How To Choose The Right Gold For Jewelry?
Globally gold is viewed as an exceedingly sophisticated and magnificent material for jewelry. Aesthetics aside, many value gold to be a reliable and substantial financial investment.
However, you may often feel overwhelmed by facts and conflicting opinions concerning the relative desirability of each gold type, especially when it comes to karat.
Here, we will unpack the features, appearances and durability of gold.
Gold, In Essence:
Due to its nature, gold is exceptionally soft and malleable. Gold weight or purity is measured by karat (not to be confused with carat, which is the measured weight of gemstone). A gold karat is 1/24 part; the purity of a gold alloy is expressed in terms of the number of those gold parts contained therein. Hence, a piece with 14 parts gold and 10 parts alloying metal is 14-karat gold, and pure gold is 24-karat gold.
24K Gold
24K gold is the purest type of gold with its distinctive yellow color. Due to its soft nature, it is more vulnerable to scratching, deforming, and other forms of damage; therefore, it is not used for jewelry making. However, it is mainly used in making coins and bars.
22K Gold
22K gold is less soft than 24K and more suitable for jewelry making because it’s made of 22 parts of gold and 2 parts of either silver, zinc, or other alloys.
18K Gold:
18K gold is the most used type for fine jewelry. It has a rich yellow tone with a slightly dull shade, making it desirable for exquisite gemstones and diamond jewelry pieces. It is made of 18 parts of gold and 6 parts of copper, silver, or other alloy types.
14K Gold:
14K gold is the most popular option for jewelry in terms of value and durability. It is composed of 58% pure gold and 42% other alloy types, making it stronger and more resilient than 18K gold.
10K Gold:
10K gold is the least pure type and the cheapest form of gold used in jewelry. It consists of 41.7% gold and 58.3% metal alloying, which gives it a greater likelihood of an allergic reaction, especially if combined with nickel and zinc. Nevertheless, it’s the most durable type of gold for making jewelry.
How To Tell If It Is Real Gold?
Recognizing gold karat is pretty easy and straightforward. Jewelers usually engrave the karat on an unobtrusive part of the jewelry piece; for instance, you may find stamps of 14K or 18k on the clasp of a bracelet or inside a ring. Moreover, sometimes 18k gold will be stamped as 750 (750 per 1000), or 0.75, which signifies that the jewelry is 75% pure gold.
Coloration:
The color of gold varies due to its mixture with alloy metals. For instance, adding palladium or platinum will make the end product more silver-white in color, frequently called “white gold.” And if you add copper, the finishing product will have a tint of gold with a rosier look, often called “rose gold.” Therefore, 24K gold is distinctly yellow due to its purity, and 18K gold leaves you with a splendid sunset-Esque golden hue. All while 14K gold has a more charming yellow, and 10K gold has a softer, subtler tone.
Durability:
Gold’s natural soft texture makes it more apt to damage. As a result, it is essential to mix it with alloy metals to give more durability. To illustrate more: combining gold with a potent alloy such as platinum offers additional strength. Thus, 22K and 18K gold may be beautiful and pure; still, they are more tending to damage over time for their lower alloy combination. Whereas 14K and 10K gold are harder and more durable due to the higher alloy mixture.
Price:
Finally, you’ll need to consider the price. Although karat will mainly determine the price of gold, mixing it with some alloy metals like palladium, silver, and/or platinum makes it more expensive. By contrast, copper, zinc, and nickel are all relatively inexpensive; thus, combining them with gold lowers the cost of the finished piece.
So which type should you choose?
There is no such correct type to choose. It is subjective! When you buy a piece of jewelry, you may consider the gold’s appearance, karat, and price. Furthermore, you may think of your skin tone and sensitivity, aesthetic taste, and lifestyle. For instance, a brighter yellow gold is more appealing on a deeper skin tone, and a subtler style of gold is lovelier for a fairer skin tone.
And sometimes, karat popularity varies from region to region; for example, a traditional bright yellow 22K gold is preferred in areas like India and the Middle East. Meanwhile, 18K and 14K gold are often favored in the U.S., Europe, and Asia.
Lastly, it’s also important to shop with a budget in mind.
