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Gold Education
Purity of Gold
100% pure 24 karat gold is way too soft for everyday wear, so it is alloyed with other metals like, nickel, copper, zinc, platinum, and silver to make it stronger and capable of being made into fine jewelry like the examples above. The actual purity of gold is measured by karatage in 24ths, meaning 24 karat gold is 100% pure gold. 14kt. (58.33% gold), 18kt. (75% gold) and 10kt. (41.66% gold) are the most common gold alloys used in American jewelry.
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Gold Color
The color of gold is determined by the type of metal alloys included and the percentage of each alloy.
Yellow Gold: 18 karat gold is 75% pure gold and has a very rich yellow color to it. 14 karat gold is less precious at 58.3% gold and has a yellow color that is not as rich. 14k gold is most commonly used in cases where strength is most important, like in earring backs and bracelet clasps.
White Gold: This is an alloy of gold and either silver or palladium (platinum). Jewelry made with white gold will have a slight yellow color. Therefore the finished jewelry is plated with Rhodium, a shiny, white metal, to give it a white finish. The Karat percentages are identical for both yellow and white gold.
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