Do you have a favorite gold karat? From 10, 14, 18, and 24k, there are many options to choose from. But, what makes each purity unique? Let’s discuss the qualities of each one and determine which are best suited for your heirloom jewelry.
Have you ever seen an Olympian bite their gold medal? This is because 24k gold is very soft. Consisting of 99.9% pure gold, it is so soft, it will leave a tooth indent! (Pirates often bit their gold to show its authenticity, which is where the olympians take this motif from!) While 24k has highest purity and the richest color, it is the least suitable for jewelry. 24k breaks, dents and scratches easily because it is so soft. There are some countries that make 24k gold jewelry but it is worn for special events as a show of wealth, not for everyday wear. 24k gold is better suited when mixed with alloys to create a lower purity gold mixture that is more durable and practical for jewelry.
Moving down the purity scale, we come to 18k gold. This is comprised of 75% pure gold, 15% silver and 10% copper. Other ratios of alloys will produce different hues of gold (rose, white) but as long as there is 75% pure gold, it is considered 18k. With more than half of the metal being comprised of pure gold, 18k is still a fairly soft metal. This is a safe amount of gold to use for jewelry as it contains a rich gold color but has enough alloy to be suitable for everyday wear. Of all the alloyed gold, 18k carries the highest price tag and is the softest (making it less scratch resistant).
Next up is 14k gold. This is comprised of 58.5% pure gold, 20.5% silver and 21% copper. As we add more copper, we get a much stronger metal. 14k is considered the “standard” for gold jewelry with just a little more than half of its purity being pure gold. While the added copper makes it more durable, it also adds to the brittleness of the metal. 14k gold has a slightly less golden hue than 18k but is the stronger of the two. It is also more affordable than 18k, which is why it is highly sought after for jewelry.
10k gold is the last stop for USA based goldsmiths (some countries use 9k gold). This is the hardest, most scratch resistant and most brittle of all the gold purities. 10k gold contains 41.7% pure gold, 40.3% copper, 8.75% zinc and 9.25% silver. The alloys can differ based on the mixture the goldsmith wants to work with, but this is a common 10k yellow gold combination. This is the lowest gold purity many countries will allow before it has to be labeled something else, since the majority of metal is from alloys, instead of gold. 10k gold is the most affordable purity. It boasts the strongest durability (scratch/dent resistant) of any of the gold purities because of its high alloy content. This can lead to tarnish if not properly cared for. It also can cause skin reactions because of its higher zinc content. 10k gold also the most muted color of all the yellow gold purities but the most rose color of all rose gold.
So, which is the best purity for you? There are a lot of factors to consider: price, durability, gold content…what’s most important to you? Would you prefer to have a stronger piece of jewelry that contains less gold? Or have a richer color with more pure gold? Are you looking for investment pieces of jewelry or something that is more affordable for everyday wear? Hopefully, after reading all of this information, you can come to a better decision of which gold purity is best for you!
*All gold and alloy percentages are based off of yellow gold*