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Gold EarringsRomantic, yet rugged, Gold has been used for thousands of years to create endless styles of earrings. Fine earrings come in many shapes, in white or yellow gold, and any of the exquisite designs imaginable can be combined with any real or created gemstones.
Throughout history, gold has been the metal of choice for jewelry settings. Goldsmiths have endless choices in the color and appearance of gold, from that of a true yellow-gold with a polished shine, to a rose tint that has been brushed for a subdued effect. The purity of jeweler's gold is measured in karats. These are measured in quantities of 24ths. Therefore, pure gold is 24-karat or 100 percent gold, 18-karat is 75 percent gold, 14-karat is 58.5 percent gold, and so on. Gold jewelry is priced according to its purity, or karat weight. A karat, or carat, is 1/24th part of pure gold. This pure gold is commonly alloyed with other metals (copper, silver, zinc, nickel) to increase its hardness and decrease its cost. Gold is yellow -- naturally occurring rose, white or green gold does not exist. All of other "colors" of gold are a combination of pure 24K yellow gold with various other metals. The percentage of the other metals (copper, silver, zinc, nickel) produces the different shades of gold. Any karat other than 24K gold (pure gold) is called an "alloy". The Federal Trade Commission protects consumers by defining and regulating products such as "Gold Filled," "Rolled Gold Plate," "Rolled Gold Plated," "Gold Overlay," or any abbreviation follow the same FTC demands.
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