I know, I know – yet more on gold, but I really do think this information from the World Gold Council is  interesting and worth knowing!

Gold jewellery is an investment. When you buy gold jewellery you aquiring an adornment that not only looks beautiful, but which can also preserve the value of your wealth. It is estimated that all the gold ever mined equates to a cube which could fit beneath the first stage of the Eiffel Tower. The amount of gold to be mined is finite and it requires considerable effort to find and produce fine gold. Gold is therefore relatively rare – a fact that increases its mystique and hightens its desirability.

In the UK, 18ct gold is hallmarked with a fineness number of 750 contained in an octagonal shield shape. This number means that 750 parts of every 1000 or 75% of the alloy is pure gold. 9ct is actually only 37.5% gold!