13 Curtis Australia – The lure of gold

THE ALLURE OF GOLD

FLUID AND FUN, THE 'COSMOS' RING FEATURES BRILLIANT DIAMONDS AND A TACTILE MOVING BALL FEATURE HANDCRAFTED IN WHITE AND YELLOW GOLD

MAKE A WISH COME TRUE WITH THESE STUNNING YELLOW GOLD AND DIAMOND EARRINGS, HANDCRAFTED BY CURTIS AUSTRALIAÍS MASTER JEWELLERS

A FASCINATION THAT NEVER FADES

BY PAUL HENDERSON

GOLD HAS HELD A FASCINATION FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS. EVEN ANCIENT CIVILISATIONS THAT NEVER MET WERE FOUND TO HAVE A COMMON LOVE OF GOLD THAT TRANSCENDED TIME AND BRIDGED THE MOST DISTANT OF CULTURES.

Early gold coins date back to 1500 bc, but today gold has many uses, from electronics to medicine, dentistry to mobile phones, but one of the most significant is still the creation of beautiful gold jewellery, accounting for three quarters of the gold used today.

Gold is incredibly malleable – one ounce of gold can be hammered into a foil sheet that can cover nine square metres. Another quality is ductility, and again, an ounce of gold can be drawn down into a continuous wire 80 kilometres long at an absolutely tiny five microns in diameter! These remarkable qualities see gold used in a wide variety of ways, from reflective coatings on space helmets, to gold leaf on books, (even cakes!) to stunning jewellery.

Some of the world's earliest jewellery dates back to Egyptian times, and some techniques date back that far. Lost wax casting is a special way of creating jewellery where a wax model is replaced by gold in a special plaster flask – the molten gold is poured into the cavity created by the wax being melted away - hence 'lost' wax. It's a remarkable technique still being used by today's jewellers.

EVERY JEWELLER KNOWS WHY GOLD IS SO SPECIAL. IT'S A TRULY REMARKABLE METAL, WITH A COMBINATION OF QUALITIES UNLIKE ANY OTHER.

Bairnsdale based jewellers Curtis Australia love working in gold, in fact they rarely work in anything else. Gold doesn't tarnish or corrode, it has a wonderful lustre and is great to wear. A very special metal that can be shaped, hammered, cast, woven and formed into a myriad of designs that, if looked after, can last a lifetime - and beyond. One question Curtis Australia often get asked is to explain gold carats. In its purest form at 24 carat, gold is too soft for everyday wear. In Australia, jewellery is often stamped with numbers. Most often seen are 375 for 9ct, which means the gold is 37.5% pure, or 750 for 18ct – 75% pure gold.

Curtis Australia jewellery always carries a hallmark indicating which gold is in your piece, along with their unique Koala maker's mark and the Kangaroo mark, indicating their membership of the Gold and Silversmiths Guild of Australia. Together these marks are your guarantee of Curtis Australia quality.

The talented jewellers in the Curtis Australia studio work with gold every day. Whether they're working on your ring, their own exclusive and unique jewellery, or one of their hand crafted solid gold watches - the patience, skill and care they take is always the same.

With over 50 years experience in jewellery design & creation

A TIMELESS DESIGN, THE SOLID GOLD 'SOPHIA' LADIES WATCH HAS CLEAN, CLASSIC LINES IN A BEAUTIFULLY SIMPLE SHAPE

INSPIRED BY AUSTRALIAÍS DISTINCTIVE GUM TREES, THIS TWO TONE PENDANT IN YELLOW GOLD AND WHITE GOLD IS HAND SET WITH SPARKLING DIAMONDS

One of the many services they offer is to hand craft new jewellery – they can even reuse your gold, bringing designs up to date, while keeping your special memories intact. You can choose yellow, white or rose gold for your jewellery, each has a special character - and can even be combined in one special piece. Be assured too that nothing leaves the premises, so you can be confident your treasured jewellery is in safe hands.

THERE'S ALWAYS A GREAT SELECTION OF BEAUTIFUL JEWELLERY ON DISPLAY, SO WHY NOT POP IN WHEN YOU'RE NEXT IN BAIRNSDALE – YOU'RE SURE OF A WARM, DARE I SAY 'GOLD STANDARD' WELCOME! WHEN YOU'VE JEWELLERY TO REPAIR, RESTORE OR EVEN REMODEL, GLENN AND HIS TEAM AT CURTIS AUSTRALIA IN BAIRNSDALE ARE READY TO HELP.

You'll be assured of a warm welcome, and more importantly, the professional service and care your jewellery deserves. Next time you're in Bairnsdale, pop in and say hello – there's a lot to see. Browse and be inspired by their unique jewellery collections, see a growing range of exclusive Australian made solid gold Curtis watches and wonder at their ranges of beautifully imagined silver pens, all created in house. This really is more than just a jewellers, this is a destination too.

AND DON'T FORGET THAT ADVICE ON YOUR PRECIOUS JEWELLERY IS FREELY GIVEN TOO!

PART OF THE EXCLUSIVE AND UNIQUE 'FLORIALE' COLLECTION, THESE SHIMMERING PEARL EARRINGS HAVE DIAMOND EDGED PETALS

THREE COLOURS OF GOLD COME TOGETHER IN THE FLUID AND TACTILE 'COLOURS OF AUSTRALIA' RING

You can see more at Curtis Australia’s stunning work at www.curtisaustralia.com or, next time you are in Bairnsdale, why not pop into their studio at 129 Macleod Street. Ph | 03 5152 1089