Gold Through the Ages: From Ancient Treasures to Modern Jewelry Masterpieces

Throughout history, gold has been one of the main foundations of wealth and power. From the earliest recordings in 3500 BC in Mesopotamia, of golden cups and jewelry, to the development of alchemy in the Middle Ages, to Fort Knox and your local jewelry store, gold is among the most precious and most sought after metals in the world.

Most of the gold in North America is found in large, deep quartz-gold veins. This occurrence is due to a major geological shift somewhere between 60 to 150 million years ago (estimates vary) when the North American Continental Plate pressed against the Pacific Plate, fracturing and uplifting rock under enormous pressure. As the Sierra Nevadas heaved upward, gases, liquids, and minerals intruded into the cracks and fissures in the rock, among these was gold.

Following many climatic changes, deposits of gold would break away from the hardrock, and wash away from the source. These Placer Deposits are the nuggets found in streams and rivers and utilized in much of our jewelry. Less than 1% of the world's annual gold production is in nugget form, it's value rising significantly due to it's increasing scarcity. Gold nuggets are remarkably pure, the assay value is approximately 22 karats (24 being pure). Although most of these nuggets are rather small, the "Welcome Nugget" found in Australia weighs in at 248 pounds.

The gold not affected by erosion, remaining deep within the earth, is called gold ore. The ore is primarily quartz. Most of the ore mined is low grade, meaning that it may take many tons of ore to produce one ounce of gold. Today, with modern amalgamation and cyanidation processes to separate gold from the ore, it can still be profitable to mine 10 tons of ore to produce one ounce of gold. Up until World War II, most mines could not afford to operate unless the ratio was closer to 1/2 to 1/4 ounce per ton, according to records at the Empire Mine in Grass Valley. In the Allegheny District, on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada, the concentration of rich pockets provides a tremendously high yield. Among the most famous of all mines in this region is "The Original 16 to 1 Mine". In their 1993 annual report, the 16 to 1 states that they mined 2,200 tons of ore from which they recovered 8, 163 tray ounces of gold. Most, if not all the gold recovered in 1993 was considered "high-grade ore, and was so rich that it was extracted by hand rather than use the traditional milling method.

This high-grade material is far more valuable as specimens than for the gold content alone. These specimens can be preserved in a variety of ways, one being fashioned into jewelry. During the Gold Rush there was some production of jewelry utilizing gold bearing quartz, but it seems to have been limited. Occasionally at the Intergem shows we will hear of someone's grandmother leaving a ring of gold quartz to the family, but mostly, whatever pieces were created are stashed away, perhaps forgotten or unappreciated out of ignorance.

The value of the gold bearing quartz varies with each piece. No two pieces are alike, each displaying it's own unique characteristics depending on the color of the quartz, the amount of gold in the quartz, and its distribution. The more gold present increases its value, which is based on weight.

The color of the quartz can vary depending on accompanying minerals, but the bright white quartz of the Allegheny District is considered among the most highly prized, and it is this material that we seek to use in our jewelry. Our production shop cuts the gold bearing quartz into slabs, which are available to stonecutters at the shows. The slabs are then impregnated with Opticon, which stabilizes the cracks and fissures in the quartz, facilitating a smooth cutting process from slab to cabochons. We supply many jewelers with cabochons for their own jewelry designs, and we ourselves carry a full line of men and women's jewelry including rings, bracelets, earrings, pendants, cuff links and tie tacks. Many of our pieces also utilize Placer Nuggets and diamonds, and all of our jewelry is available in 14k or 18k gold. As quartz is the hardest of all common minerals, the durability of our jewelry is only exceeded by the expert craftsmanship in each custom made piece.

Wearing jewelry is a creative way to honor this distinctive marriage of mineral and metal. A symbol of the earth's history, jewelry with gold bearing quartz always draws attention, and never goes out of style.