Gold Guide

For years gold has been known as the most precious of all metals, and the desire to own it dates back to the history of mankind. Gold in its pure form is very soft. Beyond jewelry, gold is used in electronics, dentistry, and the medical and chemical fields — but its association with jewelry has always been indispensable.

Purity

Gold is measured in terms of karats and is denoted by K. The karat weight tells us the amount of gold present in the metal alloy. 24K gold is 100% pure with no added alloys. The following chart will help you ascertain the percentage of gold at different karat weights:

• 24 karat = 100% gold
• 22 karat = 91.7% gold
• 18 karat = 75.0% gold
• 14 karat = 58.3% gold
• 12 karat = 50.0% gold
• 10 karat = 41.7% gold

Nothing less than 10K can be marked or sold as gold in the U.S.

Color

Gold in its pure form is yellow in color. It is mixed with other metallic elements to form alloys, which give gold its strength and durability. Alloying is likely to alter the color, producing various hues and shades — yellow, white, pink, green, blue and grey. These colors of gold are determined by two main factors: the combination of elements within each metal, and the percentage of each element within the metal.

Yellow Gold

Even though gold is yellow when pure, the intensity of the yellow color depends on the volume of other metals alloyed with it. The higher the karat weight, the more intense the color.

Rose Gold

Rose or pink gold is another popular colored gold used in jewelry. Its pinkish hue comes from a larger proportion of copper in the gold alloy, which makes it more durable at the same time.

White Gold

The term "white gold" refers to alloys of gold that are white in color. Unlike yellow gold, a 24K white gold can never exist, as the white color is obtained by mixing other elements. To make it a shimmering white, gold is plated with rhodium in a process called rhodium flashing. Depending on wear, this plating may fade, revealing the original color of the metal. Re-plating can be done to restore the white sheen.

Care

To clean gold jewelry, use a solution of warm water and detergent-free soap and wash gently with a soft-bristle brush. It is always a good idea to store gold jewelry in boxes to protect it from exposure to harsh substances. Avoid wearing it when working with chemicals and in pools and Jacuzzis, as chlorine is gold's worst enemy.

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