The Difference is Golden - What Types of Gold Mean

The Difference is Golden - What Types of Gold Mean

As you shop for quality jewelry this year you will come across a host of traits regarding metals, stones, sizes, and so forth. You may wonder what the difference in these metals is, or why choose one over another. Being educated about the jewelry industry will give you insight into what you are wearing and how to invest in precious jewelry.

Gold, A Precious Metal>

The most common metal for fine jewelry is gold. It comes in many colors such as the popular white gold, classic yellow gold, rose gold, and the popular black gold. The gold gets it's various colors depending on the type of metals mixed with pure gold. For instance, adding copper to gold produces the rose gold color we all love. Using silver and palladium in the mix will give us white gold. White gold is usually plated with rhodium as well which is in the platinum family and brings out the luster of white gold. Black gold goes through a similar process.

hand braided mens wedding band two tone in 14k rose and white gold 6.0mm

Gold in it's purist form is 24 Karat. It is also known as 24K or .9999. This speaks to the proportion of gold mixed with other alloys. 24K gold is rarely used in the fashion industry because as a metal, it is very soft and easily damaged. This is why you mostly find 24 Karat gold in bullion (bars and coins). In America it is common to see 10K and 14K gold used as jewelry industry standards. The karat rating is based on the percentage of gold used. For instance, if you have 10K gold that means it is 41.7% pure gold. The formula is karat (10) divided by pure (24) = ratio times 100, (10/24=.4166 * 100 = 41.7%).

Gold is still used as a cost effective alternative to platinum. A design-conscience jeweler will use higher gold ratings to produce a quality product. Mark Broumand uses 18K gold in many engagement rings. 18K provides a 75% gold content without being too soft to wear on a daily basis. Higher gold ratings are also recommended for those with allergies to other metals.

0.75ct round brilliant cut diamond two tone mens wedding band

Men's jewelry often uses 14K gold because they often need the durability of mixed metals. Men's rings are often wider and ticker then women's rings and therefore use more gold which drives the cost upward.

How Mark Broumand Can Help

Knowing the gold market assures you are selecting jewelry with fair prices. By shopping with Mark Broumand you are guaranteed the best quality metal is chosen for a particular setting. Mark Broumand can help you choose and design gold pieces with our advanced 3D modeling capabilities. Contact us for more information on types of gold and how to select your jewelry setting.