In this article we will try to explain you the definitions of different types of gold. If you still have questions after reading this, you can always contact us for additional information.
What is the meaning of Karat?
Karat can refer to:
- a unit for mass, which is used for gemstones.
- the precious metal content in an alloy used for gold.
In this article we will further discuss the second definition.
'Karat' shows the amount of pure gold that has been incorporated into a jewel, so the higher the karat, the more pure gold a jewel or object contains. Jewels are never made in 24 karat gold, this is gold in it's purest form and is very soft. It is easy to bend and it wears out easily. For that reason, jewelry is never made out of of 24 karat gold. 24 Karat gold is usually used in the industry or gold bars are made of it. 24 Karat gold is therefore also referred to as '999.9' or 'fine gold'.
What is used to make golden jewelry?
Because 24 Karat gold is so soft it is always mixed with another metal to make the jewel harder and to give it a certain color, this is called an alloy. An alloy is therefore a composition of various metals. The most commonly used purity grades are 8 karat (33.3% gold), 14 karat (58.5% gold) and 18 karat (75%) gold. In 18 karat gold 75% (18/24) is gold and 25% (6/24) consists of other metals, such as silver, copper or palladium.
The gold price is often expressed per gram when selling or buying a small amount of gold. The gold price per gram is useful for investors who want to take a small step and invest in gold.
Gold is an expensive raw material therefore, the higher the karat, the more expensive the alloy. Jewels of 18 carat are thus more valuable than 14 karat jewelery. At BULWIK we only use 18 carat gold.
In Belgium, it is not allowed to sell gold lower than 14 karat as gold. However lower levels such as 8 karat or 9 karat are sold as gold in some other countries, such as Germany and England.
How do you get the different colors of gold?
We take 18/24 gold, and add various other metals to determine the color. To get yellow gold we make an alloy of gold, copper and silver. You get red gold by adding more copper to the gold. If only gold and palladium are used in the alloy, you will get white gold.
All Bulwik jewelry has indications of the weight 18 karat gold in grams.
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