Charoite Gold Fill Wrapped Pendant (#156)
A Charoite cab finely wrapped in 14/20 gold filled wire.
The pendant measures 2 1/4" long
Charoite is a rare silicate mineral, first described in 1978 and named for the Chara River. It has been reported only from the Aldan Shield, Sakha Republic, Siberia, Russia. It is found where a syenite of the Murunskii Massif has intruded into and altered limestone deposits producing a potassium feldspar metasomatite.
Charoite is translucent lavender to purple in color with a pearly luster. Charoite is strictly massive in nature, and fractures are conchoidal. It has an unusual swirling, fibrous appearance, sometimes chatoyant, and that, along with its intense color, can lead many to believe at first that it is synthetic or enhanced artificially.
Gold-filled wire consists of a layer of karat gold bonded to a base metal using heat and pressure. 14/20 GF is the designation for 14 Karat Gold-Filled. The 14 refers to the karat of the layer of precious metal bonded to the base metal. The 1/20th indicates the ratio of karat gold to base metal by weight (5%). Gold-Filled wire is significantly advantageous from a cost stand point. It allows you to provide the look and durability of solid karat products at a fraction of the cost.
Gold-Filled items will have the same appearance and can last years. It should not be compared to gold-plated materials. Plated products have a fraction of the layer of gold and do not wear nearly as well.