Precious Metals and Stones

As the name suggest the precious metals and stones are those metals and stones which are rarely found and have more worth in the world market. The precious metals are mostly unreactive and thus retain high luster for a longer period of time. Gold, Silver and Platinum are the most important precious metals. These metals find various uses including jewelry, surgery and dentistry. Besides this Gold is used as a monetary standard. They are also used in art and coinage. Other precious metals include Ruthenium, Palladium, Osmium and Iridium. Rhodium is the most expensive of all the precious metals.

Precious stones are minerals, rocks or petrified materials which when cut and polished can be used in jewelry. Diamond one of the most important precious stones is the hardest natural material on earth. Other precious stones are: Ruby, Turquoise, Sapphire, Emerald etc. These stones are prized for their great beauty and rarity. They are also used in astrology.

Gold

'Where Gold speaks every tongue is silent'. It is one of the rare earth metal which is used by the International Monetary Fund and the Bank of International Settlement as a monetary basis. The most malleable and ductile metal it can be changed into any desired shape. So we can find Gold Nuggets, Gold Leaves, Gold Bar, Gold Coins and many other forms of gold. Pure gold is too soft for any use so it is mixed with other metals to form alloys which are used in different purposes such as jewelery, coinage and as a standards of monetary exchange. One of the most un reactive metals it goes a long way. So as Thomas Fuller says 'It is much better to have your Gold in the hand than in the heart'.

Platinum

The greyish white metal Platinum is one of the precious metals. It is a transition metals with high degree of malleability and ductility. This metal is used for wide variety of purposes such as jewelry, laboratory equipments, dentistry and electrical contacts. It is also used as a catalyst. It is highly resistant to chemical attacks and thus does not corrode easily. This property along with its tarnish resistance makes it one of the best metals for jewelry purposes. In the 18th century rarity of this metals made King Louis XV of France declare it to be the only metal fit for a king.

Diamond

Diamond- women's best friend is the hardest natural material on earth and is one of the most sought after precious stones. This allotrope of Carbon has the highest refrective index which is the cause of its extraordinary brilliance. The high degree of hardness and superlative physical qualities, makes it one of the best abrasives. It maintains its polish for a longer period of time and thus retains its lustre, contributing to its popularity as a popular gemstone . Found in many colors it is most widely available in brown and yellow. Carat, cut, color and clarity are the four basic criteria to determine the value of diamond.

Silver

Silver, a soft white transition metal is one of the most important precious metals in the world. This metal with the highest thermal conductivity, high optical reflectivity and lowest contact resistance finds many uses. It is used in jewelry, utensils, ornaments, photographic film, electric contacts and mirrors. It is also used in dentistry and is one of the most sought after metal in alternative medicine. This metal with highest electic conductivity is produced as a by product of mining of copper, gold, lead and zinc.

Gemstones

Gemstone or a Precious stone is a mineral rock or petrified material which when cut and polished can be used for the jewelry purposes. Gemstones have different chemical composition as Diamond is an allotrope of Carbon, Ruby is an alloy of Aluminium (Al2 O3 ) while sapphire has Iron as its main element. Prized mainly for their beauty,rarity and aesthetics these gemstones are valued according to their colors. The gemstones are mainly divided into precious stones and semi precious stones. Diamonds, Rubies, Sapphires, Amethyst and Emaralds are regarded as the precious stones while others such as andalusite, axinite, cassiterite and bixbite are knonw as semi- precious stones.