Jewelry metals - Gold

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

Yellow Gold
The most common form of gold used, yellow gold is created with an alloy of silver, copper and zinc mixed with gold. The resulting yellow color reflects the natural color of the gold. Yellow and white gold are similar in strength and durability. It is the karat weight and design, not the color that determines the price.


White Gold
White gold is created by an alloy of nickel and other metals (copper and zinc) mixed with gold. Nickel is the largest component of this alloy, giving the gold a white color.

White gold can also be made with an alloy that contains a higher concentration of silver, making it a good choice for people with a sensitivity to nickel.

White gold is highly reflective and does not tarnish so it is common to add a layer of plating called "rhodium" plating that will protect the reflective quality of the white metal. This does not detract from the value of the metal.

While yellow and white gold are similar in strength and durability, it is karat weight and design, not the color that affects the price.


Rose Gold
Rose gold is alloyed with copper, and sometimes silver. The proportions are about one part of copper to three parts of 24 karat gold. The resulting gold has a reddish-rose hue. Rose gold is often used in the manufacture of three-color jewelry consisting of yellow, white and rose gold together.