What are Some Types of Jewelry?
There are many various types of jewelry to wear. What you choose depends primarily on your personal preferences. You may choose to buy less expensive costume jewelry or fashion jewelry, or you may wear fine jewelry, made with more expensive stones and metals. Jewelry today is often given as a gift of love or affection.
The most common pieces of jewelry include necklaces, pendants, rings, earrings, brooches, and bracelets. Earrings may be pierced or clip-on. Other somewhat less common jewelry types include anklets and toe rings. Other types of jewelry you may wear are pieces that fit into more extreme piercings. These may be a navel ring, a tongue ring, a nasal piercing, a lip ring, an eyebrow ring, or an earring for the top of your ear, among others.
One issue to consider when learning about types of jewelry is the type of metal the jewelry is manufactured with. Commonly, jewelry is made of silver, gold, titanium, or platinum. For those with body piercings, surgical-grade stainless steel or titanium may be used to prevent oxidation of the jewelry and a subsequent infection. Piercers may also use a surgical-grade plastic called Tygon for those with metal allergies. Wedding bands are also sometimes made of a metal called tungsten carbide, which is extremely durable and scratch-resistant, always appearing shiny and new.
There are various types of gold that may be used to make jewelry. Gold can be yellow gold, which is the most common; white gold, which has a silver appearance and is mixed with some silver and palladium; or rose gold, which has a pinkish look because it is mixed with copper. Jewelry made of white gold is generally coated with a metal known as rhodium. Rhodium is similar to platinum in color, but it will wear off over time. It is a good idea to take your jewelry to a professional to have it re-rhodium plated every 12 to 18 months.
Another consideration when purchasing gold is the specification referred to as carats or karats (abbreviated ct or kt). The higher the carats, the more gold is used in the piece of jewelry -- though gold is a relatively soft metal, so it is rare to see rings made of 22kt or 24kt (pure) gold. For example, a 14kt gold ring is about 60% gold, whereas an 18kt gold ring is about 75% gold. Therefore, an 18kt ring would be more expensive than a 14kt ring.
Some pieces of jewelry include gemstones in a setting. These gemstones may be diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, or virtually any type of gem you desire. Pearls are also quite popular. Synthetic gemstones often appear in less expensive fashion jewelry.
The prices for various types of jewelry obviously range from the very inexpensive to the astronomically expensive. A great idea to find unique pieces is to shop in antique stores or vintage shops for vintage jewelery. The types of jewelry found in these stores vary widely and can provide a great accessory to an outfit, usually at a less expensive price. Otherwise, you can find relatively inexpensive costume jewelry just about anywhere, or more expensive fine jewelry at upscale boutiques and department stores.
Written by B. Miller
