Gold Plated Golf Balls by 24K GOLF™

While we may be know for our famous Gold Roses, have you seen our 24K Gold Plated Golf Balls?
That's right, we have taken real premium golf ball and electroplated them in real gold! We have produced two versions of this product and both are getting very popular very quickly.

Display Version:
The display version is our original 24K Gold Dipped Golf Ball. A real ball coated in real 24K gold. Each ball comes in a velvet pouch with a certificate of authenticity and a very nice gift box. This ball makes a great gift for any golf enthusiast. Wherever it is displayed it is sure to be a conversation piece.

Playable Version:
This ball looks identical to the Display Version and this ball was designed to be play on the course. Again, a real premium golf ball is used, several layers are metallized onto the ball along with a rich gold tone finish for durability. This ball is package exactly the same way as above and also comes with a certificate of authenticity. Many golfers are surprised to find that this ball actually flies further than their favorite golf ball.

24K GOLF™ Balls also make great door prizes and gifts for golf outings, company or corporate golf tournaments and gifts, wedding gifts, etc..! So whether you are giving these as a gift for your favorite golfer, or purchasing them for yourself... our 24K GOLF™ Balls are sure to be a HIT!

Sterling Silver: The Practical and the Beautiful

Sterling silver has played both a functional and cultural role in many societies. This article provides an easy guide to understanding how it is technically defined as well as how this definition has developed culturally through history. Descriptions of current applications for its artistic value in jewelry are explored.

Why is “sterling” silver special? Sterling silver is the finest balance between the practical and the beautiful. Let’s say you had a water pitcher filled to the brim. If it were made of 99.9% pure fine silver, the handle would probably bend as you were serving your guests and make for a messy dinner party. Silver is a soft metal and must be reinforced to make it functional. Silver jewelry can also suffer unintended alterations if the metal is not strong enough to avoid bending.
Instead of using pure silver, the metal is mixed with an alloy that adds strength to the metal. Most often copper is used. Other additives are occasionally used that claim to reduce tarnishing. Germanium, zinc and platinum are occasionally used as alloys. This is the basis for the sterling silver standard. The sterling standard is 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% other metal or metals. This can also be expressed as the minimum millesimal fineness of 925.
Sterling silver is the silver grade most often used for jewelry and household accessories. To qualify a piece of silver as sterling, look for one of the following marks:
sterling
sterling silver
ster
.925
In many countries, a sterling silver object that is to be sold commercially must be stamped by an Assay office after testing for purity. This is required of other metal objects as well. In the United Kingdom, the Hallmarking Act of 1973 made it illegal to describe anything as made of platinum, gold or silver unless it had the appropriate Hallmark stamp. This was an historic reference because the first Assay office in the United Kingdom was Goldsmiths’ Hall, which was founded in the year 1300. This is where the term “Hallmarking” comes from. The objects were marked in Goldsmiths’ Hall.

There are a number of other established silver standards based on a variety of applications. Besides fine silver (99.9% pure) and sterling silver (92.5% pure), there is Mexican silver (95% pure). Mexico is the only remaining country using silver in its circulating coinage. However, they reserve the 95% pure standard for jewelry and art objects and use sterling silver for coins.
Coin silver in the United States is dictated by the Federal Trade Commission and is currently 90% silver and 10% copper. The original coin silver standard was established in the United States in the 1820s. However, the use and applications for coins is evolving now that electronic commerce is growing more popular.

History and culture have provided many other standards for silver. In the 12th century there were five German towns that called themselves the Easterling and formed what was know as the Hanseatic League. The league participated in commerce with England. They used their local currency in doing business and it happened to be 92.5% pure silver. The English were most impressed with the coins of the Easterling due to their quality and durability. Eventually, King Henry II of England brought silver refiners from the Easterling to England and by the year 1158, “Tealby Pennies” became standard sterling silver currency.

Beyond currency, the rise in popularity of sterling silver was perpetuated by flatware and jewelry. In the United States and Europe between about 1840 and 1940, proper society set stringent standards for table setting. This perpetuated a number of silver companies. Each company produced a wide variety of intricate patterns that were truly fine art and design. After World War II, labor costs and more convenient alternatives caused the decline of sterling flatware.

Have you ever polished silver? It must be done regularly to remove tarnish. Did you ever wonder what causes the tarnish to dull your grandparent’s heirloom silver? It is not the silver that causes the problem. Silver does not chemically react with water or oxygen. It is the alloy that oxidizes and causes the black silver sulfide (Ag2S)/tarnish to form on the silver. Two products commonly used to remove it are Twinkle Cream and Wright’s Silver Cream. Even though this can be labor intensive, the beauty of polished silver flatware gleaming in elegance on a formal dinning room table provides a truly artistic dining experience.

Today, the artistic use of silver is popularly employed in jewelry. Every thing from beaded jewelry to jewelry charms is made of sterling or purer grades of silver. Soldiers returning from World War II brought charms and pendants back to family and friends. The use of silver dates back to ancient Egypt when it was used symbolically as it still is today to celebrate everything from wedding anniversaries, birthdays, faith and religious expressions. It is often combined with precious and semi-precious gems to enhance jewelry design, beauty and elegance in some of the finest jewelry of our time as well as the joy of everyday decoration and expression.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Janet K. Nelson has done research and written articles on subjects that range from the cultural to the technical. She is an author noted for integrating information and providing a fresh, clear and whole-picture perspective on her subjects. She has written articles, manuals and perspectives for marketing, cultural, media and distribution organizations. Ms. Nelson has a double BA degree in Music and Speech Communications and a Masters Degree in Business Administration. More information is available via http://www.tigereyejewels.com.

What exactly is 925 sterling silver?

A great deal of silver jewellery available today is called 925 silver. Have you ever wandered why we in the jewellery trade add the number 925 in front of sterling silver? Before you part with your hard-earned money buying jewellery for yourself, or as a gift for someone else, it is worth finding out what exactly 925 silver is. Furthermore, it is important to understand why you must always insist that your silver jewellery is up to the high 925 standard.
Before we look at what 925 silver is, we must first consider the properties of this fascinating metal. Pure silver is extremely malleable and therefore can easily damage. It also softens over time, even at room temperature.
Obviously, in this state silver is useless for jewellery purposes. To avoid the problems of malleability and softening, and thus to increase the life-span of your silver jewellery, other metals are added to the pure silver. The result of this blending process with alloys is a combined silver and alloy substance which is far more resistant to scratching and damage.
925 sterling silver jewellery is actually a combination of 92.5% silver and usually 7.5% copper. Sometimes the craftsman replaces copper with another material, or even a combination of materials. Over the last decade lower copper prices and an abundance of copper due to improved refining techniques have made it the first choice of many designers and jewellery stylists.
The beneficial properties gained by adding the copper to the pure silver have made the resulting product extremely popular with a host of silver craftsmen. Earrings, rings, bracelets and all other forms of jewellery can be carefully designed with the assurance that each intricate bend and turn will remain firmly in place.
925 silver is therefore a combination of mostly pure silver and a lower percentage of infused alloy metal. The addition of copper, or occasionally a similar copper-like substitute, helps to enhance your silver jewellery and does not in any way detract from its quality.
It is important to check that your silver jewellery is high quality 925 sterling silver before making a purchase. In the UK nearly all 925 sterling silver jewellery is hallmarked. All of the silver jewellery Purdice sells complies with relevant hallmarking requirements. If you are purchasing in another country, we advise you to check with the regional or national silver jewellery hallmarking body to find out if retailers can sell inferior lower grade silver jewellery without informing you.
Remember that in many countries the 925 hallmark is an assurance to you that your silver is of the highest quality.



ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ashley Shameli, the author of this article, is a director of http://www.purdicejewellery.co.uk and http://www.purdicehome.co.uk. He can be contacted through either of the Purdice websites.

Chemical Element Silver

Silver, a chemical element, exists in the periodic table with the symbol "Ag" and atomic number 47. Silver is a soft white lustrous transition metal. Due to the fact that it has the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal, silver is widely used throughout the world, used in used in coins, jewelry, tableware, and photography. Silver occurs in minerals and in free form.
I'm sure if you looked you would have in your household several objects that are made of polished silver. For example: Silver dollars, or Silver cutlery, or photography equipment.
Being just a bit harder than gold, silver is very ductile and malleable. Because of silver's physical properties as a brilliant white metallic luster it can take a high degree of polish. Copper has replaced silver in several instances due to it's higher cost, this is especially true for electrical purposes.

Silver has a number of other notable characteristics:
- Silver has the whitest color of any metal
- Silver has the highest thermal conductivity of any metal
- Silver has the lowest contact resistance of any metal
- Silver has the highest optical reflectivity of any metal
Silver is stable in both pure air and water, but does tarnish when it is exposed to ozone, hydrogen sulfide, or air with sulfur in it. The most common use of silver is as a precious metal and its halide salts. This is especially true of silver nitrate. Silver is also widely used in photography, which has today, become the biggest single industry in which silver is used.



ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Feel free to reprint this article as long as you keep the article, this caption and author biography in tact with all hyperlinks.Ryan Fyfe is the owner and operator of Silver One - http://www.silver-one.com, which is the best site on the internet for all silver related information.

Why is 925 silver jewellery hallmarked?

We are often asked why silver jewellery has hallmarks on it. In the UK the most common hallmark is a 925 stamp. In other countries you may see hallmarks with the words 'silver' or 'quality silver' in capital letters. Although the types of hallmarking used internationally vary, the principle behind the hallmarking system for silver jewellery remains the same.

Let us first look at the law as it stands. In the UK nearly all high quality 925 sterling silver jewellery must be stamped with a 925 hallmark. A rigorous body of laws, dating back from Medieval times, governs the system and legal requirements of hallmarking. More recently the 1999 European regulations and directives have introduced further requirements to the Hallmarking Act 1973.
Only those 925 silver items specifically excluded by law may legally avoid the requirement of a hallmark. Similar laws apply all around the world and are usually just as firm as those in the UK. Where hallmarking laws exist you inevitably find an official body tasked with carefully monitoring the hallmarking system and empowered to issue hefty penalties for any breaches.

Now that we know what the law is, we can look at why it exists. In essence hallmarking laws are designed to protect the consumer. High quality 925 silver is a combination of 92.5% silver and the remaining 7.5% is composed of another alloy, added to increase durability and resistance to damage. Unscrupulous jewellery merchants and retailers were tempted in the past to reduce the total level of silver in this combination. Furthermore, the dishonest producers and sellers escaped punishment because it is impossible to assess the total percentage of silver in an item of jewellery without chemical testing it.

Although it is fine to sell silver jewellery which contains less than 92.5% silver, such jewellery can not be branded as 925 silver. 925 sterling silver has a reputation for excellence and is justifiably the consumer's preferred choice. It contains a high percentage of silver while the 7.5% alloy added to the mix enhances the quality and strength of each item. The benefits of passing-off inferior silver jewellery as 925 quality are therefore patently obvious.

The hallmarking system was designed to resolve the problems of dishonest traders and to address the drop in consumer's confidence in 925 silver. A third party - such as the current main Assay Offices of London, Birmingham, Sheffield and Edinburgh in the UK - would analyse and stamp each item of 925 jewellery. As this third party carried out all chemical analysis themselves, and then issued the hallmark stamp, all items stamped with the 925 hallmark were guaranteed to conformed to the required legal standard. Furthermore, heavy fines and criminal sanctions were introduced to ensure public trust in the hallmarking scheme.

The hallmarking scheme remains in operation today in the UK and most countries around the world use a similar system to ensure customers can buy 925 silver with confidence.
As an interesting historical side note the silver jewellery hallmark originated in the early Middle Ages in England. At first only the Goldsmith’s Hall in London was able to mark silver – thus the word hallmark, being a mark given in Goldsmith’s Hall, came into common use.



ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ashley Shameli, the author of this article, is a director of http://www.purdicejewellery.co.uk. He also contributes to the Purdice Jewellery library of interesting jewellery facts at http://www.purdicejewellery.co.uk/qanda.asp.

Hot Wedding Trend: Platinum Wedding Rings

In our hungry-for-anything new pop culture world, celebrities are often the ones that can start a hot fashion trend seemingly overnight. With their heavy media exposure, they are often photographed wearing the latest styles in fashion and jewelry.
Platinum engagement and wedding rings are the latest celebrity trend that has taken the jewelry industry by storm. Several high-profile newlyweds have taken a shine to the cool elegance of platinum.
“Platinum is like our relationship in that it is strong, precious and timeless,” says Nick Lachey about the custom made platinum wedding rings he and his wife Jessica Simpson tied the knot with.
It seems that view of the lustrous metal is shared by other celebrity couples as well such as: Russell Crowe and Danielle Spencer, Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale, Adam Sandler and Jackie Titone, as well as, popular actresses Reese Witherspoon and Kate Hudson.
Celebrities are especially fond of pairing fancy colored diamonds with their platinum rings. Also, the three diamond platinum engagement ring has quickly become all the rage among new brides.
So, if you’re looking to buy diamond jewelry online, whether it’s for a special occasion like a wedding, or a gift for a special person, consider platinum jewelry as one of your best and brightest options.



About The Author
Copyright 2004
Donna Monday One special moment. One special ring. http://www.1-love-rings.com

Silver Tarnish and Removing Silver Tarnish

Each year we get hundreds of emails from silver jewelry lovers. They find that their lovely silver jewelry has tarnished. Many sellers do not clearly explain the process of silver tarnishing to buyers and buyers are shocked to see their gorgeous silver jewelry gradually change color to a darkish dull shade of yellow, brown and even black.
So what exactly is silver tarnish? Can the process of silver tarnish be slowed down or eliminated? What about anti-tarnish platings, are they really useful? How can silver tarnish be removed? and finally Can tarnished silver jewelry look good? In this article we provide simple and lucid explanations for these and other questions. We have been as non-technical as possible and hope that this would interest as most silver jewelry lovers. We have mentioned silver jewelry in this article though, tarnish occurs on all silver objects like spoons, watches, cups etc and not just on silver jewelry.

What is silver tarnish? Silver tarnish is a natural process that occurs on the surface of silver jewelry. Tarnish starts as a light yellow discoloration of silver, it then starts to change to darker shades of brown as the tarnish gets to be more severe. In extreme cases the tarnishing of silver could look very dark and almost black. Tarnishing occurs due to certain climatic conditions and also due to certain ingredients that are present in some materials. One such chemical that causes silver to tarnish is hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and things that contain this chemical will cause silver to tarnish quickly. Materials that stimulate silver tarnish are wood, felt, rubber bands, food items like eggs, onions etc. High humidity in the climate also hastens the silver tarnish process. Looking at these factors that cause silver tarnish, you will realize that the process of silver tarnishing can hardly be avoided.

Does silver tarnish mean that the silver used is not good? Surely not, because silver tarnish is a natural process and occurs with silver of all purities. Silver jewelry is generally made from silver that is around 92.50% pure and this is done to increase the hardness of silver. Sterling silver as it is normally referred to (925=92.50% purity), is an alloy of silver and other metals. The tarnishing of sterling silver has nothing to do with the percentage of silver in the alloy. It would be safe to assume that all silver will tarnish.

Can silver tarnish be removed? The answer to this question is, yes. It is possible to clean tarnished silver jewelry and the procedure followed will depend on the degree of tarnish that is present on the silver jewelry. Reputed companies sell silver polishing solutions that can be used for removal of silver tarnish. Most of these can be used at home to remove light to mild silver jewery tarnish, however keep a few points in mind when buying or using these silver polishes. Check only for reputed brands and do not stress on low prices as these cheap polishes could destroy your silver jewelry. Read the complete instructions on the container before purchasing it. You can then judge the suitability for your particular use and select the right silver polish. For example, do not get a silver tarnish removal lotion meant for severe tarnish, if your silver jewelry has only mild tarnish. Some polishes might emit fumes that could irritate the eyes and nose, so use them in well ventilated areas. The instructions could also advise the use of gloves when handling the polish so ensure that you follow all recommended precautions. In the case of very severe tarnish on your silver jewelry, professional help is recommended and home remedies might not be possible.

What are the different types of silver polish available? We will answer this question without referring to any commercial brand names. Silver tarnish polishes can be classified as two broad types, the first is the type where the silver jewelry will have to be washed clean after the polished is applied as instructed on the container. The second type is the polish that is meant to be applied to the jewelry and left, this type of silver polish is supposed to form a protective layer on the silver jewelry. This layer will reduce the rate at which the silver jewelry will subsequently tarnish. More importantly, silver polishes would also be classified according to the severity of the tarnish that they are supposed to handle. Choose the right type depending on the degree to which your silver jewelry has tarnished. Anti tarnish polishes meant for severe and stubborn silver tarnish are obviously more abrasive too.

Can the way silver jewelry is stored influence the rate of tarnish? This is an important aspect that is ignored by many silver jewelry lovers. Never wrap your silver jewelry in newspapers or plastic as these will cause your jewelry to tarnish severely. Add rubber bands to the list of material that should not be used to pack silver jewelry. Wrap each jewel in anti-tarnish tissue (available at most jewelry stores) and then seal them in polyethylene bags. This is one way in which tarnishing can be minimized. Tarnish absorbing cloths are also available and can be used in the same way. Anti-tarnish strips work in a slightly different way. These strips absorb tarnish producing gases and are made from paper that contains activated charcoal. They do not emit fumes or vapours but absorb the gases that cause silver to tarnish. Finally, we will talk about the famous Silica Gel granules that are man made and absorb moisture from the air. High humidity is one of the causes of silver tarnish and these granules that contain numerous tiny crevices 'suck' excess moisture from the air. Hydrosorbent Silica Gel granules are used in medicine containers too and have been around for many decades. The important thing to note about these materials is that they have a life span during which they will prove effective. Read instructions when using them and ensure that they are changed as and when recommended. Silica Gel granules can be made to change color when they are fully 'soaked' with moisture and become inactive.

What are anti-tarnish platings? Silver jewelry manufacturers have for many years plated silver jewelry with metals like rhodium, gold and even platinum with an effort to eliminate tarnishing of silver. The idea is to protect the silver from tarnish by forming a layer on the surface of silver jewelry. Newly plated silver jewelry looks gorgeous and appears very much like gold or platinum jewelry. However the truth is that, the plating will wear off with time and expose the silver underneath. The rate at which the plating on silver will come off depends on many factors like the humidity in the atmosphere, the chemical composition of sweat (of the person wearing them), the frequency with which such silver plated silver jewelry is worn and also the chlorine content in the water. Once the plating starts coming off, the jewelry starts to look patchy and cheap. This is because the peeling does not occur uniformly throughout the jewel. This is something that you need to be aware of. Such jewelry cannot be polished and your best option would be to get it professional re-plated. This could be an expensive proposition for silver jewelry.

Can tarnished silver jewelry look good? The answer to this question is not a simple one. Depending on the design of your silver jewelry, tarnishing can add to it's good looks or make it appear cheap and lousy. Antique style silver designs will look more classic and valuable when the jewelry tarnishes. An occassional mild silver polish applied to such jewelry would leave some traces of tarnish on the jewel and give it an ancient authentic look. On the other hand sleek modern designs for silver jewelry will not look good if silver tarnish sets in. Most silver jewelry lovers are aware of this and therefore spend premium budgets on classic antique style designs. High end craftsmanship for silver jewelry is not easy to find as most sellers cater to low priced markets. Even gemstones used in silver jewelry are in most cases,low grade reject quality gemstones. There are just a few high end custom jewelry manufacturers for silver jewelry and their merchandise is highly valued among lovers of silver jewelry.

Before we wind up this informative article on silver tarnish and the procedures for removal of silver tarnish a few random thoughts from our team of designers and craftsmen.
The moment you notice a yellowish tint on your silver jewelry, use a mild phospate free detergent and water to gently wash the jewelry. Then immediately dry the jewelry with a soft cloth, pat gently rather than using vigorous rubbing to dry the jewel. These are the first traces of silver tarnish and if handled well, will not develop into more severe silver tarnish.
Do not use toothpaste to clean silver jewelry. The abrasive particles in the toothpaste could scratch your jewelry. Ironically, toothpaste is very often used to clean tarnished silver jewelry as no one cared to clear this issue.

When applying silver polish, shake the container well before use. Do not use old polish that is mostly dried, as such lotions could be very concentrated and abrasive.
The old saying still holds true, when wearing jewelry for an outing or special occassion '......... let your jewelry be the last thing that you put on, and the first thing to come off when you get back home..........'. Remember hair sprays and other powder packs can also tarnish silver jewelry.
When cleaning your tarnished silver jewelry give due thought to the gemstones in the jewelry. Certain gemstones require special care when cleaning and the silver polishes and vigorous cleaning could affect the gemstones. In cases where your silver jewelry consists of expensive gemstones, seek professional help for cleaning tarnish on the silver.



About The Author
Ms.Tuk is Senior Executive at http://www.kaisilver.com the world's leading online provider of high end custom jewelry. All jewelry is custom made in yellow or white gold with gemstones of your choice. You can even send us images of your favourite designs to be custom made.