Of course there are other metals besides gold. Gold is all we here about these days. I know it's valuable. I know it's pretty. But there are other metals. Some with value. In some opinions there are others even prettier. I'm going to list a few that maybe you haven't got sick of hearing about. Some you probably have never heard about.
Vermeil was popular in eighteenth century, France. Vermeil pieces were made of sterling silver and coated with gold, "silver gilt". Production was banned in the early 1800s. It was discovered that the mercury used in the process caused the craftsmen to go blind. Oops!
Palladium is a member of the platinum metals group. It is harder, lighter and less expensive than platinum. It was used in jewelry manufacturing during WWII as a substitute for platinum, which was restricted. Platinum was considered a strategic metal.
Silver is not considered an ideal metal for setting precious stones because it tarnishes and is less durable. Until the introduction of platinum and white gold alloys in the late 1800s and early 1900s, silver was the only white precious metal avaiable. It remains popular as a jewelry metal because it is more plentiful, an therefore much less expensive. Sterling silver is 92.5% pure silver and such pieces are often marked "SS", "Sterling" or "925". Coin silver is 90% silver and is sometimes marked "900". German silver and nickel silver are misnomers for alloys of other metals that contain no silver at all.
Pinchbeck is an alloy of copper and zinc. Discovered by Christopher Pinchbeck (1670-1732). Although rarely seen today it was very popular in the eighteenth century as a gold look-alike. Quite often ladies had their favorite gold pieces reproduced in pinchbeck to take on their travels. The legalization of 9K gold and the invention of the electroplating process contributed to the demise of its popularity in the mid-1800's.
Vermeil was popular in eighteenth century, France. Vermeil pieces were made of sterling silver and coated with gold, "silver gilt". Production was banned in the early 1800s. It was discovered that the mercury used in the process caused the craftsmen to go blind. Oops!
Palladium is a member of the platinum metals group. It is harder, lighter and less expensive than platinum. It was used in jewelry manufacturing during WWII as a substitute for platinum, which was restricted. Platinum was considered a strategic metal.
Silver is not considered an ideal metal for setting precious stones because it tarnishes and is less durable. Until the introduction of platinum and white gold alloys in the late 1800s and early 1900s, silver was the only white precious metal avaiable. It remains popular as a jewelry metal because it is more plentiful, an therefore much less expensive. Sterling silver is 92.5% pure silver and such pieces are often marked "SS", "Sterling" or "925". Coin silver is 90% silver and is sometimes marked "900". German silver and nickel silver are misnomers for alloys of other metals that contain no silver at all.
Platinum is rarer and more expensive than gold. It is grayish-white in color, does not tarnish and is very strong. Very high temperatures are necessary to melt platinum. It did not become a viable jewelry metal until advancements in jewelers' tools were made in the late 1800s. It became the most popular jewelry metal in America in the 1920s. It was the ideal choice for the lacy filigree styles of the period because of its durability. Jewelry platinum is an alloy, usually 90% platinum and 10% iridum. Typically stamped "Plat."
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