This alluring ring from Toscana Italiana has a hammered acqua bagnata finish on the band and a wondrously revealing orbit top with a setosa finish. Plated in 18K yellow gold, it's perfect for everyday wear or as a beautiful finishing touch to formal attire. Toscana Italiana highlights boldness, mystery, passion and heritage in an assortment that's only available at ShopHQ.
Check out the Ring Sizing Guide to find your ring size.
Gold Karat
Gold's softness and malleability make it a wonderful metal to work with when creating virtually any design in jewelry. But this softness can be a drawback as well. To make it stronger and more durable, gold is usually alloyed, or mixed, with other metals such as copper or silver. The higher a metal's percentage of gold content, the softer and more yellow the jewelry piece. The karat weight system used to measure gold in a piece is the same for all hues, including white and yellow gold.
The word “carat” is Arabic, meaning “bean seed.” This is because historically seeds were used to measure weights of gold and precious stones. In the United States, “karat” with a “k” is used to measure gold's purity, while “carat” with a “c” is used in measuring a gemstone's size. The karat mark of gold represents the percentage of pure gold to alloy.
In order to determine the karat weight of a specific item, simply look for the quality mark. Jewelry items will bear the stamp of their karatage based upon the United States or European system of marking. The United States system designates pieces by their karats—24K, 18K, 14K, 10K, etc. The European system designates pieces by their percentage of gold content. For instance, 10K gold is marked “417,” denoting 41.7% gold; 14K is marked “585,” denoting 58.5% gold; and 18K is marked “750,” denoting 75% gold; etc.
Yellow Gold
By far the most common color of gold used in jewelry, yellow gold is gold in its natural shade. Yellow gold is usually alloyed with copper and silver to increase the strength of the metal. How yellow the metal is depends upon the content of gold. A 14-karat piece of jewelry will have a brighter yellow hue than a 10-karat piece. Likewise, an 18-karat piece of jewelry will have a deeper yellow than 14-karat gold, and so on.
Vermeil Plating:
Pronounced "vermay," vermeil is an electroplating process in which 14K gold or higher is coated over sterling silver. Officially designated by the jewelry industry, items may only be sold as vermeil if they have a minimum thickness of 100 millionths of an inch (2.5 microns) of gold over the silver. Regular gold plating is less than 2.5 microns.
The "vermeil" technique of plating sterling silver with gold originated in France in the 1750s. It differs from "gold filled" or "gold plated" in terms of the thickness or thinness of the microns over sterling silver. "Gold filled" pieces have a much thicker layer, between 15 and 45 microns, which is mechanically bonded to the base metal with heat and pressure. Vermeil is a more expensive version of "gold plated". It does not wear off as quickly as gold plating does. However, over time, vermeil wears off and therefore will require re-plating.
Gold/Platinum Embraced Silver or Bronze:
Our platinum and gold embraced collections feature layers of platinum or gold over sterling silver or bronze for a lustrous, radiant finish everywhere you look and touch.
To care for your plated jewelry items:
About the Collection
Transport yourself to historic Tuscany with Toscana Italiana jewelry. This collection combines the beauty of Italian craftsmanship with traditional style. Set in platinum or 18K gold over bronze, each piece tells its own story with intricate metalwork and genuine gemstones at an affordable price. From beautiful hammered finishes to filigree detailed silhouettes, Toscana Italiana highlights boldness, mystery, passion and heritage in an assortment that's only available at ShopHQ.
About the Guest
For nearly two decades, Wendi Russo has been shopping alongside you and sharing her jewelry expertise. With certifications as a Colored Stone and Diamond Grader as well as Jewelry Professional with the Gemological Institute of America, her dedication to the jewelry industry is unparalleled. Through her years of travel around Italy, she developed a passion and personal connection to the culture that she loves to share with others. Wendi brings you the latest Italian jewelry trends while also sharing the beautiful history of the country. She believes that every woman should feel confident and beautiful in the jewelry they wear.