Test Your Mettle

Test Your Mettle: Interesting facts about precious metals
Test your mettle actually means demonstrate your true character. I would like to discuss the true character of your precious metal. Did you know the following facts?

1. Commercial white gold jewelry looks white, but it is plated! White gold is really brownish gray (ring on far left).
2. Green gold is made by adding sterling to fine gold (2nd).
3. In 1890 Louis Cartier first introduced platinum as a metal for setting stones (middle ring).
4. A cubic foot of platinum weighs 1330 pounds.
5. Fine gold is so malleable that it can be hammered thin enough for the sun to shine through, and you can make a 60-mile wire out of a single ounce of gold (ring #4 is 18k yellow gold).
6. Silver is the only truly white metal. Argentium Sterling is a new product that uses germanium instead of copper as an alloy, greatly reducing tarnish.
   
7. Mokume (woodgrain) Gane (metal) is derived from the ancient Japanese sword making technique that produced Damascus Steel for Samarai swords.
   

Find out more in our Precious Metal Learning Center, and be prepared next time someone wants to test your metal.