LEARN MORE ABOUT GOLD ALLOY

 

 

There are two factors that determine the different gold alloys, its purity and color. Both these properties are influenced by the metals with which the pure gold (24K) is alloyed with e.g. silver, copper, nickel, zinc, palladium or platinum.

 

Purity is measured  in carats (karat) and can vary between 8K and 24K (pure gold). Depending on the country the legal minimum carat standard can be different. In Germany the minimum carat is 8K (333 gold), whereas in country such as Austria, Portugal, France it is 9K. The US has a minimum carat of 10K.

 24K gold  (also known as fine gold) has a greater share of pure gold that 99,7%   and is malleable and therefore rarely seen in jewellery.   Fine gold with over   99,95% gold share is called “Proof Gold” and it is not available for jewellery.

 18K gold, also called 750 gold, contains 75% of pure gold and 25% of other   metals. It is something finer than 14K gold, but will show wear marks faster, due   to its softness.

 14K gold, also known as 585 gold, is very popular because it is so strong. It   consists of 58,3% of pure gold and 41,7% alloy.

 

Color is created by alloying pure gold with other metals. Whereas the color range of gold can go from yellow, to green and purple, we will talk about the most used colors for jewellery.

 Yellow gold: can be pure in 24K or alloyed with silver and copper.

 White gold: this color can be achieved by alloying gold with different metals. For   example alloying with palladium, this is the finest white gold mixture that does   not irritate the skin, unlike the nickel alloy.

 Rose gold: is the alloy of pure gold and copper, the higher the copper share the   darker the gold.