Gold Jewelry in America: A Brief Overview
Gold jewelries have been in existence for a long time and symbolized power or richness and beauty. Here in America, has had a great part to play in the sociological history of the country. Timing From the age of the gold rush in 1800s’ to the present day jewelry industry, gold is evidently a precious metal that has influenced the American economy and fashion. Notably, Americans love wearing gold jewelries and these are available in different karats, 10K, 14K, 18K and 24K among others. 14k and 18k gold are the preferred karats for jewelry in America although 10k is also slightly popular. 14K gold contains 58. 24K gold means 24 parts out of 1000 parts are pure gold, which is 3% pure gold and 18K gold is 75% pure gold. Yes, 24K gold is gold in original form but is not used for adornments a lot because it is soft and can easily be scratched or dented.
History of Gold Jewelry in America
Gold was initially found in America in 1799 in North Carolina. It led to the famous Gold of the 1800s when thousands of individuals flocked to California mainly for the purpose of searching for gold. Major products during this time included jewelries such as engagement rings, bracelets, and necklaces all of which have gold as the main material. A gold jewellery was held in high esteem as a symbol of wealth and people especially the riches wore these ornaments.
Gold became much more accessible to the middle classes by the early years of the twentieth century. Technological improvements rose the ability to obtain gold and new processes made it cheaper to manufacture gold products such as jewelry. For this reason, use of gold jewelry more expanded; thus, it appeared to be more accessible to the masses.
The Modern Gold Jewelry Industry
Currently, the gold jewelry production is among the most profitable businesses in the United States of America. The nation is one of the largest producers of gold; and firms operating in the states of Nevada and Alaska are some of those that mine for the precious metal most extensively. The industry provides work to thousands of citizens and contributes billions of dollars to the United States’ economy annually.
Gold Jewelry includes the ornaments in the traditional designs as well as the new fashion designs. Men and women wear it mostly when in engagement rings, wedding bands, necklaces, bracelets, or earrings. Gold is also used in the manufacture of watches, cufflinks and other small items of accessory.
The value of gold jewelry is therefore described by the purity and weight if the piece. Yes, the two major forms of gold that is used in jewelry includes the 14kt and 18kt gold. These types of gold are alloyed with other metals to increase its hardness and actually become more resistant.
The Future of Gold Jewelry in America
Thus, one has good reasons to believe that the future of gold jewelry in America is rather encouraging. This helps to enhance the demand for gold jewelries because when people have extra cash to spend they shift their focus on buying jewelries. Also, new technologies are emerging that shall help in the mining of gold and in tapping of jewelry at a lower cost.
However, there are limitations that can be listed as the challenges for this industry. The social issue that is strongly linked with the topic of gold mining is the issue of environmental pollution. Many negative effects could be attributed to mining such as: water pollution, and destruction of habitats. Therefore, the demand to increase the sustainability within the industry is continually rising.
