Sought
after by explorers, this element is the most widely desired metal
in modern jewellery manufacturing. Gold, whose atomic symbol is
Au on the periodic table of elements, is naturally yellow in colour.
The specific gravity of gold is 19.3+, which is quite heavy for
metallic minerals. One quality of gold is that it is easily formed
into various shapes. This has made it a premium choice for jewellery
artisans throughout the centuries. Gold in its purest form is defined
as 24 karat. Pure gold is too soft for most jewellery uses, so
it is mixed, or alloyed, with other metals to alter its properties
and colour. It is common to see gold jewellery in 18k or 14k. This
represents an alloy that contains 18/24 or 14/24 parts gold in
the overall mix. This value could also be expressed in percentages
of purity as 75% for 18k and 58.33% for 14k.
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