Karat weight can have a significant affect on the jewelry's price, strength, usefulness, and its color. Whether the piece of jewelry is 14 karat, 18 karat, 22 karat, and so forth, this has a distinct meaning in terms of material and the supplementary features. Understanding how gold is defined is crucial for the understanding of these aforementioned practical features.
Karat gold is measure in units of 24. The karat weight is determined by how much alloy is mixed with the gold. 10 karat gold is 10 parts gold to 14 parts alloy, at 41.7%. 12 karat gold is 12 to 12 at 50%. 14 karat gold is 14 to 10 at 58.3%. 18 karat gold is 18 to 6 at 75%. 22 karat is 22 to 2 at 91.7%. 24 karat gold is pure gold at 99.9%.
The price of gold jewelry revolves around how much gold is in the product, for the most part. Thus, 10 and 12 karat gold is less than 18 and 22 karat gold pieces. A lower karat number means that the piece of jewelry has less gold in it, and subsequently is less expensive.
Gold is often alloyed with other metals to strengthen it, including metals such as copper and silver. Pure gold is very soft and not very useful in jewelry. Different mixtures of alloys can create a range of colors for gold. In order to avoid unstable compounds, many manufacturers use similar formulas, although they are all not the same.
The usefulness of gold depends on the wearer and more importantly on the level of gold karat in the piece. As higher karat gold is more susceptible to wearing and bending, higher karat grades are not very useful. 24 karat gold is regulated for the most part to museums and pieces of family heirlooms. 22 karat gold is still too soft for jewelry, as it would bend out of shape. 18 karat gold has a rick and deep color, and will develop a soft patina with use. Slightly harder than 18 karat gold, 14 karat gold is a traditional level of karats in gold jewelry. It is hard and durable and will retain its shape. 12 karat and 10 karat gold pieces do not give a rich and attractive hue at this level. 10 karat gold is at the borderline in the United States in what is legally able to be called gold. Anything under 14 karat gold is impractical for jewelry due to color.
Different differences in the alloy can create color distinctions in gold jewelry. While the differences are very slight, they do create distinction in the color of the gold, which is why some 14 karat yellow gold rings appear more golden or yellow than others. As long as the jewelry piece is properly stamped there is nothing to worry about in making such a purchase.
Gold jewelry is required by law to be stamped in order to know the quality of gold used. The karat grade, such as 10K or 14K, is utilized in North America. Jewelry produced in Italy can be normally seen with a 3-digit fineness number, which corresponds to the North American system.
Author Resource:
Jansen Davis is author of this article on Gold Wedding Bands .
Find more information about Men`s Gold Rings here.
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