Characteristics of precious metals

Variations of precious metals according to density, corrossion resistance, electrical conductivity, light reflectivity and quality.

precious metals characteristics
attributes of precious metals
characteristics of a precious metal
characteristic of a precious metal
aspects of precious metals
qualities of precious metals
components of precious metals

knowledge

cross-sector

Characteristics of precious metals is an essential knowledge of the following occupations:

Jewellery and watches shop manager: Jewellery and watches shop managers assume responsibility for activities and staff in specialised shops.
Precious stone setter: Precious stone setters use tools to insert diamonds and other gemstones into jewellery settings according to specifications. The setting of the gemstone depends on its size and its shape.
Assayer: Assayers test and analyse precious metals such as silver and gold to determine the value and properties of components using chemical and physical techniques. They also seperate precious metals or other components from other materials.
Jewellery and watches specialised seller: Jewellery and watches specialised sellers sell, maintain and clean jewels and watches in specialised shops.
Goldsmith: Goldsmiths design, manufacture and sell jewellery. They also adjust, repair and appraise gems and jewellery for customers using experience in the working of gold and other precious metals. 
 
Silversmith: Silversmiths design, manufacture and sell jewelry. They also adjust, repair and appraise gems and jewelry. Silversmiths are specialized in working with silver and other precious metals.

Characteristics of precious metals is optional for these occupations. This means knowing this knowledge may be an asset for career advancement if you are in one of these occupations.

Enameller: Enamellers embellish metals such as gold, silver, copper, steel, cast iron or platinum by painting it. The enamel they apply, consists of coloured powdered glass.
Clock and watchmaker: Clock and watchmakers make mechanical or electronic clocks and watches. They use precision hand tools or automated machinery to assemble the timing devices. Clock and watchmakers may also repair clocks or watches. They can work in workshops or in factories.
Tumbling machine operator: Tumbling machine operators set up and operate tumbling machines, often wet or drie tumbling barrels, designed to remove excess material and burrs of heavy metal workpieces and precious metals and to improve surface appearance, by rotating the metal pieces in a barrel together with grit and potentially water, allowing for the friction between the pieces mutually and with the grit to cause a rounding, smooth effect.
Specialised seller: Specialised sellers sell goods in specialised shops.
Electroplating machine operator: Electroplating machine operators set up and tend electroplating machines designed to finish and coat the metal workpieces’ (such as future pennies and jewelry) surface by using electric current to dissolve metal cations and to bond a thin layer of another metal, such as zinc, copper or silver, to produce a coherent metal coating to the workpiece’s surface.
Swaging machine operator: Swaging machine operators set up and tend rotary swaging machines, designed to alter round ferrous and non-ferrous metal workpieces into their desired shape by first hammering them into a smaller diameter through the compressive force of two or more dies and then tagging them using a rotary swager, a process through which no excess material is lost.
Tool and die maker: Tool and die makers operate a variety of equipment and machinery designed to create metal tools and dies, which are both needed in several areas of manufacturing, and produce these tools in all steps of the production process. They design the tools and dies, then cut and shape them to size and finish them by manually operated machine tools, power tools, hand tools, or programming and tending CNC tool and die making machines.

References

1. Characteristics of precious metals – ESCO