Glossary of precious metals for goldsmiths and retailers

Technical

terms and definitions useful for working with precision

In the goldsmith sector, knowing the meaning of technical terms is essential to operate with competence and safety. Whether it's design, analysis, melting or sale, each phase requires familiarity with a specific language. This glossary, edited by Banco Villa, gathers the essential definitions for goldsmiths, dealers and laboratories who work daily with precious metals.

Precious metals

• Gold (Au): noble metal, malleable and resistant to oxidation. Used in different alloys and finenesses.
• Silver (Ag): precious metal with high electrical and thermal conductivity. Cheaper than gold, but subject to surface oxidation.
• Platinum (Pt): rare metal, very resistant and used in high-end jewellery.
• Palladium (Pd): light and resistant precious metal, used in white alloys and in the technological field.

Finenesses, karats and alloys

• Fineness: percentage of pure metal present in an alloy. Example: 750 gold = 75% gold.
• Karats (kt): unit of measurement of the purity of gold. 24 kt corresponds to pure gold.
• Alloys: mixture of metals used to obtain mechanical, chromatic or workability properties.
• Yellow / white / rose gold: chromatic variations obtained with different alloys (copper, silver, palladium).

Analysis and quality control

• XRF (X-Ray Fluorescence): non-destructive technique to analyse the composition of precious metals.
• Refinement: metal purification process to obtain pure gold, silver or platinum.
• Test: chemical test to determine the fineness of the metal.
• Sample: representative portion of material to be analysed.

Production and Processing

• Melting: process of melting metal to create new objects or semi-finished products.
• Mould: matrix used to shape the molten metal.
• Lost-wax: melting technique based on wax models that are discarded during the process.
• 3D printing: digital technology that allows the creation of resin or wax models from CAD files, useful for prototyping and customisation.

Trading and Valuation

• Spot price: current value of the metal on international markets, expressed in dollars per troy ounce.
• London Fixing: official price of gold set twice daily by a panel of financial institutions.
• Scrap: precious material to be recovered or remelted, often from used jewellery or manufacturing waste.
• Semi-finished product: intermediate product (e.g., sheet, wire, pipe) ready for goldsmithing.

Why this glossary is useful

Knowing these terms helps industry professionals:

• Communicate precisely with suppliers, customers, and laboratories
• Avoid errors in production and material evaluation
• Operate with greater awareness and professionalism

Banco Villa supports goldsmiths and retailers with analysis, sales and consultancy services, offering technical support and digital tools to simplify their daily work.