Gold has always been one of the most precious metals in the world. Golden objects were used for sacred rituals and treasures were built from gold throughout history.
Gold has always been a symbol of power and wealth. Only the rich and those in positions of power could acquire lots of gold. They flaunted this and made their affluence known with the display of gold.
In the Roman Empire and Ancient Egypt, gold was seen as a symbol of power, status and rank. They made gold equal with the sun and the amazing life-giving power of the sun.
Other ancient civilizations in the Mesopotamia, Greece, Middle East, China, Israel and other places had goldsmiths.
The Mayans, Aztecs, Incans, North American Indians and other Pre-Columbian American cultures placed great value on gold and were skilled in making gold ornaments.
King Solomon’s Temple
Masonic rings made of gold, silver or any other metal had not yet existed in King Solomon’s era. But gold already had great value then. The Middle Chamber of the temple also known as the Holy of Holies was made entirely of gold.
King Solomon commanded Hiram to make the entire Holy of Holies of gold. The spoons, bowls, basins, snuffers, censors and some other things were made of pure gold.
The door hinges, entrance doors, floors, flowers, lamps, candlesticks, post, walls, temple beams, tongs, two cherubim and more were made of gold.
Other metals like iron, silver and brass, were also used but gold was the most valuable of them all.
Reference: 1 King 6:20-32, 1 King 7: 50, 2 Chronicles 3:9, 4:7-21
MASONIC JEWELRY
When gold is used for a Masonic ring, it symbolizes the purity of the Middle Chamber.
But gold is soft, and it is the most malleable (bendability) of all metals used for jewelry. It is not as strong as copper, silver and brass. This is why pure gold is not recommended for Masonic jewelry. It has to be mixed with other metals. When other metals are mixed with gold, its strength and durability are increased.
Gold Masonic rings have different colors which is as a result of the varying percentages of alloy metal that is used.
The scientific symbol of Gold is Au. Gold is called ‘Guld’ in Swedish. In German, it is called ‘Gold,’ In Dutch, it is called ‘Goud’ and in Spanish, it is called ‘Oro.’
Karat: Karats is a unit that is used to measure the purity of gold jewelry. Pure gold is 24 karat gold is. To produce one ounce of pure gold, several tons of mined ore is needed.
10 Karat Gold
10 karat gold consists of 10 parts of gold and 14 parts of alloy. 10k gold is the least amount of gold that can be marked or sold legally as gold jewelry. 10K gold is the most durable, scratch resistant and hardest
14 Karat Gold
14 Karat gold is what is used for making most gold Masonic jewelry. 14K gold consists of 14 parts gold and 10 parts alloy. It is 14/24th of pure gold or a little more than pure gold. It could be marked 14k or 585 which signifies that it consists of 58.5% pure gold.
18 Karat Gold
18 karat gold is 18 parts gold and 6 parts alloy. It is 18/24ths or ¾ pure gold. In Europe, it is marked 750 which means 750/1000 gold while it is marked 18K in the US.
The Pricing of Masonic Gold Rings
Masonic rings are priced based on four factors. They include the following:
- Karats (10K, 14K, 18K)
- Craftsmanship or construction
- Design
- Gram Weights. the weight of gold on the ring
The karatage of a masonic gold ring is not the only determinant of the price of the ring. There are other factors to consider like the craftmanship, design and gram weights.
Gold and white gold Masonic rings are quite popular choices of Masonic rings. The amount of gold in a white gold Masonic ring is less than the quantity found in other rings. White gold Masonic rings are more scratch resistant and durable than gold Masonic rings. White gold Masonic rings also require less polishing than gold jewelry.
Gold Entered Apprentice and Fellowcraft Rings
For a long time, the only gold Masonic rings available were gold Master Mason rings. But we now have gold Entered Apprentice and Fellowcraft ring. In the US, you can attain the Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft and Master Mason degrees within months. Rather than purchase rings that will only be worn for a few months at most, most people wait till they have attained the Master Mason degree. If you wear a Master Mason ring before you become one, a lot of people will see this as improper. The gold Master Mason rings contain the distinct square and compasses symbol.