| Gold has been highly prized as a precious metal | | | | valued for its beauty. |
| almost since human beings learned to walk upright. The | | | | Pieces of jewelry have long been considered the |
| value and price put on gold has continually risen over | | | | most thoughtful type of gift and are traditionally given |
| the centuries and now reaches an all time high at least | | | | as an expression of love. Gold rings have been used |
| once in every decade. | | | | as a token of marriage and fidelity for centuries. |
| The quality of gold is measured in Karats - usually | | | | Gold is virtually impossible to destroy so all of the gold |
| abbreviated to K. The purest gold you can buy is 24K. | | | | that there has ever been on earth is still in existence |
| However, pure gold is quite a soft metal so to make it | | | | somewhere on the planet. The ancient Egyptians, who |
| more durable, silver, copper, or base metal is added | | | | loved gold and used it for all sorts of bodily adornment, |
| which reduces the Karat. Most jewelry on the market | | | | did try to take it with them when they died. Most well |
| today is either 14K or 10K. The higher the Karat, the | | | | known of the Egyptian Pharos, Tutankhamen, had a |
| more valuable the gold. | | | | solid gold sarcophagus. |
| So for investment purposes, gold coins are a good | | | | Wearing gold jewelry is still seen as a sign of wealth |
| option as they tend to be 22K or even 24K and have | | | | today. In some sectors of society the fashion is to |
| a much greater resale value than the equivalent weight | | | | wear huge, ostentatious pieces of jewelry or 'bling' as |
| in 10K gold jewelry. | | | | an almost aggressive display of prosperity. Whatever |
| Or course, we tend not to look at the jewelry with | | | | your reason behind wearing gold, you can be sure that |
| which we adorn ourselves purely for its investment | | | | there will never be a time when it is not fashionable to |
| value. Beautiful gold jewelry enhanced with diamonds, | | | | own such a valuable asset. |
| sapphires, rubies and emeralds will always be highly | | | | |