Phone: 512-680-8337
We Buy Gold!
Gold Buyers Leander, Cedar Park, Austin and Liberty Hill

What’s In A Karat: How Gold Purity Is Measured

Choosing the best type of gold for your needs involves considering various factors, such as your career, activity level, aesthetic taste, budget, and skin sensitivity. When it comes to selling gold or any transaction… an informed consumer makes the best decisions.

The numbers 10K, 14K, 18K, and 24K indicate the purity of gold, expressed in terms of ‘karat’ (K). It’s often confused with ‘carat,’ which measures a gem’s weight. Pure gold is 24K, meaning it’s 100% gold. 18K gold has a 75% purity level, 14K is 58.3% pure, and 10K is 41.7% pure. The higher the karat number, the more gold content the metal contains. Anything less than 24K is mixed with metals like copper, nickel, or silver to form an alloy. Each metal brings its unique characteristics in terms of color, weight, brittleness, and malleability. Generally, these non-gold metals are less expensive, harder, and lighter than gold.

Gold Buyers Leander Cedar Park

Pure gold is very soft and unsuitable for everyday wear. It’s highly malleable and ductile, easily bent, scratched, or reshaped. Pure gold doesn’t provide a secure setting for gemstones and is quite heavy, making it uncomfortable to wear. Its rich yellow-orange color can be altered by adding other metals to create the softer golden hue of yellow gold, the iciness of white gold, or the warm tones of rose gold.

Gold Buyer Cedar Park

What’s The Difference Between 10K, 14K, 18K, and 24K Gold?
Pure 24K gold is rarely used in jewelry, especially for engagement rings and wedding bands that endure daily wear and tear. However, 22K gold has become more popular in jewelry. Here’s how different purity levels compare:

22K Gold – 91.6% Pure

The purest gold commonly used in jewelry, 22K gold is 91.7% pure, with the remaining metals like silver, zinc, or nickel. These metals make 22K gold harder and more durable, ideal for simple gold jewelry like wedding bands.

18K Gold – 75% pure

18K gold, extensively used in jewelry, has a rich, warm golden hue. It is 75% pure gold and can be easily scratched with daily wear. Its high purity level reduces the risk of skin irritations or allergic reactions.

14K Gold – 58.3% pure

The most popular gold for rings and wearable jewelry in the US, 14K gold accounts for about 90% of all engagement and wedding rings. It’s durable, affordable, and offers a classic gold appearance without being overly yellow.

10K Gold – 41.7% pure

The least pure and least expensive, 10K gold is 41.7% pure and widely used in jewelry today. It has a pale yellow appearance and a higher likelihood of causing skin irritations due to its 58.3% alloy metal content.

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