Throughout history, gold's mesmerizing beauty has inspired legends. Today, it is the premium choices of artisans worldwide for its ability to be molded into many luxurious designs.
Naturally yellow in color, gold will not tarnish. While it is strong, gold in its purest form is too soft for most jewelry uses and must be mixed-or alloyed-with other metals to increase its strength and durability. The color of gold is affected by the concentration of alloys such as nickel or copper. A high concentration of nickel creates white gold, while rose gold gets it color from a high percentage of copper.
Gold's purity is measured in karats which are used to indicate the percentage of gold. Pure, one hundred percent gold is 24 karat and is more expensive but not as durable as 18 karat (75 percent gold) or 14 karat (58.3 percent gold). When comparing gold jewelry, the higher the number of karats, the greater the value.
Karat weight is a key factor in determining price, along with the design and the degree of craftsmanship required to create a beautiful piece of jewelry.
By law, anything less than 10 karats cannot be sold as gold in the United States . The law also states that the karat mark and manufacturer's trademark must appear on the jewelry. In the United States , 14 karat is the most common gold jewelry sold.
Always look for the karat mark or "k" on the back of the jewelry. The markings are:
18 karat gold - 18k or 750 (the European designation meaning 75% gold)
14 karat gold - 14k or 585
10 karat gold - 10k or 417
Naturally yellow in color, gold will not tarnish. While it is strong, gold in its purest form is too soft for most jewelry uses and must be mixed-or alloyed-with other metals to increase its strength and durability. The color of gold is affected by the concentration of alloys such as nickel or copper. A high concentration of nickel creates white gold, while rose gold gets it color from a high percentage of copper.
Gold's purity is measured in karats which are used to indicate the percentage of gold. Pure, one hundred percent gold is 24 karat and is more expensive but not as durable as 18 karat (75 percent gold) or 14 karat (58.3 percent gold). When comparing gold jewelry, the higher the number of karats, the greater the value.
Karat weight is a key factor in determining price, along with the design and the degree of craftsmanship required to create a beautiful piece of jewelry.
By law, anything less than 10 karats cannot be sold as gold in the United States . The law also states that the karat mark and manufacturer's trademark must appear on the jewelry. In the United States , 14 karat is the most common gold jewelry sold.
Always look for the karat mark or "k" on the back of the jewelry. The markings are:
18 karat gold - 18k or 750 (the European designation meaning 75% gold)
14 karat gold - 14k or 585
10 karat gold - 10k or 417
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