GOLD KARATS
The first thing to look for when buying gold jewelry, is the karat mark ”k”. The karat mark will let you know how much gold content the jewelry has. Then, look for the manufacturer’s trademark next to the karat mark. The manufacturer’s trademark is there to assure you that the karat mark is accurate. So, what does the karat mark mean?
100% pure gold is marked as “24k”. However, it is unusual to find a “24k” mark on a jewelry because pure gold is a soft metal and is more likely to scratch and bend. Gold in jewelry is therefore often mixed with other metals to make it more durable. If you live in the United States, you will most likely find the mark that says “14k” because it is the most common type of gold used in jewelry in the U.S. Also, note that it is not legal to mark or sell jewelry as ”gold” if the gold is under 10k, according to laws in the U.S.
To understand the different karats of gold, it helps to understand what a karat is in the first place. A gold karat is 1/24 part (4.1667%) of the whole. We measure a gold alloy’s purity based on the number of these parts it contains. At 24k, pure gold is too soft to wear as jewelry, so it must be mixed with other metals to make it wearable and durable. This mixing, or alloying, results in a variety of karat levels. Lower karat jewelry is typically less expensive because it contains less gold but is harder and thus more durable.
14k solid gold contains 14 parts gold (58.3%) and 10 parts alloys (41.7%). Due to its strength, 14k gold is considered the most wearable type of gold.
Higher-quality 18k solid gold contains 18 parts gold (75%), and 6 parts alloys (25%).
24k gold is completely pure, with no alloys added. 24k gold is very soft and therefore is not recommended for everyday wear.