Gold: A Story of Craft, Sustainability and Meaning
Gold has been cherished for thousands of years. It’s enduring, precious and deeply symbolic. Within the jewellery world, It’s not just about beauty but about permanence, value and memory. It’s the metal we return to time and again to celebrate life’s most meaningful moments.
In my work, I use gold every day, yellow, white, and recycled gold, each with its own character and feel. Here’s a closer look at what makes gold so special and how I choose the right type for your jewellery.
Types of Gold
Gold is rarely used in its purest form. Instead, it is blended with other alloys to create strength, colour and durability.
9 carat gold is made from 37.5% pure gold, with the rest made up of alloys such as copper and silver. It’s strong, affordable, and has a warm golden tone, sometimes with a slight blush due to the copper content.
14 carat gold is 58.5% pure gold, widely used around the world, especially in America. It offers a beautiful balance, richer in tone than 9ct, but more durable for everyday wear.
18 carat gold is 75% pure gold. This is the most luxurious and high-quality option I work with. It polishes beautifully, with a buttery smoothness and has a richness that suits fine bespoke design. Contrary to popular belief, 18ct is not too soft for everyday jewellery, in fact, it’s wonderfully durable and a joy to work with when setting stones.
Each carat option is special and when choosing which is right for you, it comes down to tone and cost. I can always provide quotes for working with each, however I do find that when creating a bespoke piece that 14ct or 18ct matches the value and time put into such a unique design. As a bespoke ring may one day become an heirloom, carrying meaning for generations.
Recycled Gold
Due to the casting process involved in my work, each piece can be cast in a different metal. Rather than mining for new resources, I work with refiners who reclaim gold from existing jewellery, electronics, and industrial use. This gold is then refined and reused with no difference in quality compared to newly mined gold.
Working with recycled gold reduces environmental impact and honours the idea of renewal giving old materials a new life in a design that holds meaning today.
I also love reworking heirloom pieces. Family jewellery can be melted down and reshaped into something new, carrying forward the story of the past while becoming part of your present and future. There’s something incredibly moving about knowing a ring holds generations within it.
Hallmarking: What It Means
Every piece of jewellery in the UK, over a certain weight is legally required to be hallmarked by the Assay Office. This is a tiny but important stamp that guarantees the purity of the metal used.
In my work, each piece is tested and marked with the official Assay symbols. You might see a small anchor, which shows the piece was checked in Birmingham, or a leopard’s head, which comes from London. Alongside these sits my maker’s mark, a registered stamp that identifies the design as mine.
Hallmarking is a centuries-old tradition and it offers reassurance. It means your jewellery is not only beautifully made, but also independently certified.
Why Gold Matters
Gold has a unique permanence. It doesn’t tarnish, it holds its shape, and it can be reworked countless times. That’s why gold has been treasured for millennia, and why it remains the most meaningful choice for wedding and engagement rings.
For me, it’s not just about working with a precious metal, but about working with a material that carries stories whether newly recycled or inherited from a family heirloom. Gold is lasting, symbolic and deeply connected to memory.
If you’d like to learn more about recycled gold, hallmarks or which carat might suit your ring, I’d love to guide you. Together, we’ll create a piece that is beautiful, sustainable and crafted to hold meaning for years to come.
Naomi x
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