Gold Jewelry     Gold Price Gold is one of the most valuable materials in the world. Gold is generally traded in units of measure called troy ounces. See the chart below for the current trading price of a troy ounce. There are about 31 grames per troy ounce. (The average wedding ring weighs about 6 grames). At the start of 2008, Gold had risen in value by 195% in the last 10 years, up 145% in the last 5, up 97% in 3 years and up 24% in the last year. We at irecrafts, try to keep our prices steady and not pass these price rises onto our customers however we have had to rise them recently but kept the rises down to the bare minimum. If all the mined gold in the world was put together, it would from a cube roughly 25 meters (about 82 feet) on a side. Consider that the Washington Monument measures 55 feet by 55 feet at its base and is 555 feet tall (17 x 17 x 170 m). That means that if you could somehow gather every scrap of gold that man has ever mined into one place, you could only build about one-third of the Washington Monument or easily fit under the Eiffel Tower in Paris!.   Gold 24 hour US$ New York spot price per ounce    What are the Different Types of Gold? Gold is available in different levels of purity, measured in Karats, and in different colours. The following is an explanation of these differences and the terms used to describe them.

	karats

Pure gold is very soft which makes it unsuitable for most jewellery. To make it stronger, it is mixed with other metals, such as silver, copper, zinc and palladium. This is called alloying. The gold you see in jewellery is actually gold alloy.

The carat (K) tells you how may parts of gold and how many parts of other metal are in the gold alloy. Don't confuse this with the carat weight of diamonds and gemstones.

One Karat is one part of 24, or 41.66 parts of a thousand. 10K gold is 417 parts gold per thousand parts. 14K Gold is 583 parts gold per thousand parts. 18ct gold is 750 parts gold per thousand. 24 carat gold is pure gold.

Preference for a certain Karatage is often based on cultural factors. In the UK, 9K and 18K is most commonly sold, while in America, 14K is more popular. In India, 22K gold is preferred. 24K gold tends to be used for exchange and investment.

	Colors of Gold

Although pure gold is yellow, it can be transformed into a variety of colours by changing the types and proportions of other metals mixed with it during a process known as alloying. The only exceptions are 22 and 24 Karat gold which are always yellow.

White gold jewellery first became popular in the 1920s as an alternative to platinum jewellery. Over the past few years, white gold has become more and more fashionable. White gold is made by mixing pure gold with other metals, such as silver and palladium, in the alloying process. The white gold you see in jewellery is actually an off-white gold alloy.

Rose gold jewellery is becoming increasingly fashionable, particularly in the UK and North America. It is made by mixing pure gold with other metals, notably copper, giving a gold alloy with a striking pinkish hue

	How to Choose

When choosing gold jewellery, there are several factors to take into account

• 9 Karat gold is more durable than 18 Karat gold, making it better for jewellery which is likely to be roughly handled.
• 14 & 18K Karat gold is more valuable than 9 or 10 Karat, and therefore is a more expensive option.
• Choose gold colour so that you can wear different pieces together.
• Choose gold colour to go well with your skin colour or complexion.
• Always ensure that gold jewellery is hallmarked, unless it is a very small piece.