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Jewellery JargonPosted on Tuesday May 18 1:33:00 UTC 2010 I try to avoid using jargon as much as I can - the jewellery jargon that I do use on the website I will attempt to list here with an explanation. Gold Fill Oxidized Pearl Nacre and Luster Gold Fill Is a quality substitute for solid gold without the same price tag. Gold fill is a solid layer of gold (usually 14k) that is bonded to another layer of metal - generally brass. This process is sometimes referred to as rolled gold. Jewellery made from gold fill has the look and feel of solid gold and should give you the same lifetime of wearing as solid gold. It should not be mistaken for gold plate, as this process is used to deposit a very thin layer of gold onto a base metal. By it's nature gold fill is around 100 times thicker than gold plate. Oxidized This happens naturally to your jewellery, it is the product of interaction between the molecules of oxygen in the air and the metal. Other factors like humidity and chemicals also tarnish metal, and oxidization can be deliberately created by using Liver of Sulphate. Varying colours, from light yellowy-brown to deep dark blue-black can be achieved through oxidization.
Pearl Nacre and Luster The beauty of a pearl, its iridescent colouring and reflective glow, comes from a combination of it's nacre and luster. So what it nacre and luster? Nacre is a crystalline substance that creates the iridescent visual effect . It is the substance secreted by mollusks over an intruding irritant (natural - wild pearls) or implanted nucleus (farmed - freshwater pearls). Nacre is strong, resilient and transparent, allowing light to pass through its surface, creating a subtle glow on the pearl’s surface. Now the technical bit - Nacre is composed primarily of crystallized calcium carbonate (CaCo3) and conchiolin. Conchiolin is a dark-colored substance secreted by the mollusk during the initial phases of pearl formation. Crystallized calcium carbonate contains millions of aragonite platelets, elastic biopolymers such as lustrin and chitin, and silk-like proteins. The mollusk continues to secrete concentric layers of nacre around the nucleus at irregular intervals; microns-thin sheets of crystalline material are laid down. The pearl derives its iridescence from the diffraction and interference of white light, caused by tiny overlapping platelets of calcium carbonate. The iridescence or orient of the pearl is a function of the numbers and thickness of these platelets. Luster Usually, a pearl's luster is a combination of surface reflection and a glow that really does come from within - from the many layers of nacre built up over time. The brilliance of a pearl, it's shine and glow is dependent on the quality of the pearls nacre. |
