It is hard to go wrong when wearing a gold chain, since they are so versatile and can be worn with any outfit or event. With a gold chain, you can look stylish for hip hop events as well as formal events. Its undeniable versatility and class make it one of the most demanded pieces of jewelry. But have you wondered how this classy and versatile piece is made? This article is your complete guide to gold chains and how they are made.
What Is A Gold Chain?
A gold chain is typically part of men’s fashion jewelry. But today, even women can wear gold chains in layers with their pearls, diamonds, and other precious stone pieces of jewelry. Gold chains are pieces of gold attached to each other, which is implied by its name: “chains.” These chains of gold do not come in only one form.
There are different types of gold chains, but the most famous kind are Cuban chains. These are large chunky gold chains. As time passed by, different designs of gold chains flourished all over the world. For example, there are box chains, Japanese chains, round chains, and many other types of gold chains.
How To Make Gold Chains
Making gold chains is a delicate process, and it is done only by professional gold jewelry makers and molders. This delicate process involves heating, molding, polishing, and everything in between to produce such precious gold chains. Here are the general steps in making gold chains.
Mixing The Gold
Contrary to popular assumptions, gold chains are not made purely with the highest karat of gold. The highest gold karat is 24k gold, but it is too soft and will easily break for a piece of long-wearing jewelry. The most ideal karat for a gold chain is 14k gold. To preserve high-quality material in making gold chains, 24k gold is mixed with other metals to create 14k gold, which is the perfect karat of gold to be used for a gold chain.
The 24k gold is melted and mixed with other metals. The percentage of each metal mixed with gold is determined by an analyzing device. The metals used to come up with a 14k gold are zinc, copper, and silver. More than fifty percent of the mixture is 24k gold, and the remaining fifty are a part of the three other metals.
Melting And Pouring The Gold
A propane torch is used to melt the 24k gold with other metals, and the mixture is mixed together. The gold and other metal mixture are then poured into a cast iron ingot mold. The dimension of the mold is not standardized, and it depends on the preference of the jewelry maker or molder. The resulting bar or ingot is used to create the chain’s links, but it must first be converted into a wire. After heating, molding, and forming the metal mixture, the 14k gold bar is created.
Stretching The Gold Bar Into A Wire
The gold bar formed in the previous phase must be stretched and compressed in a variety of automatic rolling mills until it is molded into a wire of the proper shape and form for the chain links. There are different kinds of gold chains, thus, different shapes and sizes. The bar requires multiple times of passing through the rolling mill to get the desired thickness of the wire assembled as linked chains.
Rolling And Cutting The Gold Wire
The rolling and cutting of the gold wire are highly dependent on the kind of gold chain that will be made. The wire is rolled into a metal bar with a specific diameter and cut for every single roll. The cut rolls look like ring metals. These ring metals are then put aside after cutting. Each ring metal made out of the gold wire is ensured with identical forms, such as shape and size. Each cut from the coil is cleaned in a red, ultrasonic jewelry cleaner. After putting the individual links in the cleaning solution, they are linked and locked using vise and plier.
Soldering And Twisting the Chain
The chains are linked and locked to each other, but the process does not end there. The individual links are soldered to ensure that they can bear the wear and tear of daily jewelry wear. The soldered links are then attached to an industrial twisting machine, where one end of the link is held stationary while the other end is twisted. By doing this step, the chain is slightly flattened and settled in an interlocking position. After that, the chain is put again in the ultrasonic cleaning solution.
Filing And Final Finishing
Etra weight in the gold chain is removed during the filing process. After the filing process, a final weigh-in is done to make sure that the gold chain is in the desirable weight, which is a big factor that affects the comfort of wearing it. After the filing, the polishing and buffing begin when the chain is already in the desirable weight. It is the final process of making a gold chain. The chain is submerged in a 24k gold electroplating to give it a polished and shiny gold finish.
What Are The Most Common Types Of Gold Chains?
There are different types of gold chains, and some of them are as follows:
Ball Chain
This type of chain has little metal round beads that are either spread apart or linked closely together with just a sliver of space between them to allow movement. These are extremely popular, especially with men’s dog tags. You can select the thickness of the bead, which typically ranges from 1mm to 2mm.
Box Chain
This chain contains square “box” links and is typically worn as a pendant necklace or around the wrist with timepieces. This chain has the advantage of being easier to repair than other chains. If a “box” breaks, the broken chain can be reattached with the remaining links, or the broken link can be replaced. Women prefer box chains, which come in sizes ranging from 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm.
Cable Chain
This chain is the most basic gold chain, and it resembles a miniature version of a standard iron chain. It has identical, uniformly interlaced ovals and is simple but lovely. This chain is popular among both men and women, and it comes in a variety of thicknesses to fit different styles.
Figaro
This gold chain is another gender-neutral but slightly more upscale than cable chains. Figaro is an Italian design comprised of an alternating pattern of flattened links of varied sizes. Typically, two or three shorter links are followed by a longer link. Figaro chains are frequently used in necklaces and bracelets.
Anchor Chain
This chain is also known as the Mariner Chain. This chain is made up of interlocking ovals, each with a bar running through the center. Anchor or mariner chains are available in a range of widths, with men favoring thicker chains. There is also a contemporary variation known as the puffed mariner that is popular these days.
Rope Chain
The function of this chain is similar to that of a “supporting” chain in that it is elaborately crafted to resemble a genuine rope. These are more frequently worn with a pendant as the focal point.
Snake Chain
Snake chains are made up of small rings, either plates or bands, tightly woven together to produce a continuous tube-like structure resembling a snake’s skin. These are delicate but adaptable and would work beautifully with a pendant.
Wheat Chain
This is also known as Spiga Chain. Spiga, which translates as “wheat,” is a finely woven pattern made up of twisted circular links. The chain takes on the appearance of a delicate golden braid. Due to the exquisite design, this necklace is quite popular with women. It has a delicate, fashionable appearance and can be worn alone or with a pendant.
Conclusion
In conclusion, many types of Gold Chains may require different and special handling in making these Gold Chains. But there are general steps that we can observe when making this fine and fancy piece of jewelry. It is a long and delicate process of crafting a piece of long-wearing jewelry with such precious value. This might be the reason behind a piece of high-demanded jewelry continuously known and patronized in different countries.