With this knowledge, you can get a real grasp on the purity and uniqueness of this metal — not alloy. Carat refers to the weight of a jewel, gem, or diamond, whereas a karat refers to the unit of gold purity. So if you have a piece of jewelry that is stamped 14k, that means your piece of gold jewelry is actually 14 parts gold and 10 parts copper, silver or some other alloy.
Gold is a soft, malleable metal. Because of this, you can have a lot of creativity with gold jewelry making and crafting. But, that also means that the jewelry itself becomes more malleable the higher karat weight it has.
Because of this, many jewelers have preferences for the weight of gold they like to work with, as well as their own techniques to accompany it.
Working with pure, 24k gold requires its own special techniques. Additionally, the lower the karats in a piece, the less saturated the yellow color and shimmer is. Some jewelers and consumers also have preferences for the hue of their gold, and will opt for different karats to achieve a certain, less saturated color. Because of this, it has a uniquely rich, bright yellow hue.
This pureness and rare color makes 24k gold highly desirable, the most expensive, and most often used in fine jewelry. And even though it is only has two parts copper or other alloys, it does affect the color, taking away some of the natural luster only pure gold has.
Nonetheless, 22k gold is used a lot in fine and high-end jewelry making because of its high purity level. While 18k gold still has that warm yellow color, it is nowhere near as vibrant at 22k and 24k gold jewelry.
However, having a quarter of the jewelry made with other alloys does make the piece harder, which is why it is usually used on rings. But, because nearly percent of the weight of the piece is made up of different alloys, you can see a significant difference in the gold hue, shine and saturation.
That being said, some people prefer this often cooler hue of gold and opt for it purposefully. Anything less than 14k really starts to blur the line between fine and costume jewelry. While this jewelry does indeed have some small part gold, the rest is made up of other alloys that greatly affect the color, luster and natural quality of the gold itself. However, 24 karat gold isn't very durable.
A 24 karat gold wedding ring would not only cost a lot but it would get bashed up pretty fast. Hence the demand for 9 karats and 18 karat gold alloys. Conversely, 9 karat gold contains a higher proportion of other metals so it will tarnish over time.
That said there are reasons to opt for 9 karat gold. In fact, when it comes to beautiful, wearable jewellery, 18 karat gold is the very definition of gold. Find out more about different types of metal here.
If you wish to learn more about our Bespoke services, click here. If you wish to contact us, click here. Find us on Instagram QualityDiamonds. After all, purity seems to be a good thing - not only will the piece be more attractive and more sought-after, but it will also carry bragging rights, correct? Not necessarily. While it is the highest karat gold possible and while gold is a beautiful substance, it comes with a lot of disadvantages.
For starters, gold is soft. This makes it an ideal material for jewelry in some respects, because it can be fashioned into any shape easily, but it can also result in weakness.
Wearing 24k gold jewelry can leave it vulnerable to scratching, bending, warping, and other forms of damage. For a piece of jewelry to be practical, it needs to be able to retain its shape and remain attractive for a long period of time. Malleability and softness are just the beginning.
Pure gold is also very bright. The true color of pure gold is both brighter and more orange than what most people picture. Accordingly, it makes for unattractive jewelry in many cases. On top of that, pure gold is much more expensive. One of the reasons why jewelers mix gold with an alloying metal is to reduce the cost.
There is one advantage of 24k gold, however. You can recognize 18k gold by its bright, yellow appearance. It remains one of the most popular options for gold jewelry due to its ability to combine the advantages of pure gold and alloying metals together.
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