The challenge of the ancient and modern metals is to use the important characteristics of both to enhance the qualities unique in each.
TITANIUM

• Titanium was discovered in 1791 and its name derives from the Greek Titanes , "sons of Earth". It is believed to be the ninth most abundant metal in the earth's crust. The largest deposits are found in the U.S.A., Canada and Australia. It is lightweight - a little more than a fifth the weight of gold and has the tensile strength equal to mild steel and it is also non-magnetic. The metal has in recent years acquired great cache; as a hi-tech building material for the aircraft industry, space exploration and high-fashion accessories and is also now widely used for surgical implants because of its inertness and non-reactivity with body tissue and bone.
  
• The grade of titanium used for Wes & Gold jewelry is G-2, which is commercially pure.
  
• The titanium is machined and then heated to a soft, dark gray color. If cleaning is necessary, a soft-bristle toothbrush can be used with a liquid soap or a solvent can be used with no ill effects if the jewelry is oily or greasy.

GOLD

• Unlike titanium, GOLD has been known and used for more than 6,000 years. Jewelers and metalworkers since antiquity have been aware of the ease with which gold can be worked. It can be hammered to the thickness of gold leaf (from 1/8000 to 1/10,000 mm.), and drawn to wire of hair-fine gauge but which retains its high tensile strength. Pure gold (24 karat) is soft and extremely malleable. It is unaffected by any corrosive except aqua regia, literally kingly water, because it can dissolve both gold and platinum. Since ancient times gold has been symbolically associated with the sun because of the color and luster which does not oxidize over time.
  
• The word karat 1is derived from the name of the bean of the carob tree, which grows in the form of a long pod containing small seeds. Because of their uniformity of weight, these seeds have for many years been used as a standard of weight for precious substances.

PLATINUM

• PLATINUM was known in South America in the sixteenth century but wasn't seen in Europe until the mid 1700's. The main source today is Canada. The metal has great strength and when polished, retains a high degree of reflectivity.

DIAMOND QUALITY

• The diamonds are the best quality our supplier offers. They are European grade - Fine quality. This is equivalent to or a little better than VS1 or 2.

  Our diamond suppliers add the following sentence to each invoice:

  The diamonds herein invoiced have been purchased from legitimate sources not involved in funding conflict and in compliance with United Nations resolutions. The seller hereby guarantees that these diamonds are conflict free, based on personal knowledge and/or written guarantees provided by the supplier of these diamonds.

Marcasite

• MARCASITE is a mineral found in several mid-western states of the USA, as well as Europe and other parts of the world. The hardness is 6-6 ½ on the Mohs scale (diamond is 10) and it has an orthorhombic crystal structure. It is most often seen in jewelry in the pyramidal or prismatic forms. The color can vary from a pale brass yellow to a silver white metallic luster. It was very popular in 18th and 19th century European jewelry.