Gold earrings....

In all of history, only 161,000 tons of gold has been mined–and more than half of this amount has been excavated in the past 50 years. Paste is a compound of glass containing white lead oxide and potash. Paste jewellery was usual in the 1670s and was worn at court. The best and most long lasting paste jewellery was produced after 1734 by Georges Strass. It is surprising also to learn that the U.S. is not the number 1 consumer of gold. Because of this alloy comingling, a small percentage of the population experiences sensitivities or allergic reactions to white gold But that India holds this title as the largest “gold nation” worldwide.

In the 1630s large quantities of pearls were used as clothing accessories. To be truly fashionable pearls needed to be worn in abundance. Due to gold’s relative softness as pure 24k gold, the yellow metal is mixed with other alloys to create ductility–the ability to shape gold without fracturing it. Copper is the most common alloy used in yellow gold–but higher concentrations of copper creates the subtle, beautiful pink hue or undertones of rose gold.

In the C17th, Jaquin of Paris patented a method of making fake pearls. He coated blown glass hollow balls with varnish mixed with iridescent Gold color–such as white gold or rose gold–is another variant achieved by mixing various base alloys over others. ground fish scales. The hollow balls were then filled with wax to strengthen them. This method made Paris the main producer of fake pearls for over 200 years.

Whether this conclusion is incontrovertible, gold has been the focus of ages–of obsession, of love, of idolatry, and war. Most fake jewellery was Paris led. Just about any kind of fake gem could be made, including fake opals.From Biblical references as early as Genesis–the blasphemous golden calf to the Old Testament Deliverer of Israel, Moses, who was said to be rich in gold and silver, gold has elicited a complex duality of responses from humanity.

From Dirty Gold campaigns to the diminutive hopes of economies like West Africa’s reaping even the smallest of benefits from gold mining in their own lands. Many pieces of fake jewellery have survived in their original setting, but fine estate pieces of real gems were often broken up for resetting into more fashionable styles of the era. Gold remains, literally and figuratively, an amalgam of history.