The carat weight of gold is an important factor in buying gold jewellery. It indicates the percentage of real gold in any piece of jewellery. 24 carat gold is pure. It is soft, almost flexible and easy to break. That is why it is not always used in the making of modern jewellery that often features delicate designs. Other metals like silver, copper, and zinc are added to pure gold in small quantities to make it workable, durable and even colourful.
Gold jewellery is available in a variety of caratages. The preference for a certain caratage of gold is usually based on cultural, regional or traditional factors. For example, 22 carat gold is predominately used in India, while 21 carat gold is preferred in the Middle East. Most Europeans prefer 18 carat gold 24 carat gold, pure gold, is predominately used in the Far East, and is often used as a mode of investment or exchange.
The "carat code" shown on the hallmark in the UK will tell you how much pure gold your jewellery contains. The word "carat" comes from Arabic, meaning "bean seed", because years ago seeds were used to measure the weight of gold and precious stones. Now though, carat literally means the amount of gold an item of jewellery contains. For example pure gold is 24 carat or 99.99% pure.
Traditionally most jewellery in the UK is 9 carat, though there are also 14, 18, 22 and 24-carat gold standards. You will find: 9 carat gold (37.5% pure) is shown on the hallmark as 375, (9 parts pure to 15 parts alloy). 14 carat gold (58.5% pure) is shown on the hallmark as 585, (14 parts pure to 10 parts alloy). 18 carat gold (75.0% pure) is shown on the hallmark as 750, (18 parts pure to 6 parts alloy). 22 carat gold (91.6% pure) is shown on the hallmark as 916, (22 parts pure to 2 parts alloy). Pure gold is defined as 24 carat or 99.99% pure. It is a common belief that 9 carat gold is harder wearing and more durable than 18 carat but to explode the popular myth, 9 and 18 carat gold have an identical resistance to wear and tear.
In the U.S. “Karat” with a “K” is a measure of gold’s purity. “Carat” with a “C” measures the weight of a gemstone. The karat mark tells you the percentage of pure gold to alloy. In Europe the karat markings are: 999 is 24K gold, 750 is 18K gold and 585 is 14K gold. There are also other marks with other meanings on fine gold jewellery. Ask you local jeweller to explain the marks and what they mean.
Today's Diamond of the Day is the Earth Star Diamond
The Earth Star Diamond was found at another South African mine of De Beers, the Jagersfontein Mine on May 16, 1967. The diamond came from the 2,500-foot (760 m) level of the volcanic diamond-bearing pipe. The rough gem weighed 248.9 carats (49.8 g) and was cut into a 111.59 carats (22.32 g) pear-shaped gem with a strong brown color and extraordinary brilliance. The diamond was bought in 1983 for $900,000.
The "carat code" shown on the hallmark in the UK will tell you how much pure gold your jewellery contains. The word "carat" comes from Arabic, meaning "bean seed", because years ago seeds were used to measure the weight of gold and precious stones. Now though, carat literally means the amount of gold an item of jewellery contains. For example pure gold is 24 carat or 99.99% pure.
Traditionally most jewellery in the UK is 9 carat, though there are also 14, 18, 22 and 24-carat gold standards. You will find: 9 carat gold (37.5% pure) is shown on the hallmark as 375, (9 parts pure to 15 parts alloy). 14 carat gold (58.5% pure) is shown on the hallmark as 585, (14 parts pure to 10 parts alloy). 18 carat gold (75.0% pure) is shown on the hallmark as 750, (18 parts pure to 6 parts alloy). 22 carat gold (91.6% pure) is shown on the hallmark as 916, (22 parts pure to 2 parts alloy). Pure gold is defined as 24 carat or 99.99% pure. It is a common belief that 9 carat gold is harder wearing and more durable than 18 carat but to explode the popular myth, 9 and 18 carat gold have an identical resistance to wear and tear.
In the U.S. “Karat” with a “K” is a measure of gold’s purity. “Carat” with a “C” measures the weight of a gemstone. The karat mark tells you the percentage of pure gold to alloy. In Europe the karat markings are: 999 is 24K gold, 750 is 18K gold and 585 is 14K gold. There are also other marks with other meanings on fine gold jewellery. Ask you local jeweller to explain the marks and what they mean.
Today's Diamond of the Day is the Earth Star DiamondThe Earth Star Diamond was found at another South African mine of De Beers, the Jagersfontein Mine on May 16, 1967. The diamond came from the 2,500-foot (760 m) level of the volcanic diamond-bearing pipe. The rough gem weighed 248.9 carats (49.8 g) and was cut into a 111.59 carats (22.32 g) pear-shaped gem with a strong brown color and extraordinary brilliance. The diamond was bought in 1983 for $900,000.
In at number 44 in the Celebrity Engagement Countdown is Gwenyth Paltrow With a square-cut diamond ring, the Coldplay frontman declared his love.
