The bread and butter of most fine jewelry. It is perhaps the world's most beloved metal because it is highly durable which does not rust, corrode or tarnish over time with simple every day wear. In Jewelry history, globally jewelers have used gold for its illustrious look and its simplicity of use. Gold is extremely malleable which means it can easily be shaped and formed. This is done through a melting process in to the design desired.
Gold Purity
The purity of Gold content in a specific metal is measured in terms of karats ("k" or "kt"). Pure Gold is referred to as 24kt Gold. In jewelry more times than not pure gold is blended with other metals. For example metals such as silver, copper or nickel is the most frequent alloy mixed. When this is done the purity lowers. 18k Gold is 18/24th or 75% pure Gold, and 14k Gold is 14/24 or 58.3% pure Gold. As the percentage of pure Gold decreases, the strength of the metal increases: so 14k Gold is stronger than 18k Gold. There is a double edged sword to that however, as the percentage of pure Gold decreases, the price of the metal also decreases: so 14k Gold will cost less than 18k Gold.
| Karat |
Gold Purity |
Description |
| 24 |
100% |
Very soft and rarely used in jewelry. |
| 22 |
91.7% |
Soft for jewelry but used predominately in a few countries. Also used in many coins. |
| 18 |
75% |
Used in many jewelry pieces with a good combination of value and strength. |
| 14 |
58.3% |
Most heavily used in jewelry and very desirable. Good balance of durability and value. |
| 12 |
50% |
Rarely used in jewelry. |
| 10 |
41.7% |
Used in many lower end jewelry piece and the lowest purity to be legally allowed to be called gold in the United States. |