The power of gold: Values, types and trends you need to know
If you want a sophisticated, effortless and elegant look, gold jewelry is the right option for you. Due to its beautiful appearance, quality, and of course resistance to various external agents, it is not surprising that gold has been considered an extremely valuable metal for centuries and is the best choice for many of us.
For centuries, gold has been part of the traditions in the United Arab Emirates and the Middle East region. It is not only a good investment, as the price of the metal has grown stronger over the year, but gold also holds an important social, economical and cultural value. So today gold is part of the UAE culture and the everyday’s people lives. These accessories suit traditional and western clothing styles and give a special charm and sophistication to any look.
In this text, you will learn more about the gold value in the middle east region, the different types of gold and gold alike jewelry, and the trends of today and tomorrow. Etika jewels®, as a very popular UAE online jewelry brand, offers a large selection of beautiful diamond and gold jewelry pieces, handmade jewels of high quality, so you will surely want a piece for yourself.
Importance of gold in the UAE culture
In the UAE, gold has long been a well-known precious metal that has won the hearts of many people. Due to its cultural, social, and economic value, gold jewelry has taken an important place in the cultural heritage and remains popular to this day.
You will surely agree that gold is one of the best gift you can give to someone, and it is recognized to be an integral part of various ceremonies (engagements, weddings, and other occasions). Gold gift speaks to the value of the individual to whom you are gifting the gold, and you agree that this type of jewelry represents a high and safe value present that will last forever. It also has a distinct value in the religious aspect. In the United Arab Emirates, gold is a precious assets find in all major religious gatherings and occasions.
The great interest in this precious metal is evidenced by the fact that gold is a great investment, as the price of this metal has been rising stronger year over year. Due to its high value and stable resale value, acquiring gold is definitely considered as a good investment in the region. For all the above reasons, gold is considered a noble precious metal, timeless and suitable for any occasion.
Different types of gold base jewelry
When buying jewelry, you will come across different types of gold or gold alike jewelry.
What is the difference between gold-plated, gold vermeil, gold-filled, and solid gold jewelry? When it comes to buying gold jewelry, there are so many options in price and quality that can be confusing! So let’s find out what all the differences mean:
Gold-plated jewelry:
Gold Plated jewelry is made of a base metal (brass, nickel or stainless steel) covered with a very thin layer of gold giving to the jewelry it’s gold color. The gold on the gold-plated jewelry rubs off easily, revealing the metal underneath and losing its colour and shine quickly. It also tarnishes very quickly.
Gold vermeil:
Based Metal in Gold vermeil jewelry is sterling silver covered with a thin layer gold, giving to the jewelry it’s gold color. This type of jewelry will also tarnish if exposed to water, sweat, or perfume. The gold will eventually scratch and rub off with wear.
Gold-filled jewelry:
Gold filled jewelry is made of a thick layer of gold bonded to another metal, such as brass or copper. The gold layer is 5% of the total weight, making the gold-filled jewelry a great economical alternative to solid gold. If taken good care of, it can last as long as solid gold and won’t tarnish or rub off.
Solid gold jewelry:
Solid gold jewelry is the most expensive and highest quality option as it will not rub off, flake, and won’t tarnish at all. Solid gold jewelry may also have the best resale value.
At Etika jewels® We only use solid gold in our jewelry creations, so your Etika jewels® pieces will last forever.
Measurement of the gold
Before you purchase any gold jewelry you should be aware of the amount of gold that you are buying. The standard measurement of gold is the Karat. The Karat measures the gold purity. Not to be confused it the Carat (ct) that is recognized as the standard for weight measurement of a diamond or gemstone.
Karat, on the other hand, is a measure of gold purity and is divided into 24 parts. 24-karat gold is pure gold. Therefore, 12-karat gold is 50% gold and 50% made up of base metals or impurities.
Here are the most commun measurement of gold you will encounter:
- 24K Gold: 24k gold is pure gold- the highest level of purity you can find in the market. 24k refers to the gold’s level of purity, and it means that your item is 24 karats out of a maximum of 24 karats. Because of the softness, it is rarely used for making jewelry. 24K pieces bend so easily, and this is the reason why the pure gold is not the best choice for jewelry that will be worn as adornment.
- 18K Gold (Solid Gold): The 18 karats gold jewelry is equal to 75% gold content (18 out of 24). The other 25% metal is usually made of zinc, copper, nickel, or other material. The additional metals in 18K gold serve to make the material harder and more solid and durable than pure gold (24K), that is too soft for jewelry making.
- 14K Gold (Solid Gold): 14 karat gold is produced from 58% pure gold and a 42% per cent mixture of other metals like copper, zinc, silver and nickel. With only 14 parts of gold out of 24, it’s usually less expensive than other higher karats of gold. The presence of a higher amount of alloyed metals makes 14K gold more resistant to wear and tear.
Because pure gold is too soft, it is combined with other metal alloys to increase its strength. For example, 14K gold is 14 parts gold and 10 parts other alloys, while 10K gold is even more affordable, from 10 parts gold to 14 parts other alloys.
At Etika jewels®, we offer 18K gold jewelry to make sure your jewelry acquisition will last forever. We can also customer forn you any model using 14K Gold.
Trends and popularity
Whether you are looking for something easy to wear every day or a more elegant pieces for a special occasion, Etika jewels® offers you a wide selection of diamond and gold jewelry, like engagement diamond rings, wedding sets jewelry, of diamond jewelry for everyday occasions and ceremonies.
Here are a few reasons why buying gold jewelry is a good idea in the UAE and beyond:
- Wide variety and diversity of models
- Quality, because when you buy gold jewelry you know you will wear it for many years
- Price stability; as the value of gold only gets stronger
Also, mixing gold with other alloys allows you various options when it comes to colors, thus tracking trends.
Which gold jewelry would you choose for yourself?
You can break gold into at least eight different shades (White gold, Yellow gold, Rose gold, Green gold, Grey gold, Purple gold, Blue gold and Black gold), depending on the percentage of the mixture between the metals that will result in a different shades of gold. The most common gold colours you find gold are yellow, white and rose, here is a overview on these 3:
1. White Gold: When mixing gold with palladium, nickel, cadmium and zinc, you produce white gold. White gold colour is more durable and resistant to scratch. White gold also looks fresh on any pale or yellow tone of skin.
2. Yellow Gold: Yellow gold colour is often what we think of gold colour as it is it’s natural colour. It is obtained by mixing pure gold with silver, copper, and zinc. Yellow gold is the most hypo-allergenic type of gold, and requires the least maintenance of all the gold colours. Yellow gold will look particularly nice on darker skins.
3. Rose Gold: Copper is the cause for gold taking on a rose/pink tint, though the alloy also uses a bit of silver. Due to its usage of inexpensive copper as the base for the rose color, rose gold is more affordable than the other shades of gold. The copper content also makes rose gold more durable than yellow or white gold. Rose gold look very nice on pale skin and dark skin. It is however recommended to avoid pinkish tone of skins as rose gold can make it look more red.
We hope you have gained insight into what all types of gold exist and what their value lies in, so you can easily make the best choice for yourself. Wearing gold jewelry has become an integral part of life in the United Arab Emirates and worldwide, whether it is an everyday style of dress, business or formal occasion. At Etika jewels® we offer a wide range of gold jewelry for every occasion, so here is an opportunity to delight yourself with a new gold and diamond accessory everyday.
