Our Precious Metals

All stock Diamond Nexus Labs jewelry is 100% solid 14 karat gold, and most items canbe ordered in either yellow or white gold colors. By special order, our jewelry is also available in 18 karat gold and solid platinum. We use only 950 grade platinum,the purest grade available. Please call our Customer Care Center if you wish to upgrade your precious metal selection. There are many different metals and alloys used in modern jewelry making. The type of jewelry you can wear is not just determined by your wallet--but also by the way your body reacts to and tolerated the exposure to metals.

GOLD ALLOYS, 14K GOLD & EASY CARE

Gold is one of the most precious metals in the world. It is present in the rivers, seas, and the earth's crust. Trace amounts are in plants and animals. It is estimated that only 125,000 tons of gold have been mined the world over since the beginning of time. It is, however, difficult and expensive to extract. In modern mining operations approximately 3 tons of ore are needed to extract one ounce of gold.

Gold is very durable and look no further than the nearest museum where gold jewelry, coins, and artifacts from ancient civilizations attest to the metal's enduring beauty and permanence. The many desirable qualities found in gold, along with its scarcity, have made it the most popular metal for use in jewelry today.Jewelers throughout the ages have preferred gold to all other metals for its beauty and ease of workmanship.Gold can be melted, or shaped, to create any design.

Gold is commonly known to be a non-reactive metal. 14K gold has a melting point of about 1550 degrees Fahrenheit. Gold is more malleable than any other metal and can be hammered into foil so thin that it is almost transparent. It has a unique ductility property allowing it to be drawn into wire so fine it can barely be seen. Gold is deep yellow in color. Its great reflectivity properties help keep its brightness and color from fading with time.Gold will not rust, tarnish, or corrode. Gold jewelry recovered from ancient Egyptian tombs is in the same state as when placed there over 4000 years ago.

Gold is softer than most other metals. Pure gold may easily be scratched. Fortunately, gold becomes harder when alloyed with other base metals. 14K Gold: In the United States, 14K Gold is used most commonly for jewelry. Fourteen-karat gold is 14/24ths, or slightly more than one-half pure gold. Jewelry of this fineness is marked “14K” or “585,” the European designation meaning 58.5 percent gold.

Caring for gold jewelry-protect gold jewelry by storing it safely or keeping it wrapped in a soft cloth when not being worn. Clean your gold jewelry with a cleaning solution of sudsy lukewarm water. Dry and polish jewelry with a chamois or soft cloth after cleaning and rinsing. Keep gold jewelry free from dust, moisture, perspiration, and makeup.

Many jewelry items are made of either plated or filled metals. This is done to keep the cost of these items as low as possible. All plated metal parts will oxidize. Jewelry can be plated with gold in a variety of ways.

Gold plate refers to items that are mechanically plated, electroplated, or plated by any other means with gold to a base metal.

Gold-filled, gold overlay and rolled gold plate are terms used to describe jewelry that has a layer of at least 10 karat gold mechanically bonded to a base metal. Vermeil (ver-may), a special type of gold plated product, consists of a base of sterling silver that is coated or plated with gold.

Gold electroplate describes jewelry that has a layer (at least .175 microns thick) of a minimum of 10 karat gold deposited on a base metal by an electrolytic process.