Description
Antique Edwardian gold cufflinks
Carat can refer to the quality or purity of gold – pure gold i.e. a metal that is 100% gold and nothing else but gold, is known as pure gold or 24-carat gold. So for example with a ring which is 18ct i.e. 18/24s gold or put another way, 18 divided by 24 is 0.750 or 3/4. You may see jewellery marked 0.750 which is a somewhat modern way of writing 18ct as we say in the UK and 18k as they say in the rest of the world. In general, if we are talking of UK jewellery a piece marked 750 will have been hallmarked/produced after 1975. The hallmark standard of 15 carat .625 was ended in 1932 and now has a certain cachet and of course an elevated price. The colour of pure gold is yellow. However, if gold is mixed with other metals it can become a silvery colour, known as white gold, or copper when it is then known as rose gold. Also, the colour of rings can be changed simply coating the ring with another metal. A common procedure is to rhodium plate rings to make them silver in colour, this procedure is also used to make white gold rings brighter and shiny, however rhodium plating wears off over time.
Cufflinks: the fashion for wearing cufflinks can be traced back to the early eighteenth century. The great era for cufflinks was the first thirty years of the twentieth century. High class jewellers such as Cartier and Tiffany produced elegant and original examples in a range of exotic materials set in gold and especially the new and highly desired revolutionary platinum. Using a combination of golds and platinum gave the craftsmen limitless opportunities to create innovative designs. It was a natural progression for complete sets of accessories comprising cufflinks, buttons, and dress studs to be made for gentlemen.
