Many of us have heard about rose gold, white gold, and yellow gold, but have you seen black gold already? Well, we know exactly where you can find one in the Philippines.
Ever since we were young, we’ve always pictured gold in the hue of a bright yellow that glimmers from afar. But as we grew older, we learned that there are other colors available apart from yellow gold on the market: white gold and rose gold.
As variety has always been the constant thing that spices up one’s life, it does the same for the world of jewelry. When designing these exquisitely expensive pieces, it’s always important to create something that will really catch the attention of other people. Come to think of it, that’s actually why you’re splurging and investing in jewelry in the first place, right?
Just recently, the modern world of jewelry was blessed with another dose of variety as it introduced black gold, making it the most expensive gold in the industry right now. But what exactly is so special about this new precious metal? Don’t worry, we’ll mine up all the nitty-gritty details on this unique and unconventional jewelry.
How The Magic Happens
In the old days, gold was just quintessentially yellow. But with new technologies and methods arising, varieties of it became popular in the market. So, much like white gold and rose gold, black gold cannot occur naturally. It’s all because of science that we’re given a variety of gold hues.
The most popular method for creating black gold is called electroplating. In this process, the gold is essentially plated with either black rhodium or ruthenium, hence, creating a black finish.
Another way to achieve this ingenious feat is by using alloys. These are used as a base metal for plated or filled jewelry, which is the case of black gold. So, gold will be fused with darker metal such as cobalt, which turns it into black.
Finally, the most modern way involves using a powerful femtosecond laser to manipulate the surface structure of the metal with high amounts of focused energy. This process alters the surface of the metal by applying a pulse of high volume energy, which darkens the metal to be completely black. And out of all the methods mentioned, laser treatment produces the most durable product.
Black Is The New Yellow
While black gold has been in the market for quite some time now, it’s just recently that people are starting to know more about this newfound jewelry. Because of this, it’s not widely offered and accepted yet, especially by the older generation since they’re used to yellow or white gold.
But finally, as Millennials are starting to dominate the market in this day and age, more and more unconventional designs are penetrating the world of fashion and jewelry. In fact, black gold can only be seen and bought in only a handful of jewelers, and one of which is LVNA Jewelry that was founded by a young jewelry entrepreneur and designer, Drake Dustin.
He shares to MEGA that “we decided to try and offer it to the market to bring something fresh and unique to the table. I believe the younger generations might be more open about it [since black gold] is like caviar, not everyone understands it, and not for everyone’s taste.”
And apart from that, the reason why it’s also the most expensive one in the market is that the method that Drake uses for his black gold jewelry offering is the femtosecond laser. Moreover, due to its metal formula mix that utilizes cobalt and rhodium to make it black, it is more valuable than gold itself.
So, how big is the price difference amongst all hues that are currently available in the market? “At the moment, I believe there is a big price difference in retail due to its scarcity. But value-wise it’s not that really far from the other gold metal colors, because at the end of the day, it’s still the metal’s gold content which is priced and valued,” the young jewelry founder admits.
Speaking of value-wise, if you’re also planning to invest in black gold jewelry, it’s really best to choose a really unique design. Drake shares that when he’s designing black gold jewelry, he must always think of the best stones that go with it. To illustrate, black diamonds look better set in black gold as opposed to others.
But since he’s just started introducing this newfound metal to the younger generation, Drake is set to offer more designs of black gold jewelry in the future. “Personally I love black, the absence of color. It’s very mysterious and intriguing. While not everyone can stand darkness, I love darkness,” he enthusiastically shares. And since he thinks that black gold will appeal more to men than to women due to the masculinity of the tone, he’s planning to expand this line to men’s jewelry very soon.
To get your hands on LVNA by Drake Dustin’s stunning pieces, visit their website. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
