Gemology Certification Jewelry Design & Precious Metals 2

Question 1

What jewelry technique involves setting numerous small gemstones close together so that little or no metal is visible from above?

Accepted Answer

Pavé setting

Answer

Pavé (French for 'paved') setting places many small stones in tiny holes drilled into the metal surface, with tiny beads or prongs holding each stone so the surface appears encrusted with gems.

Question 2

In the context of precious metal alloys, what element is added to yellow gold to create 'rose gold'?

Accepted Answer

Copper

Answer

Rose gold (also called pink or red gold) gets its warm pinkish hue from a higher proportion of copper in the gold alloy — typically 75% gold and 25% copper for 18K rose gold.

Question 3

What is 'lost wax casting' (cire perdue) in jewelry manufacturing?

Accepted Answer

A process where a wax model is invested in plaster, burned out, and molten metal is cast into the void

Answer

Lost wax casting creates a wax model of the jewelry piece, encases it in investment plaster, melts out the wax in a kiln, then pours molten metal into the hollow mold to reproduce the design.

Question 4

What is the purpose of 'rhodium plating' on white gold jewelry?

Accepted Answer

To give it a bright white color and scratch resistance, masking the yellowish hue of white gold alloys

Answer

White gold alloys often have a slightly yellow or gray tint; rhodium electroplating provides a highly reflective, bright white, hard surface finish that also offers scratch resistance.

Question 5

What does FTC (Federal Trade Commission) guidelines require for jewelry marketed as 'gold filled'?

Accepted Answer

A layer of at least 10K gold bonded to a base metal, comprising at least 1/20th of total weight

Answer

The FTC requires that gold-filled items have a mechanically bonded layer of gold of at least 10K purity that constitutes at least 1/20 (5%) of the item's total metal weight.

Gemology Certification Practice Test

Gemology Certification Practice Test

Gemology Certification Jewelry Design & Precious Metals 2