Gold silver, platinum, palladium, are known as the precious metals in the jewelry industry. They are also called the Noble Metals by craftsmen.

Copper, zinc, and brass are called base metals by jewelers.

A measure of fineness for gold. 24 karat is fine gold. One karat equals 1/24 part. Thus, 14 karat gold is 14/24ths fine gold and the balance (10/24ths) is alloy. If the gold content of an object is less that 10/24ths, the object cannot be represented as karat gold.

Yellow, green, rose, and white gold are produced by variations in the alloy. Silver and zinc tend to give gold a green color; copper gives a rose color; nickel a whitish color.

The term "gold" and "solid gold" means fine gold or gold of 24 karats. The term should never he applied to articles of lesser quality.

This is made by joining a layer (or layers) of gold alloy to a base metal alloy and then rolling and drawing it out to the thickness required.

This is same as gold filled, but usually of a lower quality.

This is usually made by electrolyptically depositing fine gold on a base metal. The plate thickness must be at least 0.000007 inches of fine gold. Items with a gold thickness less than that can be labeled gold washed or colored.

This is commercially pure silver and contains no alloy material.

This is 925/1000 (921/2%) fine silver and 71/2 % copper. This proportion is fixed by law.

This is 900/1000 or 90% fine silver and the balance copper. This alloy was used for U.S. silver coins before 1966. New (from 1966) dimes and quarters contain no silver. Half dollars contain 40% silver.

This is a term applied to silver that is 999% fine or higher.

This contains several varying percentages of silver. In some cases, the fineness is as low as 70%.

Silverware manufactured in Denmark is 83% fine silver if made to minimum Danish standards: 92% fine silver is made for export out of Denmark.

This is made by electroplating fine silver on a base metal alloy - usually nickel silver or Brittania metal, and sometimes brass or copper. The inexpensive process was perfected for industrial purposes around 1840.

Originally it was made by bonding sheet silver in copper, then rolling and forming it into hollow-ware. The original process was abandoned about 1840 for the new method of electroplating. Imitations are made by plating silver on copper, and sometimes they are erroneously advertised as "Sheffield Plate."

So called, it is a composition of nickel, copper, and zinc. It contains NO silver.