Chocolate Pearl and 14K yellow gold Earrings

 Through the millennium gold has been used by most culture as a means of expression. Rulers have used it to display their wealth, or to appease the gods and the goddesses as a token to enter the afterlife in good stead. Explorers have ventured into the unknown parts of the world to discover and to pillage the cities made of gold. It has been used to symbolize love and to adorn the things we love. It has been fashioned into objects of desire and it has been used to enhance beauty and give sex appeal. What makes gold such a precious and coveted metal?

Gold is a mineral that appears naturally in many parts of the world in underground deposits called veins or lodes. It also appears in riverbeds and streams after pressure in the earth forces veins of gold to the surface, exposing it to the natural elements. Erosion gradually removes the surrounding rocks, freeing the gold. The heavy metal settles to the bottom of riverbeds and streams, forming placer deposits, and remains until that lucky person stumbles on it. Ancient man discovered it in this form. It was crafted by the ancients into ornaments and jewelry as early as the Third millennium B.C. Some of us had the pleasure to view the great exhibit of the burial pieces recovered from the tomb of Tutankhamen (1340 B.C.). This grand tour exposed thousands of American art lovers to the majestic gold work of these Egyptian goldsmiths. Ancient Egypt was not alone in creating and covering gold decorative objects and jewelry. Magnificent gold objects have been found in burial sites of ancient cultures around the world: Phoenicia, Asia Minor, Greece, Rome, Persia, Asia, Africa, and the Americas.

Much later in history in the 1530s, the ruthless Spaniard Pizarro brought Black Death, pestilence, and conquistadors to the New World destroying the Inca Empire. The reward was great for these conquistadors. The Inca ruler was captured and Pizarro ransomed the mighty Atahualpa for one room of gold and two rooms of silver – a total ransom worth $50 million dollars.

This was only the beginning for the conquistadors, for they uncovered such wealth that there was nothing in Europe to compare to the magnificence. Looting operations grew so large that ancient Peruvian monuments were divided into claim areas and titles registered. Tons of skillfully crafted objects were smelted and transformed into ingots and shipped to Spain. The House of the Sun was one of those ruins sacked and looted. Doors of wrought gold were lost. The magnificent golden garden with its artificially sown gold corn, stalks and leaves were destroyed and there too, 20 golden llamas with their gold offspring and the watchful gold shepherds with their golden slings and crooks were melted for none to see again. All were destroyed and are now known of only because of the reflections of one conquistador Cieza de Leon in the Chronicle of Peru.

Century, gold discoveries abounded, with the California gold rush leading the pack in 1848, followed by Australians finds in 1851. However, the grandest gold find in history was in 1886 in Witwatersrand Reef in South Africa. These discoveries cumulatively increased the supply of gold, which gave life to a booming jewelry industry. Finally, gold jewelry was available to those with the humblest of budgets. Today the leading producers of gold are South Africa, Russia, Canada, the United States, and Australia.

Gold is not the rarest of minerals. However, a public perception of rarity is an attribute of this popular metal. It is a metal that the public respects because of the admirable history that surrounds it. It is after all one of the earliest forms of currency. And today, as it has been for hundreds of years, it is accepted as a medium of exchange. Gold is the shining star of money.

Most of us desire to own gold and for the majority of us this desire is fulfilled by owning a piece of gold in the form of jewelry. Purchasing something that may turn into a family heirloom can be a delightful experience when you understand what you are looking at, and know the basic terminology used when discussing your selection. When purchasing gold jewelry in different parts of the world the buyer will find some very different terms. In the U.S., it’s sold by the karat and in Europe by its fineness. Karat is a measure of gold purity. Outside the U.S. particularly in British Commonwealth countries is spelled “carat.” (“Carat” is also used in the United States as a weight measurement for gemstones.) Fineness is the amount of gold used in relation to 1,000 parts. For example, pure or 100% gold in the U.S. is 24 karats but in European terms it is expressed as having a fineness of .999. Pure gold or fine gold does not make wearable jewelry because it is extremely soft and easily damaged. Therefore goldsmiths rarely create 24K gold jewelry. To gain greater durability, hardness, and to decrease its cost, pure gold is alloyed or mixed with various precious metals. The most popular gold alloys are 18K and 14K gold, with 18K being the international standard for higher-quality jewelry.

14k Gold Chinese Blessings Ring

To create the more valuable 18K gold or .750 fine 75% pure gold is alloyed with 25% of other metals. Similarly, 14K or .583 fine is created by alloying 58.3% pure gold with 41.67% of other metals. Gold alloys of less than 10 karats are not stamped and cannot be legally sold as karat gold in the United States. However, in Spain, Britain and Canada karat gold is acceptable down to 9K and in Germany down to 8K. In Italy and France gold content must be at least 18K to be called gold.

Another benefit of the alloying process is the creation of beautiful colored gold. Today we see gold in white, red, pink, green, blue, purple, and several shades of yellow. To create white gold, pure gold is alloyed with palladium, platinum, or nickel. A green shade of gold is made by adding various amounts of cadmium, silver, or zinc. Bright yellow gold is created by adding different amounts of fine silver and copper. By adding a large amount of copper to the alloyed yellow gold a reddish pink gold is formed.

Gold jewelry, at times, is sold by its weight expressed by the pennyweight (dwt) or gram (g). In America, jewelers commonly use the pennyweight as their choice. The gram, however, is the most internationally used unit of weight for gold jewelry. The difference in their weight conversions is 1 pennyweight equals 1.555 g or 1 gram equals .643 dwt. When comparison shopping gold jewelry by weight, be certain the same unit of weight is being used. If it is different, remember to convert it so a true comparison can be made.

14k Yellow Gold Vintage Garnet Ring

 What better way to mark the passing of time than with a beautiful piece of gold jewelry that you selected with care and knowledge. As we count the days to the end of this millennium, let us be reminded how cherished this precious metal has been since the beginning of mankind.

“And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads. The name of the first is Pi-son: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Hav-i-lah, where there is gold; And the gold of that land is good.” Genesis 2:10-12  

“Kinko lifted the flesh, and there it lay, the greatest pearl, perfect as the moon. It captured the light and refined it and gave it back in silver incandescence.”

-From The Pearl by John Steinbeck

The beauty in pearls lies in their simplicity. Men and women have been intrigued by pearls since the first was discovered in an oyster on a forgotten beach, thousands of years ago. As a child, I used to play many imaginary pirate games with my own pearls, plastic costume pearls strung as beads on a string. My brothers and sisters and I would catch our bounty of make believe nacre by standing in the cold night air of a parade route, during the Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans. And after our swashbuckling catch, we would turn away with our prize and open our hands to reveal the same trophy that John Steinbeck spoke of. Like Kinko, we had our riches and we were wealthy.

Pearls have been worn by the best-dressed people for centuries. On your next visit to any museum, notice how often pearls are represented in antiquity. They appear in the portraits of history’s most illustrious women and well-dressed men. Of all the wonderful jewelry they owned, these people chose to be adorned in pearls for the images they wished to leave for posterity. Queen Elizabeth I of England, 1533-1603, was known as the Queen of the Pearl. She loved the pearl so dearly that the supply of natural pearls was insufficient to meet her needs, so she purchased thousands of imitation pearls to embellish her garments. It is said that when she died, she had over 2,000 pearls encrusted gown, 80 pearl decorated wigs, and chests of pearl strands, rings, earrings and pendants.

In more recent history there is that famous strand of graduated pearls, worn by Jackie Kennedy Onassis in the photograph of her and her son John. It has been said that the pearls were imitation, but that does not diminish the lovely image they portray. The picture is so well-known that since her death the necklace has been reproduced, and many copies have been sold to Jackie’s admirers.

Natural pearls have been respected and owned as early as there is recorded history, but cultured pearls are a recent development, and became available at the beginning of the 20^th century. A cultured pearl is any pearl, freshwater or saltwater, that has its organic growth stimulated and controlled by man.

Three Japanese men at the beginning of the 20^th century are responsible for the cultured pearl industry as we know it today. Through independent experimentation, two of the men –Tatsuhei Mise and Tokichi Nishikawa- are responsible for developing the spherical cultured pearl. These two men independently arrived at the same correct conclusions at almost the same time. In early 1907, Mise applied for a patent, followed in October of the same year, by Nishikawa. In 1908, the two inventors signed an agreement making pearls, pearls, and more pearls…

This is the most prevalent fashion trend today; but oh how lucky we are that this wonderful gem is once again in favor with the designers. Women have never fallen out of love with the beauty of pearls, so why should the designers? Pearls have been worn by the best dressed people for centuries – both men and women. On your next visit to any museum notice how often pearls are represented in antiquity. Of all the wonderful jewelry the people in our past owned, they chose to be adorned in pearls for the images they wished to leave for posterity. Queen Elizabeth The First of England, 1533-1603, was known as the Queen of the Pearl. It has been said that when she died, she owned over 2,000 pearls encrusted gowns, 80 pearl decorated wigs, and chests full of pearls strands, rings, earrings, and pendants. What a sight that must have been!

In more recent history there is the strand of graduated pearls, worn by Jackie Kennedy Onassis in the famous photograph taken of her and her son John. This photograph is so well known that since her death the necklace has been reproduced, and many copies have been sold to Jackie’s admirers. And trend setting Princess Diana, Princess of Wales, loved pearls so much she was often seen wearing pearl jewelry. Fashion watching women will never forget her elegant multi-strand pearl choker with the beautiful diamond buckle focal point. She wore her pearls with such grace and poise, that women of all nationalities have admired her and tried to emulate her. Even in death she influences fashion trends, as multi-strand chokers are seen by fashion observers around the world today.

In 1860 a Gossip on Dress magazine columnist wrote, “No new form of dress was ever successful but that it did not originate with the aristocracy. Starting with the ladies of court, fashion descends through all the ranks of society.” How true this statement is!

Princess Diana was not the first noble women to grace her neck with a pearl choker. Originally called a dog collar, Queen Alexandra of England, introduced this popular style at the beginning of this century. The dog collar was especially designed to hide a small scar on her throat. It became popular in her court because it was a new look and an elegant way of camouflaging neck flaws. But if you hate chokers don’t give it another thought. Pearl jewelry is being made now to drape anywhere from the middle of your neck to four inches below your clavicle bone.

The difference in the trends of 100 years ago and the trends of today, is that the pearls of the past were naturally occurring pearls – rare and costly – and available only to those with royal purses. But since 1916, when the first patent was granted to a Japanese inventor who discovered the method that is now used to create cultured pearls, pearls have become available to those even with the humblest of budgets.

The popularity of cultured freshwater and saltwater pearls is undeniable. So resurrect your pearls from your jewelry boxes or take them out of the safety deposit boxes, and wear them.  Wear them as they are, or revamp them with antique focal points.

Wearing pearl jewelry is an elegant way to update your look. Today’s trend includes a lasting love for the more traditional light category pearl, such as the white, cream and pink. For those of you who already own the traditional colors and want to add to your collection, the most alluring category of pearls is the dark, such as the black, bronze, green and dark gray. Designers have even been observed using the colored category of pearls, such as the light to medium tones of yellow and gray. How wonderful these colors fit-in with today’s fashion color palette.

Chocolate Rope Necklace

Throughout history when the ARTS community was denied just respect and financial support of the governing class, it pointed to the gradual demise of personal freedoms for all. Let’s just say the ARTS is a luxury, how would you feel if music and art were stripped from your lives? A visit to an art gallery or museum was removed from options you and your family could choose. If the Opera, Ballet, or Symphony companies were disbanded because of lack of operating funds, would we be a better society? Music such as Jazz, Cajun, Blues, etc. were not taught in our communities or heard in public arenas, would we be better off as a society? By fostering and nurturing the ARTS Community, we directly foster our community at large. We are a composite of all our experiences. Take away the good and positive experiences that the Arts offer we are nothing but a shell of humanity. We are left with the gruesome distinction of one of the highest MURDER rates in the United States of America.

Let us speak out and protect the ARTS community funding because we are PATRONS of the ARTS.