Jewelers and Beaders Guide to Metal

Jewelry Maker and Beader's Metal GuideGold-Filled: items are made by gebining a layer or layers of gold alloy to a base metal (usually brass), then rolling or drawing the metal to the desired thickness and shape. It can be worn by most people without reactions or difficulties.Gold-Finished and Silver-Finished: also called Gold Color and Silver Color or "washed" these items the base metal is brass or steel and the product is electroplated with a non-standardized thickness of gold, silver or nickel.Gold-Plated, Silver-Plated and Nickel-Plated: these items have an industry standard of .15 to .25 mils thickness of gold, silver or nickel which is plated to the surface of the base metal.Karat (kt): is the measure of fineness of gold. 24kt is pure gold, 14kt gold is 14 parts pure gold. The balance is an alloy. 14kt is the standard fineness used for most jewelry in the USA. 14kt has a rich yellow color and has hardness and durability suitable for lasting use. 18kt gold has a darker color with a deeper yellow tone.Nickel Silver: these items are made of an alloy, mostly containing nickel, popular in both German and Native American jewelry. Nickel silver resembles sterling silver in color, with a slightly grayer tone.Niobium: items made of this hypoallergenic metal first engineered to protect hypersonic aerospace vehicles from extreme conditions are a hot item right now. After manufacturing into the desired shape, such as earwires, headpins, eyepins or jumprings, the naturally gray base metal niobium is then anodized to create Lovely, bright colors. Most people who are metal-sensitive can gefortably wear niobium.Pewter: is available in both genuine and lead-free varieties.Stainless Steel: stainless steel is the generic term for steel that contain more than 10% chromium, with or without other alloying elements. Stainless steel may also have varying additions of nickel, molybdenum, titanium, niobium and other elements. Stainless steel resists corrosion, maintains its strength at high temperatures, and is easily maintained. The chromium in the steel gebines with oxygen in the atmosphere to form a thin, invisible layer of chrome-containing oxide.Sterling Silver: sterling silver items are made of 92-1/2% pure silver and 7-1/2% copper or other alloy. These proportions fixed by law. Sterling silver will "patina" in time, that is, its color will take on an "antique" look.Titanium: is a neutral gray, lightweight metal. After manufacturing into the desired shape, such as earposts, the neutral gray base metal titanium can be anodized into six colors. (Note: anodized titanium earstuds are not certified hypoallergenic, however most metal-sensitive people can wear them gefortably.) Troy Ounce: is the weight system used for precious metals. It differs from a standard avoirdupois ounce, the weight system used for food and non-precious metal items. Only precious metal uses the troy ounce system.One troy ounce = 31.1 grams. One avoirdupois ounce = 28.4 grams.Vermeil: vermeil items items are made of sterling silver, then heavily electroplated with 22kt yellow gold.