Everything You Need to Know About Gold Texture

There is an undeniable connection between gold and precious stones. It's impossible to imagine one without the other. In India, in particular, the texture of gold is unrivalled in valuable jewellery. Gold is as valuable as it is because of its scarcity, in addition to its full inertness and resistance to tarnish and corrosion. An asteroid crash that occurred millions of years ago brought all of the gold found on Earth to humankind. So, unless another gold asteroid collides with the Earth, we only have a finite supply!

Gold texture has traditionally been used to manufacture beautiful jewellery in its yellow form in 22k or 18k (for improved strength). However, as tastes change, creativity grows, and workmanship improves, gold comes in a variety of colours and textures. Yellow tones are still the most popular, but white gold with platinum-like tints and rose gold with a subtle blush are quickly gaining favour. If the variety of colours isn't enough, the possibility of creating a gold texture adds to the excitement of the jewellery design game. Given Gehna's concentration on personalised and handmade jewellery, here's a rundown of all the textural options available to build your gorgeous, one-of-a-kind item.

Denim

Run your palm on your favorite pair of jeans and enjoy the feel of the weave against your skin. If the weave can transform ordinary cotton to a fabric that has perhaps surpassed all others in terms of universal appeal, imagine what it would do to Jewellery. The denim gold texture is unique in its diagonal criss-cross pattern that when polished accurately gives a contrast of lines of high polish and grooves of subtle shine. The artistry that goes into achieving this texture involves meticulously knurling the Gold surface so the weave stands out. The texture is in itself so unique and so striking that it is best worn as it is, but there is nothing to stop you from experimenting with bold denim motifs around muted semi-precious stones.

Diamond Dust

Like the surface of sandpaper, this gold texture has a grainy feel and look, much like a sprinkling of glitter. The spotted knurling tool, when running along the surface of Gold, rapidly indents minute specks and as the surface is polished, the grains become glossy and shiny, while the surfaces between the grains remain muted giving the impression of fine diamond dust casually scattered along the crust. The glittery effect is a perfect receptacle for both gemstones with high refraction and those with higher opacity. Nevertheless, this texture can be celebrated for its individualistic look without any gemstone to steal its glory.

Rutiles

This rutilated Gold texture is inspired by nature and the dense growth of twigs and branches in a forest of marshland. The unevenness of the reticulation lends itself to endless possibilities and ideas. This texture can be applied both vertically and horizontally along the surface of Gold and requires an artist’s skilled hands to carefully etch the lines to create the stunning effect. Due to the highlighted contrasting design, the texture works wonderfully both with and without Gemstones. But since the texture is itself elaborate and striking, non-faceted stones and cabochons would work best to create the perfect look!

Thermocol

Call it the thermocol look, or the honeycomb effect to be more romantic. This gold texture is achieved by beating on the surface of gold with a blunt tool to give closely placed dents. As the dents are fairly large in size, polishing results in uniform luster, but what creates the stunning effect is the fact that the dents catch and reflect light in varying degrees creating an interesting play of luster. Ideal on large surfaces so the effect is clearly visible, this pattern works beautifully with bold minimalist jewelry.

Bark

The weathered look of the bark of a tree is sensational to behold and when recreated on the surface of Gold, it becomes even more appealing. The undulating lines are created by hand with etching tools and they scatter light with varying degrees to create an interesting dynamic of luster and shine. The subtlety of this gold texture lends itself beautifully to both studded and plain gold jewellery, particularly when applied on a large surface.

Creased Fabric

The fabric or leather pattern is similar to the bark texture in its play of wavy lines across the surface. But unlike the unidirectional lines in the texture of bark, the creased fabric look has wrinkles in every course, giving the impression of crumpled paper. Once again etched by hand, this surface is the goldsmith’s playground because it gives him the liberty to choose the lines to etch, their direction, their size, and their shape. The beauty of this gold texture is that it looks equally beautiful in both high polished finish and matte finish and is best displayed in ornaments with large Gold surfaces.