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Education

Your Guide to Become a Jewelry Expert

Gold Education

Gold Education Guide

For years gold has been known to be the most precious of all metals. The desire to own gold dates back to the history of mankind. Gold in its pure form is very soft. Yellow gold is used for various utility functions like- electronic appliances, dentistry, medical and chemical fields while its association with jewelry has been indispensable.

Purity

Gold is measured in terms of karats and is denoted by K. The karat weight informs us the amount of gold present in the metal alloy. 24K gold is 100% pure with no added alloys. The following chart will help you ascertain the percentage of gold, referring to different karat weights:-

  • 24 karat = 100% gold
  • 22 karat = 91.7% gold
  • 18 karat = 75.0% gold
  • 14 karat = 58.3% gold
  • 12 karat = 50.0% gold
  • 10 karat = 41.7% gold

Nothing less than 10K can be marked or sold as gold in the U.S.

Color

Gold in its pure form is yellow in color. It is mixed with other metallic elements to form alloys which give gold its strength and durability. The alloying of gold is likely to alter the color producing various hues and shades. Gold alloys occur in shades of yellow, white, pink, green, blue and grey. These colors of gold are determined by two main factors- The combination of elements within each metal and the percentage of each element within the metal.

Yellow Gold
Yellow Gold

Even though gold is yellow when pure, the intensity of yellow color depends on volume of other metals alloyed with it. The more the karat weight, more intense is the color.

Rose Gold
Rose Gold

Rose or Pink Gold is another popular colored gold used in jewelry. The pinkish hue of gold can be owed to a larger proportion of copper in the gold alloy, making it more durable simultaneously.

White Gold
White Gold

The term "White Gold" refers to alloys of gold which is white in color. Unlike yellow gold, a 24K white gold can never exist as the white color of gold is obtained by mixing other elements. To make it shimmering white, gold is plated with Rhodium and this process is called Rhodium Flashing. Depending on the wear, this rhodium plating may fade, revealing the original color of the metal. Re-plating can be done to restore the white sheen.

Care

To clean gold jewelry, you can use a solution of warm water and detergent-free soap and wash gently with a soft bristle brush. It is always a good idea to store gold jewelry in boxes to protect them from exposure to harsh substances. Avoid wearing them when working with chemicals and in pools and Jacuzzis, as chlorine is gold’s worst enemy.

Find a sizzling extravaganza of yellow, white and rose Gold Jewelry at exclusively at B2CJewels.com.

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