Gold is back and you must have heard it already. So, that makes now a good time to jog up all your acquired information about this brilliant yellow metal and its unit, karat. Let’s begin by shining some light on what the term karatage means. It is a unit of purity of gold.
How Are Purity and Karat Related?
The purest form of gold is 24 karat, which is 100% gold. 24K gold is too malleable to work with for curving into something like jewelry. To make it hard enough so it holds its form, other metals are mixed with it. The more alloys are mixed in gold, the lesser is its karat. 18K gold is only 75% pure whereas 14K is slightly over 58%. The lowest possible karat is 10 below which, cannot be labeled as gold.
Does Gold Occur in Other Colors?
Gold occurs in only one color, which is the original yellow shade that we recognize gold by. However, recently, a number of variations have been introduced which has only added to the doubts regarding the real color of gold. Any color other than yellow is achieved in the laboratory. By mixed gold with other metals in a certain proportion, these tones can be achieved. For example, gold when mixed with copper in a certain proportion creates the rosy pink tone that rose gold is popular for. Similarly, white gold is made by combining gold with other precious white metals.
What Is the Best Choice of Karat for My Engagement Ring?
Engagement rings normally carry gems which makes 24 or 22K gold unsuitable for the carving. The highest possible grade of gold that is used in gem jewelry is 18K. So, if you want to use the highest karat of gold for your engagement ring, then 18K yellow gold is your best option. You can obviously choose other colors if you like, but 18K is the standard.
Is Yellow Gold More Expensive than the Other Kinds?
It all depends on the karat and grams. The price of gold is calculated by its purity and weight, compounded by the current rate. So to answer the question, there is no hard and fast rule that yellow gold will always cost more than other kinds of gold. However, 24K gold is available only in the color yellow and that is the costliest kind.
