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Gold combines four basic characteristics that
make it a universally treasured possession:
 Gold's natural color can be further enhanced by
alloying it with small amounts of other metals, yielding a spectrum
of exquisite, subtle shades. Metalsmiths are able to create yellow,
rose, green and white golds by adjusting the alloys. More copper
results in a soft rose color; additional silver creates green gold;
and nickel produces white. A popular trend is to combine two or more
colors of gold in a single piece of jewelry.
It is estimated that only slightly
more than 100,000 tons of gold have been taken from the earth during
all of recorded history. And although gold can be found in rivers,
seas and land in many parts of the earth, it is not easily
extracted. Opening a mine is a time-consuming and costly operation,
and several tons of ore are required in order to produce just one
ounce of the precious metal.
Look no further than the nearest museum, where
gold jewelry, coins and artifacts from ancient civilizations attest
to the metal's enduring beauty and permanence.
Jewelers throughout the
ages have preferred gold to all other metals for its beauty and ease
of workmanship. Gold can be melted, or shaped, to create any design.
It can be alloyed with a number of other metals to increase its
strength and produce a variety of colors and can be re-melted and
used again to create new designs.
Platinum is among the finest, purest and rarest
precious metals. It has an understated elegance that appeals to both
men and women.
 One of the strongest and most enduring of metals, it is also one
of the heaviest. A piece of jewelry containing 90 percent pure
platinum weighs 60 percent more than a 14-karat gold piece of
similar size. Because it shows little wear, platinum is ideal for
jewelry that's worn every day. It's also hypoallergenic and resists
tarnish.
Platinum has a high level of purity. In the United States,
platinum jewelry generally contains anywhere from 85 to 95 percent
pure platinum. By comparison, 18-karat gold is 75 percent pure gold
and 14-karat gold only 58 percent pure gold.
If a piece of platinum jewelry is marked "Platinum," it contains
at least 95 percent pure platinum. Jewelry with 85 to 95
percent pure platinum is marked "850 Plat." or "850 Pt.," or "950
Plat." or "950 Pt.," etc.
Jewelry containing at least 50 percent pure platinum and at least
95 percent platinum group metals (platinum, palladium, iridium,
osmium, rhodium and ruthenium) is marked with the platinum content
followed by the content of the other metal. For example: "600 Plat.
350 Irid." or "600 Pt. 350 Ir."
Jewelry containing less than 50 percent pure platinum content
cannot be marked with the word "platinum" or any abbreviation
thereof.
The staff at Medawar Jewelers can explain these platinum markings
to you and assist you in selecting platinum jewelry that will bring
pleasure to you and the recipient for years to come.
Silver is an element that occurs naturally in
the earth and is generally considered too soft in its pure form for
practical use in jewelry, giftware or flatware. An alloy such as
copper is usually added to make silver workable for jewelry.
 Sterling silver is 92.5 percent (925 parts)
pure silver and 7.5 percent (75 parts) alloy metal. Sterling is the
primary material used for silver jewelry, giftware, holloware and
flatware.
Coin silver is 90 percent
(900 parts) pure silver and 10 percent (100 parts) alloy metal. As
its name implies, coin silver was used to produce U.S. currency
during the 19th century. It is no longer a commonly used
material.
Pronounced "vermay," vermeil is a
French word describing sterling silver that has been electroplated
with at least 100 millionths of an inch of karat gold.
 Silver knives, forks,
spoons and various serving utensils are commonly referred to by this
term.
Silver tableware that is
larger than flatware and is designed to function as containers and
decorative pieces. This category includes bowls, vases, serving
dishes, trays and candlesticks.
Decorative and functional
objects such as picture frames, desk accessories, key rings and
vanity items.
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