Gorgeous Gold: Classic Monogrammed Signet Ring

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I did a post 4 years ago about gold, and got a lot of great feedback, so I thought I would update the information here. My grandfather was in the jewelry business so I've learned a lot from him and my dad and have also done a lot of research on my own before spending a lot on a quality piece of jewelry. If you're not familiar with gold, read below before you purchase a gold piece! 

• The lower the karat, the less gold and the more alloys present. 
• The more alloys (aka the lower the karat count), the more durable a piece of jewelry is. 
• Karat vs. Carat. The 'k' is used when talking about gold and the 'c' for gemstones. 
• 24k is pure gold and very soft, you probably wouldn't want to purchase 24k jewelry because it will scratch and ding easily. Example: my Cartier love band is 18k gold which you would think would be preferable because there's more gold in the metal, but it actually makes the piece of jewelry soft... so my ring scratches easily due to everyday wear. If you want to invest in gold, though, this is the karat that you invest in. Investing in gold is like investing in the stock market. Depending on political events, the economy, etc., the price of gold fluctuates. 
• The higher the karat, the higher the price tag and the higher the yellow color. 
• White gold is slightly 'harder', so when choosing a ring with stones, white gold is usually the better choice.
• Choose your metal wisely. Sterling silver, for the most part, is a lot less pricey compared to gold because the price of gold has been high in the recent years. Like gold, sterling silver is not made up of all silver because it would be far too soft (it's actually 92.5% for all of you familiar with the 925 on Tiffany's sterling silver products). Most other sterling silver products will have the number 925 stamped somewhere on the piece of jewelry... if the 925 is absent from the product, it is likely not sterling silver,
• When you see something that is labeled gold-filled, gold-vermeil, gold-plated, gold-tone, gold-dipped, etc. these are not pieces of fine jewelry. 
• Gold filled means that the jewelry is fused with gold on the outside and there is another metal that is the majority of the necklace. It will last if taken care of (don't get it wet, don't let it touch your perfume, don't wear it at the beach or pool, store it in a covered pouch and don't clean it with anything but a dry jewelry cloth).  
• Gold plate is another metal that is covered in gold but the gold will eventually wear down and the core metal will become exposed. This is similar to gold leaf. In gold leaf, the gold will wear down very quickly. You can actually buy gold leaf and use it for DIY projects! 
• Gold tone, is just another name for the actual color gold. If you read a product description that says "gold tone" then there doesn't have to be any percentage of gold at all-- basically, it's costume jewelry so don't be fooled!

Signet Ring 

Now that your well versed in gold (who wouldn't want to be!?) let's talk about my latest piece of everyday jewelry. My dad has a hand engraved signet ring that his parents (my grandparents) gave him when he was in junior high. He wears it to this day. I've always admired it and have wanted my own for a while, however, the jeweler that had done my dad's ring had sadly passed away. My dad's is made from 10k gold so it is extra durable. 

 I looked high and low for a jeweler in Pittsburgh that had a classic signet ring and I couldn't track one down. So I hopped on the internet. Equally hard to find. I finally found an option and for a great price. It's 14k, monogram is not hand engraved but beautifully done, nonetheless, and it boasts a perfect classic design. The product, in my opinion is poorly represented online so I worked with someone directly over the phone and via e-mail to make sure I was making a good purchase. And I'm glad to say I am very happy with my ring!

If you're not looking for a forever signet ring, I've found a couple of affordable options! 

Do you have a signet ring? Have a fabulous day!