Gold as Investment

by Madhubanti Rudra

Throughout the history, gold too has been subject to price volatility and uncertainty. But every time it resurfaced with fresh all-time-highs. One thing the profit-hungry investors hate most is any kind of uncertainty and this is precisely what makes gold the more preferable option in the portfolio of an average individual investor.

For generations gold had been considered the insurance against bad times; for today’s investors, gold is the most secure parts of the portfolio. What makes gold the traditional favorite at a time when the major currencies fall from grace? Should you really prefer the yellow metal over currencies when it comes to the choice of investment? What are the global factors that make gold so much trustworthy in a financial atmosphere shrouded with doubts and distrusts? To find the answers read the article below.

A dwindling equity market and the dollar’s downfall conjure up the current global economic scenario; the first quarter of 2008 is almost over and it is said, that the global market has already bumped into its worst financial phase.

Throughout the history, gold too has been subject to price volatility and uncertainty. But every time it resurfaced with fresh all-time-highs. One thing the profit-hungry investors hate most is any kind of uncertainty and this is precisely what makes gold the more preferable option in the portfolio of an average individual investor.

The soaring gold against declining dollar making it the darling of the global investors

Prior to US government’s Federal policies the fears of recession loomed large. This was followed by the US announcements of 0.75% Fed Fund rates cut and the talks about $150 billion tax cut. They were expected to pump in fresh blood in the world economy-even at the expense of dollar, but they failed miserably to yield expected result that is to regain the confidence of the investors.

For common investors across the globe, individual or institutional, the Federal move was too expansive to communicate its true worth. These moves were basically meant to bring in temporary stability offering no permanent solution for the ongoing crises. But what the global market needs at the moment is much more than mere policies for stabilizing, it needs policies to regain trust and confidence in the investors for a sustainable economic growth all over the world.

In this situation, gold offers the much needed relief to the investors confused by the global economic turmoil. The fact that gold prices are bound to rise under the backdrop of US inflation further add to the investors’ conviction on gold as a safe investment tool.

The global financial trends added to the investment value of gold

There is another factor that ensures that gold curve will continue to move upward: in the absence of global financial harmony, every nation is hell-bent on protecting its own economic interests-no matter if it affects the other. As such the other nations will cut benefits from the instability of the US economy and this precisely explains the surge of gold prices against world’s most awed currency.

So the net result is: the developing nations will seek breather in gold as the investment in paper currencies become increasingly uncertain. The rich but fast declining economies will seek safety in gold as they themselves lose confidence in their own currencies. As a combined effect of these two the gold price will continue to move upward.

Gold is going to be the inevitable investment tool for the investors-why?

The governments of the USA and a few European countries seem to find only solution in ‘protectionalism’ to combat the present crisis. Going protective is the only way out for them if they want to stop drainage of wealth from west to east. More inflation and further cuts in the dollar value are predicted as a result of these trial-and-error policies. As such the only means that can give the investors long term protection is gold; after all, over the past few years it has consistently demonstrated outstanding performances while currencies and equities failed to maintain that consistency.

So until the global giants come to a common platform to work out a cure for the present sickness of the international economy, the yellow metal will continue to glitter; as always they will remain the most trusted commodity which is bought at the good times to act as the hedge against unseen future.

Making money out of gold futures

by Madhubanti Rudra

We are in the middle of a great bull run on gold! If you are ready to take the plunge and want some cool returns by making a minimum investment, then the article is specially written for you. It will help you understand the nuances of futures trading in gold.

We are in the middle of a great bull run on gold! If you are ready to take the plunge and want some cool returns by making a minimum investment, then the article is specially written for you. It will help you understand the nuances of futures trading in gold.

‘Futures trading’ is a broad term involving a range of commodities from wheat to crude oil. Under the present global financial scenario, ‘futures trading’ in gold has become especially popular. Gold is in fact one of the most traded metals in the present times.

So what does trading in gold futures actually mean?

A future trading in gold refers to a kind of investment where to make profits, the investor uses his speculative abilities to envisage the price of gold rising or falling in the future.

Gold and all other commodities are traded between millions of investors across the globe, every day. ‘Futures trading’ in gold relies on the basic business rule that is: make profit by buying gold at a low price and sell it for a higher price.

The features of gold futures trading

‘Futures trading’ of gold is in the nature of speculative ‘paper’ investing. As such you don’t need to run the hassles of holding gold and protecting it; you only need to keep a piece of paper known as a futures contract.

Investment in futures of gold comes with a specific expiration date. However, you are not bound to hold the contract until this date. The fun of futures trading lies in your freedom of canceling the contract anytime you wish.

Let’s explain this scenario with this example:

• The Gold contracts are sold internationally in February, April, June, August, October and December. If somewhere in the end of April you are tipped that gold price will rise till mid June, you can buy a June gold contract. As the expiry date approaches closer, the contracts become more liquid and there are more traders in the market. This helps you make a reasonable profit preventing the price from soaring too high or dropping too down.
• But if you come to know that gold price will keep on rising till the year end, you need to buy a December contract for maximum gains.
• There exist specific standardization norms for all commodities. Not only for gold, but for all the commodities, investors have to hold a specified amount and abide by the prescribed quality. For Gold futures it is the 100 troy ounces of 24 carat gold.

The gold futures can be traded in many ways: it can be treated as a pure speculative product, as a hedge against inflation or a purely commercial hedge, or as an asset class of investment, futures contracts are the most viable product for making money amidst all the present day financial chaos.

Making money off your inherited gold

by Madhubanti Rudra

Just found out some yellow trinkets out of your family vault? If they happen to be too old fashioned for your sense of style, then why overcrowd your jewelry wardrobe unnecessarily? This is the high time you can make good profit out of your old gold. But you should take measured steps so that you are not fooled by the jewelers. The article sows you ways how you can make maximum profit.

Just found out some yellow trinkets out of your family vault? If they happen to be too old fashioned for your sense of style, then why overcrowd your jewelry wardrobe unnecessarily? This is the high time you can make good profit out of your old gold. But you should take measured steps so that you are not fooled by the jewelers. The article sows you ways how you can make maximum profit.

So you have got your hands on some of your granny’s vintage gold jewelries which don’t actually match your sense of style and you want them to earn some cash for you! So what will you do? Just sell off the old trinkets to seize some cool cash. Sneak a peek into the jewelry shops and you will get to see, hundreds like you are on a gold selling spree. And why not?

Since last year, the gold price has increased by leaps and bounds with the record high of $1,030.80 hit in mid-March. The trend teaches you one important lesson: this is the most opportune moment to sell off your inherited gold that you don’t use as trinkets and make a fortune out of it.

Now you definitely need to do your homework before you rush to the nearest jeweler. Before taking your precious gold to just any jewelry shop consider these points:

• To your buyers your jewelries are nothing but scrap metals and they will melt down the pieces to morsel. This means you have little chance to get back the trinkets even if you change your mind and want to keep them. So make your mind first before you decide to sell them off.
• The jewelers are the most intelligent creed who can easily mislead you and rip off your money. So choose a buyer with caution.
• When the jewelries are melted to scrap you will get nothing for the other metals present in the pieces. However, for the white gold, the rule is different; here the gold is mixed with platinum or other white metal belonging to platinum family and hence white gold always fetch you many times more resale value than the yellow gold.

But there are ways to outsmart the smart jewelers. Your gold jewelry pieces can earn you profit only when you are familiar with the fine prints of the trade. Here the tips to help you out in the process.

Seek appraisal from a neutral appraiser

• If you want to make profit, you must get your gold jewelries assessed by an appraiser or other jeweler other than the one currently buying your gold.
• Appraisal of each piece will cost you somewhere in between $30 to $35. If you have a number of pieces to assess, then it will be more prudent to hire an appraiser on hourly basis, an individual appraiser will charge you about $70 to $75 an hour.
• An appraiser can tell you best which of the pieces from your collection can fetch you good money and which can’t. The pieces that don’t sell for good right now can well rest inside your closet for few more years.
• The value figured out by the appraiser and the actual market price of your jewelries may vary in reality; but by getting them appraised, you get a good starting point in your bargain.
• It also helps you get the actual picture about the accurate weight and gold content of the pieces. Only the pieces curved out of 24-karat gold will fetch you considerable cash. So far as the pieces made from 10 karats or less or the gold plated pieces are concerned—you should not expect to resell them. However the pieces made with 18- or 14-karat gold-which means the pieces are made of 75% or 58% gold will fetch you fairly better value.

Stay alert on Market price

When you visit the jeweler’s shop go armed with the information about the latest gold price. To get information such as the last days’ closing price or the latest gold price in the international market, you can take help from the sites like gold-eagle.com or Kitco.com.

The pieces to sell and the pieces to keep

Some of your inherited gold pieces may appear out- of- place among your own collections. But don’t liquidate them just because of this; before selling them off as scraps, just look for the details—does it have a designer name inscribed in it? Is it a period piece carrying the unmistakable signature style of the time? Does the piece flaunt any exquisite gemstone? In these cases the piece can command 10 or 20 times more than its mere value as scrap metal. If you must liquidate it, then instead of any common jeweler, take them to an estate jeweler who will pay you the true value of a period piece. There are typical pieces you should consider selling such as pair less earring, broken chain and so on. They have no other value than scrap metal and so it is better to sell them off for good.

Deal with the reputed jewelers

When you decide to sell off your heirloom jewelries, don’t trust just any jeweler. You can trust a jeweler who has the affiliation with such trade group as the Jewelers of America. Membership to one of these trade groups is a guarantee of strict ethical sales standards. A Better Business Bureau membership is also a safeguard against fraud. To find out the jeweler on the basis of membership to any trade group, just look for the membership seal on the store’s window; the affiliate members generally flaunt their membership on their store’s window.

Shop around

Don’t jump at the decision right away. Shop around and compare the offers; the final sum offered by different jeweler, what made the jeweler determine the worth of your gold, what is the commission they are asking for and so on. You need not accept the offer of a jeweler who asks for the commission over 10%.The above mentioned tips are sure to fetch a good sum for your gold that you no longer use. But while in the gold market, keep your eyes open. As you know, the cons are more active in the places especially where high value transactions are involved. So make sure to carry your valuables with sufficient safeguards. Also don’t trust the jeweler who asks you to leave your jewelries for an appraisal. The usual practice is: receive the cash and handover your precious gold; in case anything happens other than this, leave the store at once.

The Amazing Jewels of The Nawab of Hyderabad

by Ms Nandita Ray

The Jewels belonging to the Royal family of Hyderabad is a fantastic collection of ornaments, loose precious stones, especially emeralds and amazing variety of artifacts. The collection of jewels is one of the most expensive in the world. In 1992 this collection was bought over by the government of India from the Nizam’s family. In 2001 it was displayed to the public for the first time. This exhibition took place in Delhi where all the 173 pieces were displayed. The Jewels have inspired many famous creations by famous designers like Cartier.

The Jewels belonging to the Royal family of Hyderabad is a fantastic collection of ornaments, loose precious stones, especially emeralds and amazing variety of artifacts. The collection of jewels is one of the most expensive in the world. In 1992 this collection was bought over by the government of India from the Nizam’s family. In 2001 it was displayed to the public for the first time. This exhibition took place in Delhi where all the 173 pieces were displayed. The Jewels have inspired many famous creations by famous designers like Cartier. And why not? Noted jewelry expert and craftsman D. Gazdar called them, ‘specimens of a lost art and further stressed, ‘finest collection of Eastern jewelry in the world”. While the world other comment comes from equally famous gemstone expert and trader H. Rosenthal of Paris, ‘were quite simply, out of this world”. He was talking about the Nizams loose and uncut gems.

History:

The Nizams of Hyderabad, ruled from 1724 till 1948. When India gained independence the prevailing Nizam Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jha VII acceded to the new Government of India. Their famous jewelry collection which formed a part of their enormous wealth and prestige and was built over the period that they ruled was bought over by the Indian Government at a paltry sum of 2.18 millions. It was and still is valued more than that. This purchase was as a result of the debts and taxes owed by the Nizam’s to the government of India. Today the jewels are locked up in the vaults of the Reserve Bank of India, Mumbai.The Nizam who was once considered the richest man in the world also lost most of his fortune to legal wrangles between family members. The Time magazine called the Nizam the richest man in the world. Hyderabad once the richest princely state of India built its wealth on trade of gold, diamonds and pearls. The streets of ‘Pathargatti’ facilitated the passage of huge quantities of diamonds and pearls. Though diamonds like Hope, Regent, and Kohinoor have been mined from the Golconda mines Hyderabad is called the city of Pearls.

Ornaments

They follow a mixture of Muslim and Indian craftsmanship with a distinct leaning towards the Southern ‘Deccani’ workmanship acquired from the ‘Vijaynagar’ Kingdom. Gold and silver work embedded with uncut diamonds and edged with silver ‘kundan’ or just gold and silver work with diamonds and tear drop emeralds with enameled work on the back. Intricate Mughal designs or lacy web like designs or the traditional Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka or ‘Tamilnadu’ influence is widely evident in these heavy ornaments. It’s also a mixture of western influence and indigenous style.The collection consists of rare pieces of untold value and history. Many of the jewels were stored in huge crates to cardboard shoe boxes. There are photographs of the 7th ‘Nizam’ and his many wives with huge chunky ornaments which are all diamond encrusted. There are 30 cabinets each filled with kilos of gold and diamond jewelry, diamond being the widely used stone by the Nizams, since most of them came from the Golconda mines, which has been the only supplier to the world till the beginning of the eighteenth century. A royal injunction compelled the miners to donate the best stones to the Nizam. Most of the diamonds are flawless However it is believed that the Nizam purchased rubies from Burma. Emeralds are the next favorite stone to be used by the Nizam and as suggested green being the color of the Muslims, it has been widely used. Most emeralds are in their natural uncut form. They are king sized tear drop in shaped and came all the way from Bolivia.

The pearls came all the way from Gulf of ‘Mannar’ in Ceylon and Basra in Arabian Sea coast. The use of ‘Navratan’, the nine stones representing the nine planets is basically Hindu in origin but was a favorite with the Nizams. It is believed that the entire collection of Pearls in the Nizam’s collective collection could fill up an Olympic size swimming pool.

The uncut Jacob Diamond, the size of a duck’s egg, is one of the seven biggest diamonds in the world. It weighs 184.75 carats and was once used as a paper weight by the Nizam. It is considered a ‘non-violent’ diamond since it has changed hands only twice. It was bought in 1891 and possibly mined in 1867 ago from the mining giant country Africa. It is believed that the Italian born diamond dealer sold the diamond to ‘Meheboob’ Ali Pasha, the 6th Nizam of Hyderabad in 1891. It is also believed that this transaction led to legal problem and disputes and criminal proceedings and the Nizam had to appear before a commission. This blatant act of calling a Ruler before a commission angered and disgusted the Nizam so much that he kept the diamond as a pebble. In fact it was discovered by his son, the 7th ‘nizam’ in his slippers. This diamond is much larger than the Kohinoor and is known as Imperial Diamond or Great White diamond or Victoria diamond. It is a colorless stone and does not belong to any particular class because not a single hint of yellow nor any impurities like nitrogen are present. It glows bluish green in the dark. It is the 8th largest diamond in D color in rectangular cushion shape in the universe. It is not evenly centered and one side of the girdle is flat. The finished gem has 58 facets and measures 39.5mm long, 29.25 mm wide and 22.5mm deep.

A seven strand pearl necklace strung with 150 large and 230 small pearls. It has two diamond pendants attached to it. The lustrous pearls are from Basra. Another satlada pearl necklace has 465 in it.

A pair of bracelets with 270 diamonds studded in it is one of the many bracelets and arm lets that have adorned the Nizams and their wives. Heavy and set with huge uncut diamonds called Polki diamonds with enamel work and lined with silver edging.

Emeralds weighing 414.25 carats, some are uncut and most of them un mounted. There are 22 unset pieces of emeralds and their collected value is the most expensive and weigh a couple of thousands carats and are in various shapes and sizes and very ornamental in appearance.

There is a diamond studded belt made by Oscar Massi Pieres, the French designer. This diamond belt carries a total 640 carats in diamond weight. Another belt, ceremonial weighs 1.5 grams and totally covered with diamonds. These belts which formed a part of their ceremonial attire were called patta tilai. The buckles resemble south Indian hair ornaments. There is a belt buckle which has 146 stones.

There are numerous rings, brooches, buttons, studded swords, gold biscuits, anklets, cufflinks, and nose rings, watch chains, which are heavily jeweled and intricately decorated. A pair of Burmese rubies earrings set with diamonds takes your breath away. The rubies are big and glowing like fire while the cool diamonds showers its myriad hues. The diamonds are from the Golconda mines. These diamonds like the other were probably a part of the Nazrana given to the Nizam for an audience.

A pendant studded with a 200 carat emerald drop weighing 225 carats. Head gear and head gear ornaments have a special place in this collection since all the Nizams wore these ornaments on their head gear. Plumes of pearls or a spray of diamonds and emeralds or crests of navratan are some of the strikingly elaborate and exquisite pieces in serrated design. Sarpech, as these were called are also shaped like enameled birds or feathers covered with uncut diamonds or mixed with rubies or emeralds.

The Nizam of Hyderabad’s well celebrated Diamond parure presented to the Queen of England on her durbar celebrations.

An Alexandrite ring gifted by Auranzeb to one of the Nizams in 1700, set in gold is full of untold history. It was a personal gift to the nizam who was his commander in chief then called Mir Qamaruddin late father Jung and Arif Jah 1st Nizam of Hyderabad. This ring was Roman in origin with a superior quality Alexandrite. It has the ability to change color from emerald green in natural light to bluish red in artificial light.

A double strand diamond necklace came with the annexation of the Bijapur kingdom. Necklaces of the Nizams and wives are large and chunky. Made of gold and encrusted with gems of different colors, emeralds and rubies and diamonds and some were embedded with navratans, the nine precious gems. Some of the necklaces weighed a kilo each. Some had serrated edges laced with a web like motif while others are edged with drop pearls or emeralds. Some following the Deccani style have enameled work on the reverse. There is also in the possession the Historic crown of rubies, which was a gift from the King of Persia, Shah Abbas., presented to the Nizam of Hyderabad Asaf Jah.

Interesting Facts

The Nizam of Hyderabad, the last Official Ruler , Fath Jang Nawab Mir Osman Ali Khan Asaf Jah VII was the richest man in the 1940’s, having a fortune estimated around 2 billion$. Forbes magazine, named him the Fifth on “All Time Wealthiest” list. He had an annual income of $10,000,000.The Nizam personally carried the key to his hidden vaults for 50 long years. Bundles of different shapes and sizes remain lying around indicating the careless manner in which the jewels were stored.

The famous Salarjung Museum which also displays some of the fantastic collection of the Nizam was constructed and the product of one man- Yusuf Ali Salar Jung, the Prime Minister to the Nizam.

Mukkhar Jah, the eight Nizam lives in a two room apartment in Turkey.

Will you marry me

by Mark

Engagement Ring Trends: Matrimony means new beginnings. A new life, a new family, new commitments, and a new best friend- the engagement ring! The engagement ring today has traveled a long way and is a far cry from the simple iron band introduced by the Romans in the 4th century. An engagement ring usually conjures the image of a single stone at the centre, usually a sparkling diamond set on a simple band. Did you know the first ever diamond engagement ring (Diamonds were considered to have magical powers requiting love, purity and fidelity) was given by Archduke Maximillian of Austria to Mary of Burgundy in 1477?

Matrimony means new beginnings. A new life, a new family, new commitments, and a new best friend- the engagement ring!

The engagement ring today has traveled a long way and is a far cry from the simple iron band introduced by the Romans in the 4th century. An engagement ring usually conjures the image of a single stone at the centre, usually a sparkling diamond set on a simple band. Did you know the first ever diamond engagement ring (Diamonds were considered to have magical powers requiting love, purity and fidelity) was given by Archduke Maximillian of Austria to Mary of Burgundy in 1477?

Let’s take a walk down the memory lane. The first ever engagement ring may have been made from leather, plants, or other degradable material that suggested the union between the couple as well as their land. Romans used iron rings to symbolize a strong and eternal love, whilst the Greeks and Egyptians are credited with wearing the ring on the fourth finger of the left hand, where vein of love (vena amoris) connects to the heart.

In the 9th century, Pope Nicolas I endorsed the idea of engagement rings by making gold ring mandatory to suggest the groom’s wealth and capability. Later, in 1215, Pope Innocent III widened the metal options to include silver and iron. The gimmal or bond ring originated during the Elizabethan period. It is a set of three interlocking rings to be worn by the groom to be, his betrothed and a witness, which were united on the wedding day. Gradually metal rings became more ornate with gemstones but diamonds remained too rare and exclusive to be available and affordable to all but the super wealthy and Royalty.In the 18th century diamonds were discovered in Brazil leading to cluster engagement rings among the wealthy. In the late 19th century diamonds were discovered abundantly in Africa and things were never the same again. Marilyn Monroe and Hollywood immortalized the diamond engagement ring in the song- ‘Diamonds are a girl’s best friend’ and DeBeers with their slogan- ‘A diamond is forever’ ensured that when you think of an engagement ring, you think of a diamond!

Engagement rings today don’t conform to the norms anymore. From dyed-in-the-wool traditionalism to contemporary minimalism, the choices are vast and self expression and individual styles suggest many trends that exist today and will continue tomorrow. Let’s examine a few of them. Glamorous influences- The round brilliant cut remains the most popular shape but Hollywood and the fashion industry have made fancy shapes such as emerald, marquise, princess, heart and Asscher popular. Celebrity fancy-shaped engagement ring wearers include Ellen Pompeo (emerald), Katherine Heigl (pear), Eva Longoria Parker (emerald) and Victoria Beckham (marquise). Antique or vintage or vintage-inspired rings are popular with the glam set and are perfect for romantic and dreamy expressions. Stones that reflect an antique aesthetic include the cushion, round, pillow and Asscher cuts though these classic shapes and their larger facets radiate more fire under less light. Crafted in cool tones of platinum, palladium and white gold these rings go down well with the hopelessly romantic and find takers in Kate Walsh, Christina Aguilera and Jennifer Love Hewitt. Colored diamonds are very expensive and rare and complement those who like to make a statement. Pink diamonds and red diamonds are the most expensive followed by canary yellow diamonds. A three diamond ring with a center yellow diamond and white diamond side stones has a special look some brides favor. Heidi Klum, Rebecca Romijn and Brooke Mueller sport yellow diamond rings.

Metal play

With new metals such as palladium, tungsten, steel and titanium joining the existing palette of white gold, yellow gold, rose gold and platinum, the color play has widened. Texturing is popular with options of personal engraving, filigree, micro pave and mil grain on the shank as well as fancy prongs. Stacked, twisted and swirl Rings in a variety of colored metals, or alternatively different stones in each band provide interesting variations.

Colour play

Coloured diamonds are popular but unaffordable for most. Many brides favor a tourmaline and yellow sapphire to substitute the pink and yellow diamond respectively. The more adventurous ones may opt for stones that may be their birth stone.

Kiss from a Rose

Rose cut diamonds were popular in the 16th to 18th century, influenced by the return of vintage and estate jewelry are now popular once again. Crafted in heirloom styles with intricate metal work, they promise the glamour of yore. The subtle sparkle of the cut is a marked contrast to the contemporary cuts which offer dazzling fire and brilliance.

Settings

An evolution of the Tiffany setting, options like delicate bows or fancy shaped stones mounted to highlight the centre stone are popular. This may also include diamonds surrounding the stones on sides to create more fire or give an illusion of a larger centre stone. Tension set diamonds or floating diamonds where the diamond appears magically suspended in the setting work as well.Another contemporary trend is scatter set diamonds. Scatter settings are minimalist contemporary engagement ring designs that feature multiple stones in unconnected arrangements where the stones are literally scattered across the band instead of having one focal point. Scatter set options are flush, bezel, half bezel and invisible. Lastly another practical setting for the working woman like the scatter setting is channel setting where the gemstones or diamonds are arranged in a linear pattern and set into the band of the ring. Engagement channel settings are becoming increasingly popular with gemstones as it prevents chipping or damage.

Three stone rings and eternity bands- These styles refer to popular anniversary rings that have morphed into popular engagement rings. The three stone ring symbolized a couple’s past, present and future. Options include side stones with similar or lesser cartage than the centre stone, contrasting shapes such as princess cuts flanking a pear cut etc. as well as gemstones with a diamond centre stone.

Diamonds in channel and bezel settings in white gold travel around the ring signifying a love that has no beginning and no end. Aptly called the eternity ring, this one is perfect for those why don’t shy away from forgoing the solitaire.

To the men, if you intend to go down on your knees and ask the question, do some research and keep her personality in mind before you buy your engagement ring.

Guide to Buying Platinum

by Madhubanti Rudra

Diamonds are forever, gold is conventional, sterling silver is chic, but jewelry wardrobes are incomplete without the special zest of silver-white platinum. Currently the fastest growing jewelry material, Platinum is ideal for making rings, bracelets and necklaces. Its natural whit luster makes it the perfect companion for dazzling diamonds. It happens to be the most expensive of all precious metals and widely employed by the designers as base metal for light colored gems, especially the pink and light blue varieties. But it is equally brilliant without any enhancement; a polished platinum piece is elegant and eye catching in its own right.

It is gorgeous; it is exotic! It is the hardest; it is the most expensive! It is platinum, a precious metal that has been captivating the imagination of contemporary jewelry designers in a big way! Designers’ favorite element for fashioning wedding bands and engagement rings, Platinum has great aesthetic as well practical value. Below are few platinum facts that a first time buyer will find extremely helpful.

Diamonds are forever, gold is conventional, sterling silver is chic, but jewelry wardrobes are incomplete without the special zest of silver-white platinum. Currently the fastest growing jewelry material, Platinum is ideal for making rings, bracelets and necklaces. Its natural whit luster makes it the perfect companion for dazzling diamonds. It happens to be the most expensive of all precious metals and widely employed by the designers as base metal for light colored gems, especially the pink and light blue varieties. But it is equally brilliant without any enhancement; a polished platinum piece is elegant and eye catching in its own right.

Why go for platinum?

The heavy and enduring metal, Platinum is used by world’s renowned jewelry designers for creating inspired jewelry pieces. Here are a few reasons why you should consider an investment in this highly expensive metal. Platinum’s chemical properties make it a dense, extremely heavy and remarkably enduring metal. Al these qualities make a platinum jewelry an aesthetically pleasing and monetarily valuable possession.On the practical side, Platinum jewelry pieces are subject to minimum wear and tear effects. Common household chemicals like chlorine, bleach, or detergents fail to tarnish its color or damage it in any other ways. Due to all these reasons, platinum is considered much more stable element than gold and silver. With an unquestionable longevity, platinum jewelry retains its cosmetic value for generations. Platinum looks brilliant when teamed up with diamonds or other colored gemstones. This remarkably strong metal is particularly good at holding gemstones firmly in place. As prongs and other setting components, Platinum is the best metal to work with.

Then, platinum is considered the best metal to make diamond jewelry. While teamed up with yellow gold, the metal leaves a yellow tint on the colorless diamond and this can bring down the value of the piece. But platinum’s silver-white luster rightly complements the brilliance of diamond and as a result, platinum-diamond combination makes the hottest pair in jewelry designing circuit. So it comes as no surprise when world’s top jewelry houses like Cartier, Faberge and Tiffany choose platinum as base metal for creating their striking diamond jewelry pieces. Although a tough metal, it is alloyed with some tougher metal to prevent it from bending. But as compared to traditional gold and silver jewelry pieces, platinum pieces have very little alloy in them— usually not exceeding 10%. As a result, platinum is largely hypoallergenic.

The chemical properties that bring out the magic in platinum

Platinum belongs to Platinum Group of Metals, or PGM. PGM again consists of six related metals including Platinum, Iridium, Palladium, Ruthenium, Rhodium and Osmium. Now all these metals belonging to PGM family have very high melting point. This is because at the time of melting, the PGM metals require oxygen to be mixed with the fuel. A unique feature of PGM metals is: they do not require flux when soldering and also resist tarnishing. It is possible to cast these metals, but that requires extra investment due to their high melting point. To date Russia is the biggest supplier of platinum. The lion’s share of the produce goes into making jewelry; the rest is used in medical industry and the automotive industry.

Understanding platinum content and marking

When it comes to buy metal jewelry, you have to consider the purity of the metal. To know how pure your platinum is, you must have a basic idea about its content and markings. This is important because it helps you choose the right combination that is most suitable for the platinum jewelry you are purchasing. Metals in their raw forms are not suitable for making jewelry—in order to make them stronger, other alloys are added to them. How pure a metal is depends on the amount of alloys mixed with it. US Federal Government has stipulated specific standards for different types of metals. Let’s take the instance of gold. So far as gold is concerned, you can refer to the following standard to judge its purity. 24kt: 100% gold, 18kt: 75% gold, 14kt: 58% gold, 12kt: 50% goldSo far as platinum jewelry pieces are concerned, they can contain different percentages of pure platinum. The ratio of pure platinum and alloys is expressed in “parts per thousand”. According to the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) determined marking standards, if a jewelry piece is said to contain 950 parts per thousand of pure platinum, it will be regarded as “pure platinum jewelry”. A couple of example will help you understand the platinum marking more clearly. The jewelry is made of “950 Pt” platinum means: it uses a metal that has 95% pure platinum in the mix and 5% other metals.

The jewelry is “650 Pt. 350 Ir” means: it has 650 parts pure platinum and 350 parts iridium. Similarly a marking such as “550Pt. 350Pd. 50Ir” means the jewelry has 550 parts pure platinum. The rest of the mix contains 350 parts palladium and 50 parts iridium.

According to the long standing FTP guidelines, jewelry pieces must contain at least 85% pure platinum or 850 parts per thousand to be considered pure platinum jewelry. But designers have been demanding a correction in the current FTP standards so that jewelry pieces containing less than 85% platinum are also regarded as “pure platinum” jewelry. If lower percentage is accepted by the US Federal Government, it will open up greater opportunities for the small jewelers, who are often kept out of the market due to platinum’s prohibitive price.

When it comes to create stand-alone pieces, jewelry designers would invariably pick platinum. Platinum is far more expensive than pure gold and it has higher and faster appreciation than gold. It is the metal’s rarity that add to its exorbitant price—it is 30 times rarer than gold. Platinum jewelry pieces are most popular as engagement rings and wedding bands. It is great to send or receive platinum jewelry gift—after all platinum is something that few can possess.