|
 We are all
accustomed to the yellow, white or pink color of the precious metal and today
gold has the new shade of fantastic azure. Throughout centuries the jewelers
put all their hopes and attempts to reveal the secrets of the blue gold.
Nowadays the modern masters are qualified enough to gain it easily. The masters
create the luxury jewelry for the hard-to-please connoisseurs and lovers of
gold. Delicate jewelry from the blue gold finds the honorable niche in the
fashion industry.
The history
of blue gold
Yellow gold
is known to the humans throughout the several thousands of years evidenced by the
plentiful of findings of breast accessories «pectorals» of the ancient Scythians,
famous golden masks of Mexican tribes and many other historical elements. Nevertheless,
gold is known to be the soft metal and it is reasonable that jewelers add some
alloys and metals to gold to achieve the higher strength.
The old records
made by alchemists and jewelers indicate that the blue gold is the simplest
alloy of gold and iron at the ratio of eighteen parts of the precious metal and
six parts of the alloy – the mass portion of iron. After all, the jewelers of our
time failed to invent the alloy of the blue color by the recipe left by ancestors.
They proved that the technique is good to achieve just whiter shades of the
metal. In XVIII century in France
the gold with the blue color was likely the oxidized film of the iron on the
surface of the jewelry with somewhat blue color.
Subsequently,
such jewelry would get rusty and it was hard to wear it as an accessory.
Currently the
blue gold appears to be the alloy of gold with indium though this gold is
mainly used as insets. The precious metal acquires the azure shade when coated
with rhodium.
Jewelry made from blue gold
Blue gold jewelry is rare because there are no particular and popular methodiconproductionof such an exotic metal or the alloy.
The alchemists of all nations and
times spent lives to open the philosopher’s stone, while the modern designers and
jewelers along with chemists work with the magic of the blue gold. And yet,
they succeed in what they are doing unlike the jewelers of the medieval times.
Thus, Antoniassi,
the jeweler from Argentina
invented the 985 alloy. A bracelet, made from the material acquired has the fantastic
blue color with the insets of white gold. An ordinary lover of gold will never
guess it is the real precious metal not the enamel or the special color coating.
Unfortunately, Antoniassi never reveals the secrets on making the alloy of the
rare shade, as a real expert.
However, the
jewelers from the Italian company Jarretiere come to solve the puzzle with the
special approach. The qualified masters apply the traditional oxidizing
techniques along with the innovative technologies and since 2000 they present
their masterpieces from the real blue gold. They do not come as whole bracelets,
rings or necklaces, though. They are unique accessories resembling a common
garter in shape and features decorated with colorful precious stones. The secret
is that the steel spring is coated with a film of blue gold at 18 carats. Then
it is incrusted with diamonds and precious stones shaped as flowers, dragonflies
or just smooth lines that go after the brilliant starry trail of gems. The
price bracket for the Jarretiere items is from 1000 US dollars.
The
manufacturers of reputed brands of watches also showed favor for the blue gold.
However, they prefer the simplified technology of blue gold application. They coat
the gold case of the special composition the lacquer which gives the intensive
blue shade. The other professionals coat the gold with the nickel and then
paint as the last stroke.
On the
whole, there are too many secrets around blue gold though they have nothing to
do with the superb appearance of the jewelry and the item looks amazing, luxury
and very rich.
Kamar Moonphase Company presented watches styled
art-décor at the Baselworld 2006 Exhibition in Geneva of their own production made from
white and pink gold at 18 carats with the dial plate made from the blue gold at
22 carats. The cost of watches for men is around twenty five US dollars.
Patek
Philippe, the reputed watch-maker, along with the Golden Ellipse has launched a
collection of watches for men and women. The cases of watches are made from platinum,
the dial plates- from the blue gold and the wristlet is made from white gold at
18 carats.
Golden
accessories are believed to be universal and luxury at the same time. The choice
of make and color, designer and the price depend on individual preferences and
taste.
However,
the accessories from blue gold will become the real zest for collections with
family jewelry.
|
