times a day. With gold, the choice is yours.
Learn more about gold coin investing with Gold-Coin.com and receive your free "2009 Insider's Guide To Gold Investing."
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Arthur_McGuire
Elaborate Gold Panning Methods
By Christina Goldman
The majority of people who have no knowledge of panning for gold can do simple gold panning methods. However, there are more elaborate gold panning methods that can yield better results.
Standard Panning Method
Part of gold panning methods needs the use of standard pans with a diameter measuring 16 inches and depth measuring 2.5 inches. Some may favor smaller pans, particularly for newbies, to easily spot the little bits of gold pieces compared to bigger pans.
However, larger pans are used when trying to scour a big area of gravel to be panned. Others may use iron pans because iron turns blue when heated. The gold bits, having a bright luminous yellow color will be simply seen.
A professional gold "panner" having the accuracy and speed can pan up to one cubic yard in a day - only thru the use of gold pan, heater and tweezers. To extract more gold, some people adopt their own methodologies. The method discussed above is employed when the gravel is wet. On the other hand, if it is dry, some may use the elements mercury and magnetite. Since the processes are complicated, when gold pieces are few, it would possibly not be worth all the hard work.
The Potato Method
One of the most simple techniques is the "potato method." this technique uses the potato plant in removing the gold. When the procedure uses mercury, the potato is suited to remove this component. Potato can absorb the mercury and the leftover from the mercury-black, sand-gold amalgam will be gold itself. Others may use the nitric acid to wash away the mercury thru heating the water with the amalgam.
Vaporization
Another strategy is to eliminate the mercury through the vaporization, which is known as "retorting." it employs a pipe-shaped material where the amalgam is placed on one end and the other end is heated.
Depending on the selected gold panning methods, ensure that it is done thoroughly and effectively. Always take care to respect and preserve the environment in which you are panning. And to ensure you have a successful experience, always use the right gold panning tools.
Discover 10 great places to pan for gold at: ==> http://panningforgold1.blogspot.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christina_Goldman
The majority of people who have no knowledge of panning for gold can do simple gold panning methods. However, there are more elaborate gold panning methods that can yield better results.
Standard Panning Method
Part of gold panning methods needs the use of standard pans with a diameter measuring 16 inches and depth measuring 2.5 inches. Some may favor smaller pans, particularly for newbies, to easily spot the little bits of gold pieces compared to bigger pans.
However, larger pans are used when trying to scour a big area of gravel to be panned. Others may use iron pans because iron turns blue when heated. The gold bits, having a bright luminous yellow color will be simply seen.
A professional gold "panner" having the accuracy and speed can pan up to one cubic yard in a day - only thru the use of gold pan, heater and tweezers. To extract more gold, some people adopt their own methodologies. The method discussed above is employed when the gravel is wet. On the other hand, if it is dry, some may use the elements mercury and magnetite. Since the processes are complicated, when gold pieces are few, it would possibly not be worth all the hard work.
The Potato Method
One of the most simple techniques is the "potato method." this technique uses the potato plant in removing the gold. When the procedure uses mercury, the potato is suited to remove this component. Potato can absorb the mercury and the leftover from the mercury-black, sand-gold amalgam will be gold itself. Others may use the nitric acid to wash away the mercury thru heating the water with the amalgam.
Vaporization
Another strategy is to eliminate the mercury through the vaporization, which is known as "retorting." it employs a pipe-shaped material where the amalgam is placed on one end and the other end is heated.
Depending on the selected gold panning methods, ensure that it is done thoroughly and effectively. Always take care to respect and preserve the environment in which you are panning. And to ensure you have a successful experience, always use the right gold panning tools.
Discover 10 great places to pan for gold at: ==> http://panningforgold1.blogspot.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christina_Goldman
Monday, July 14, 2008
La Dolce Vita
Love these very pretty rings from Dolce Jewels in beautiful Telluride, Colorado. On the left, gold, diamonds and rubies. Nice touch on what appears to be a little yellow gold accent around the ruby. Right: Tahitian pearl with diamonds, rubies and white gold.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Consumers Eyeing an Investment in Gold
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Consumers Eyeing an Investment in Gold
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Consumers Eyeing an Investment in Gold
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All That Glitters May be Gold
The 19th century philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once had this to say about gold: "How did gold get to be the highest value? Because it is uncommon and useless and gleaming and gentle in its brilliance; it always gives itself."
I'm not quite sure what Nietzsche meant about gold giving itself, but the rest seems quite clear: Nietzsche was a fan of the yellow metal.
I'm old enough to remember the last bull market in gold during the 1970s. I worked in a bank then and I recall seeing people come in with their gold bullion to put in their safe deposit boxes. It seemed that everyone wanted gold.
Read More Here
I'm not quite sure what Nietzsche meant about gold giving itself, but the rest seems quite clear: Nietzsche was a fan of the yellow metal.
I'm old enough to remember the last bull market in gold during the 1970s. I worked in a bank then and I recall seeing people come in with their gold bullion to put in their safe deposit boxes. It seemed that everyone wanted gold.
Read More Here
All That Glitters May be Gold
The 19th century philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once had this to say about gold: "How did gold get to be the highest value? Because it is uncommon and useless and gleaming and gentle in its brilliance; it always gives itself."
I'm not quite sure what Nietzsche meant about gold giving itself, but the rest seems quite clear: Nietzsche was a fan of the yellow metal.
I'm old enough to remember the last bull market in gold during the 1970s. I worked in a bank then and I recall seeing people come in with their gold bullion to put in their safe deposit boxes. It seemed that everyone wanted gold.
Read More Here
I'm not quite sure what Nietzsche meant about gold giving itself, but the rest seems quite clear: Nietzsche was a fan of the yellow metal.
I'm old enough to remember the last bull market in gold during the 1970s. I worked in a bank then and I recall seeing people come in with their gold bullion to put in their safe deposit boxes. It seemed that everyone wanted gold.
Read More Here
All That Glitters May be Gold
The 19th century philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once had this to say about gold: "How did gold get to be the highest value? Because it is uncommon and useless and gleaming and gentle in its brilliance; it always gives itself."
I'm not quite sure what Nietzsche meant about gold giving itself, but the rest seems quite clear: Nietzsche was a fan of the yellow metal.
I'm old enough to remember the last bull market in gold during the 1970s. I worked in a bank then and I recall seeing people come in with their gold bullion to put in their safe deposit boxes. It seemed that everyone wanted gold.
Read More Here
I'm not quite sure what Nietzsche meant about gold giving itself, but the rest seems quite clear: Nietzsche was a fan of the yellow metal.
I'm old enough to remember the last bull market in gold during the 1970s. I worked in a bank then and I recall seeing people come in with their gold bullion to put in their safe deposit boxes. It seemed that everyone wanted gold.
Read More Here
Saturday, October 27, 2007
A Jewelry A to Z
This A to Z will familiarize you with jewelry terminology.
- ALLOY: A mixture of two or more metals.
- APPRAISAL: An appraisal is an evaluation of the retail replacement value of a jewelry item. It is done by someone in the jewelry trade who has had enough experience to be able to arrive at a reasonable, fairly accurate approximate cost for replacement in case of loss. Appraisals are usually required by insurance companies before they will insure someone’s jewelry. Appraisals should be provided free of charge on newly purchased items. (Sometimes insurance companies will not except only a sales receipt, since many items are bought on sale and thus, their full replacement cost is not reflected in the amount of the sale.) The replacement cost of the piece, as determined by the jeweler/appraiser, will usually represent what he or she would sell the item for in their store at the time the appraisal is performed. An appraisal should include all pertinent details about the piece, any identifying marks such as engravings or manufacturer’s stamps, and a complete physical description of the piece. Important details include stone identifications; stone weight(s), colors and qualities; gold karat content, weight of the piece; and any other important characteristics. Any experienced jeweler can provide a consumer with an acceptable appraisal. An appraiser does not have to be licensed or “certified.”
- BAIL: A piece on charms, stones, pendants etc., so it may be worn on a chain.
- BASKET SETTING: A fancy setting with numerous side piercings that provides a lacy or basket-looking appearance.
- BEAD A stone cut in the shape of a small sphere.
- BEADED EDGE: A rounded raised edge on a ring or chram.
- BEZEL: A metal groove or flange that holds a gemstone in its setting. Also refers to the slanting face of a cut gem.
- BOX CHAIN: Links are wide and square so they form boxes.
- BUFFING: Polishing with either a cloth or on a high-speed wheel. Buffing usually refers to the polishing of metals, such as silver, gold, or platinum.
- CABOCHON: A domed gemstone. Also a highly polished curved surface without faceting.
- CAMEO: A carved gem or shell in which the outer layers are cut away so that the design stands out in relief against a background of a different color.
- CARAT: Unit of weight for gemstones with 100 points to a carat, with one carat equaling one-fifth of a gram.
- CHAIN: A series of connected loops, links, rings, or beads used for closures on bracelets or necklaces.
- CHANNEL SET: setting Grooved metal built into a jewelry setting for holding stones. Also refers to a number of uniformly sized small stones set in a row.
- CHEVRON STYLE: A motif consisting of short lines joining at angles to form an inverted “V.”
- CLASP: An attachment used to connect the two ends of a necklace, bracelet, or any similar piece of jewelry.
- CLUTCH: The small push-on or screw-on nut that goes on the post of a pierced earring and holds it on the ear.
- CROWN: The little know on a watch used to set the time; also the pronged setting part of a ring used to hold the gemstone or gemstones.
- CURB LINK: The links are oval and twisted so they lie flat.
- DIAMOND: A precious gemstone composed of pure carbon. Hardest of all known substances. Rated 10 on the Mohs scale.
- DIAMOND CUT: The technique of cutting polished facets into the links of gold chain so that the chain sparkles “like a diamond” when it moves.
- DROP: A small, pendant-like piece which is suspended from another part of a piece of jewelry.
- EMERALD CUT: A cut which is usually rectangular, but sometimes square, with rows of step cuts along the edges and at the corners.
- ENGRAVING: The cutting of letters, words, or dates into a ring or onto a piece of tableware such as pewter goblets or silver trays. Engraving can be done by machine or by hand.
- EXTENDER CHAIN: A chain which may be attached to another in order to provide a longer length.
- FACET: The polished surface of a gemstone; a small plane which is cut into a stone and enhances its reflection of light.
- FIGARO: A chain similar in style to a curb chain, but instead of uniform links, the links alternate between long ones and round ones.
- FILIGREE: lace-like ornamental work made from intricately arranged, intertwined wire.
- FINISH: The way the surface of a piece is polished or textured.
- FLUTED: A surface ornamented by channels or grooves.
- FRICTION BACK: A push-on earring clutch.
- FULL-DRILLED: A bead or pearl that is drilled all the way through for stringing on nylon cord. [See half-drilled.]
- GALLERY: A strip of metal used to make settings for jewelry.
- GEM: A stone which has been cut and polished for use in jewelry and fulfills the requirements of beauty, durability, and rarity. A fine stone of unusual quality. Thename for a precious or semi-precious stone.
- GOLD: A heavy, yellow, metallic element used for coins and jewelry since prehistoric times.
- GOLD FINISH: Jewelry done in a finish so that it has the look of gold.
- GOLD-FILLED: A thin layer of gold on top of a base metal.
- GOLD-PLATED: A thin plating of gold on top of a base metal.
- GRADING: The system of evaluating gemstones for color, quality, cut, and finish.
- HALF-DRILLED A bead or pearl that is drilled halfway through for setting on a post in a ring mounting. Half-drilled pearls or beads are usually cemented with epoxy onto the post. [See full-drilled.]
- IRIDESCENT: An interplay of various rainbow-like colors.
- JUMP RING: A link connecting the end of a chain to the clasp; also a link on a pendant or charm through which the chain is threaded so it can be worn around the neck.
- KARAT: A measure, from 1 to 24, used to indicate how much of a piece of jewelry is gold content and how much an alloy.
- LEVERIDGE GAUGE: A round millimeter gauge used for estimating the weight of mounted gemstones.
- LINKS: A series of loops which make up a chain.
- LOBSTER CLAW CLASP: A clasp used for necklaces and bracelets which features an elongated hook (like a lobster claw). It contains a spring mechanism and can be opened to catch the ring from the other end of the chain.
- LOUPE: A small magnifier used by jewelrs to look at gems, and items of jewelry. Available magnifications usually range from 1.5X to 10X.
- LUG: A spring bar that holds a watch strap or watch band to the case of the watch.
- MANDREL: A tapered steel rod used for measuring the finger sizes of rings.
- MANMADE: Synthetic; a gem manufactured in a laboratory and then mass-produced for use in jewelry.
- MARQUISE: An oval shape gemstone cut with pointed ends. It is named for the Marquise de Pompadour, Mistress of King Louis XV.
- MATTE: A frosted, non-shiny surface or finish.
- MOH’S SCALE OF HARDNESS: The standard scale of gemstone hardness used in the jewelry industry.
- MOUNTING: A rin, pendant, or earring setting.
- NICKEL: One of the metal elements added to pure yellow gold to transform it into white gold.
- PENDANT: An ornament suspended from a single chain.
- PIN: A brooch, also sometimes used to describe a watchband spring-bar.
- POINT: Unit of weight for gemstones equal to one one-hundreth of a carat.
- POLISH: Process used to make metal smooth and glossy. Increases shine and eliminates flaws.
- POST: The part of a pierced earring that goes through the ear.
- PRONG: One of several claw-like wires used to hold a gem or stone in place.
- RABBIT EARS: A split type of bail hook on the top of a pendant or charm that resembles two rabbit ears.
- RHODIUM: A white, metallic element used as a plating for platinum and white gold to give it a mirror-like finish.
- RIBBED: A textured effect consisting of ridges.
- ROPE CHAIN: Chain with a spiral appearance, giving the effect of two thick strands woven together.
- ROSE GOLD: An alloy of gold and copper.
- ROUGE: A red, white, yellow, or green polishing compound that is used on gold, silver, and platinum jewelry to remove scratches. The rouge is applied directly to a high-speed buffing wheel and the piece is then polished on the wheel. Different colors (and compositions) of rouge are used for different metals.
- SAFETY CATCH: A bracelet or chain clasp that has more than one closing and locking feature for safety.
- SAFETY CHAIN: A thin chain attached to the clasp of a bracelet or a watch that remains in place if the clasp accidentally opens and prevents the piece from falling off the wrist.
- SCALLOPED: An ornamental edge that consists of a series of curves.
- SEED PEARL: A very tiny cultured pearl, usually 2 millimeters or smaller in diameter.
- SETTING: An interchangeable word used to mean a complete ring mounting, as well as the small individual crowns stones are set into within a ring.
- SHANK: The bottom part of a ring; the part that goes around the finger.
- SIZING: Sizing usually refers to the adjusting of a ring size up or down to fit a person’s finger, although it is also used to describe the fitting of a watchband to a wrist. Sizing a ring is done by cutting the shank open with a jeweler’s saw and either removing a piece of gold to bring it down to the right size, or adding a piece of gold to increase the size. The piece is soldered into the shank, the seams are filed out, and then the ring is buffed, polished, and washed.
- SOLDER: To join or repair a piece of jewelry using gold or silver solder and the heat of a torch.
- SPRING RING CLASP: A rounded, hollow, circular wire which fits into a hollow, circular tube and is kept shut by a coiled spring on the inside.
- SQUARE CUT: A style in which the stone is square an bordered by four long narrow facets that are step cut. Similar to emerald cut.
- STAMPING: Marking a piece of jewlery with its karat designation; “14K”; “18K”; etc.
- STEAMING: A method of cleaning jewelry and gemstones using live steam.
- STEP CUT: A gem cut with a varying number of sloping parallel rows of four-sided facets which give the impression of steps.
- STERLING SILVER: Silver that is at least 92.5 percent pure with 7.5 parts of another metal, usually copper, to make the piece harder.
- STRAP: A leather watchband.
- STRINGING: Affixing pearls or gemstone beads to nylon or silk bead cord to make a necklace or bracelet. Stringing can be done with knots between each bead or unknotted.
- STUD: A single stone or metal ball on a straight post worn on pierced ears.
- SYNTHETIC: A manmade gemstone.
- TARNISH: The dark coating that occurs on silver and other metals due to oxidation.
- THE GIA The Gemological Institute of America.
- ULTRASONIC: A method of cleaning jewrelry and gemstones in jewelry cleaning solution in an ultrasonic cleaner.
- WHITE GOLD: An alloy of gold, nickel, copper, and zinc.
- WHITE METALS: Silver, white gold, and platinum.
- “Y” NECKLACE: This style gets its name from its shape which features its own delicate dangle forming a Y-shape around the neck. Usually 16 to 18 inches in length.
- YELLOW GOLD: The most popular gold alloy. An alloy of gold, silver, copper, and often zinc.
A Jewelry A to Z
This A to Z will familiarize you with jewelry terminology.
- ALLOY: A mixture of two or more metals.
- APPRAISAL: An appraisal is an evaluation of the retail replacement value of a jewelry item. It is done by someone in the jewelry trade who has had enough experience to be able to arrive at a reasonable, fairly accurate approximate cost for replacement in case of loss. Appraisals are usually required by insurance companies before they will insure someone’s jewelry. Appraisals should be provided free of charge on newly purchased items. (Sometimes insurance companies will not except only a sales receipt, since many items are bought on sale and thus, their full replacement cost is not reflected in the amount of the sale.) The replacement cost of the piece, as determined by the jeweler/appraiser, will usually represent what he or she would sell the item for in their store at the time the appraisal is performed. An appraisal should include all pertinent details about the piece, any identifying marks such as engravings or manufacturer’s stamps, and a complete physical description of the piece. Important details include stone identifications; stone weight(s), colors and qualities; gold karat content, weight of the piece; and any other important characteristics. Any experienced jeweler can provide a consumer with an acceptable appraisal. An appraiser does not have to be licensed or “certified.”
- BAIL: A piece on charms, stones, pendants etc., so it may be worn on a chain.
- BASKET SETTING: A fancy setting with numerous side piercings that provides a lacy or basket-looking appearance.
- BEAD A stone cut in the shape of a small sphere.
- BEADED EDGE: A rounded raised edge on a ring or chram.
- BEZEL: A metal groove or flange that holds a gemstone in its setting. Also refers to the slanting face of a cut gem.
- BOX CHAIN: Links are wide and square so they form boxes.
- BUFFING: Polishing with either a cloth or on a high-speed wheel. Buffing usually refers to the polishing of metals, such as silver, gold, or platinum.
- CABOCHON: A domed gemstone. Also a highly polished curved surface without faceting.
- CAMEO: A carved gem or shell in which the outer layers are cut away so that the design stands out in relief against a background of a different color.
- CARAT: Unit of weight for gemstones with 100 points to a carat, with one carat equaling one-fifth of a gram.
- CHAIN: A series of connected loops, links, rings, or beads used for closures on bracelets or necklaces.
- CHANNEL SET: setting Grooved metal built into a jewelry setting for holding stones. Also refers to a number of uniformly sized small stones set in a row.
- CHEVRON STYLE: A motif consisting of short lines joining at angles to form an inverted “V.”
- CLASP: An attachment used to connect the two ends of a necklace, bracelet, or any similar piece of jewelry.
- CLUTCH: The small push-on or screw-on nut that goes on the post of a pierced earring and holds it on the ear.
- CROWN: The little know on a watch used to set the time; also the pronged setting part of a ring used to hold the gemstone or gemstones.
- CURB LINK: The links are oval and twisted so they lie flat.
- DIAMOND: A precious gemstone composed of pure carbon. Hardest of all known substances. Rated 10 on the Mohs scale.
- DIAMOND CUT: The technique of cutting polished facets into the links of gold chain so that the chain sparkles “like a diamond” when it moves.
- DROP: A small, pendant-like piece which is suspended from another part of a piece of jewelry.
- EMERALD CUT: A cut which is usually rectangular, but sometimes square, with rows of step cuts along the edges and at the corners.
- ENGRAVING: The cutting of letters, words, or dates into a ring or onto a piece of tableware such as pewter goblets or silver trays. Engraving can be done by machine or by hand.
- EXTENDER CHAIN: A chain which may be attached to another in order to provide a longer length.
- FACET: The polished surface of a gemstone; a small plane which is cut into a stone and enhances its reflection of light.
- FIGARO: A chain similar in style to a curb chain, but instead of uniform links, the links alternate between long ones and round ones.
- FILIGREE: lace-like ornamental work made from intricately arranged, intertwined wire.
- FINISH: The way the surface of a piece is polished or textured.
- FLUTED: A surface ornamented by channels or grooves.
- FRICTION BACK: A push-on earring clutch.
- FULL-DRILLED: A bead or pearl that is drilled all the way through for stringing on nylon cord. [See half-drilled.]
- GALLERY: A strip of metal used to make settings for jewelry.
- GEM: A stone which has been cut and polished for use in jewelry and fulfills the requirements of beauty, durability, and rarity. A fine stone of unusual quality. Thename for a precious or semi-precious stone.
- GOLD: A heavy, yellow, metallic element used for coins and jewelry since prehistoric times.
- GOLD FINISH: Jewelry done in a finish so that it has the look of gold.
- GOLD-FILLED: A thin layer of gold on top of a base metal.
- GOLD-PLATED: A thin plating of gold on top of a base metal.
- GRADING: The system of evaluating gemstones for color, quality, cut, and finish.
- HALF-DRILLED A bead or pearl that is drilled halfway through for setting on a post in a ring mounting. Half-drilled pearls or beads are usually cemented with epoxy onto the post. [See full-drilled.]
- IRIDESCENT: An interplay of various rainbow-like colors.
- JUMP RING: A link connecting the end of a chain to the clasp; also a link on a pendant or charm through which the chain is threaded so it can be worn around the neck.
- KARAT: A measure, from 1 to 24, used to indicate how much of a piece of jewelry is gold content and how much an alloy.
- LEVERIDGE GAUGE: A round millimeter gauge used for estimating the weight of mounted gemstones.
- LINKS: A series of loops which make up a chain.
- LOBSTER CLAW CLASP: A clasp used for necklaces and bracelets which features an elongated hook (like a lobster claw). It contains a spring mechanism and can be opened to catch the ring from the other end of the chain.
- LOUPE: A small magnifier used by jewelrs to look at gems, and items of jewelry. Available magnifications usually range from 1.5X to 10X.
- LUG: A spring bar that holds a watch strap or watch band to the case of the watch.
- MANDREL: A tapered steel rod used for measuring the finger sizes of rings.
- MANMADE: Synthetic; a gem manufactured in a laboratory and then mass-produced for use in jewelry.
- MARQUISE: An oval shape gemstone cut with pointed ends. It is named for the Marquise de Pompadour, Mistress of King Louis XV.
- MATTE: A frosted, non-shiny surface or finish.
- MOH’S SCALE OF HARDNESS: The standard scale of gemstone hardness used in the jewelry industry.
- MOUNTING: A rin, pendant, or earring setting.
- NICKEL: One of the metal elements added to pure yellow gold to transform it into white gold.
- PENDANT: An ornament suspended from a single chain.
- PIN: A brooch, also sometimes used to describe a watchband spring-bar.
- POINT: Unit of weight for gemstones equal to one one-hundreth of a carat.
- POLISH: Process used to make metal smooth and glossy. Increases shine and eliminates flaws.
- POST: The part of a pierced earring that goes through the ear.
- PRONG: One of several claw-like wires used to hold a gem or stone in place.
- RABBIT EARS: A split type of bail hook on the top of a pendant or charm that resembles two rabbit ears.
- RHODIUM: A white, metallic element used as a plating for platinum and white gold to give it a mirror-like finish.
- RIBBED: A textured effect consisting of ridges.
- ROPE CHAIN: Chain with a spiral appearance, giving the effect of two thick strands woven together.
- ROSE GOLD: An alloy of gold and copper.
- ROUGE: A red, white, yellow, or green polishing compound that is used on gold, silver, and platinum jewelry to remove scratches. The rouge is applied directly to a high-speed buffing wheel and the piece is then polished on the wheel. Different colors (and compositions) of rouge are used for different metals.
- SAFETY CATCH: A bracelet or chain clasp that has more than one closing and locking feature for safety.
- SAFETY CHAIN: A thin chain attached to the clasp of a bracelet or a watch that remains in place if the clasp accidentally opens and prevents the piece from falling off the wrist.
- SCALLOPED: An ornamental edge that consists of a series of curves.
- SEED PEARL: A very tiny cultured pearl, usually 2 millimeters or smaller in diameter.
- SETTING: An interchangeable word used to mean a complete ring mounting, as well as the small individual crowns stones are set into within a ring.
- SHANK: The bottom part of a ring; the part that goes around the finger.
- SIZING: Sizing usually refers to the adjusting of a ring size up or down to fit a person’s finger, although it is also used to describe the fitting of a watchband to a wrist. Sizing a ring is done by cutting the shank open with a jeweler’s saw and either removing a piece of gold to bring it down to the right size, or adding a piece of gold to increase the size. The piece is soldered into the shank, the seams are filed out, and then the ring is buffed, polished, and washed.
- SOLDER: To join or repair a piece of jewelry using gold or silver solder and the heat of a torch.
- SPRING RING CLASP: A rounded, hollow, circular wire which fits into a hollow, circular tube and is kept shut by a coiled spring on the inside.
- SQUARE CUT: A style in which the stone is square an bordered by four long narrow facets that are step cut. Similar to emerald cut.
- STAMPING: Marking a piece of jewlery with its karat designation; “14K”; “18K”; etc.
- STEAMING: A method of cleaning jewelry and gemstones using live steam.
- STEP CUT: A gem cut with a varying number of sloping parallel rows of four-sided facets which give the impression of steps.
- STERLING SILVER: Silver that is at least 92.5 percent pure with 7.5 parts of another metal, usually copper, to make the piece harder.
- STRAP: A leather watchband.
- STRINGING: Affixing pearls or gemstone beads to nylon or silk bead cord to make a necklace or bracelet. Stringing can be done with knots between each bead or unknotted.
- STUD: A single stone or metal ball on a straight post worn on pierced ears.
- SYNTHETIC: A manmade gemstone.
- TARNISH: The dark coating that occurs on silver and other metals due to oxidation.
- THE GIA The Gemological Institute of America.
- ULTRASONIC: A method of cleaning jewrelry and gemstones in jewelry cleaning solution in an ultrasonic cleaner.
- WHITE GOLD: An alloy of gold, nickel, copper, and zinc.
- WHITE METALS: Silver, white gold, and platinum.
- “Y” NECKLACE: This style gets its name from its shape which features its own delicate dangle forming a Y-shape around the neck. Usually 16 to 18 inches in length.
- YELLOW GOLD: The most popular gold alloy. An alloy of gold, silver, copper, and often zinc.
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