People have found gold jewelry to be an alluring personal adornment throughout much of human history. Gold is an exceptionally attractive metal that is often made into ornamental pieces such as wedding rings, bracelets, and necklaces. All gold jewelry owners should know as much about their items as possible, in case they want to sell their jewelry at some point or just to have a better idea of exactly what they own. This article examines some key features and pertinent information about gold jewelry.
Karats
One of the most critical things to know about your gold jewelry is its purity or fineness. The purity of gold is measured in karats. A karat is 1/24 of the whole. For example, 24-karat gold is pure gold with no other metal added. Jewelers do not generally make items out of pure gold, however, because it's too soft and is damaged easily. Another metal or metal is alloyed to the gold to make it workable. For example, 22-karat gold jewelry is an item that contains 22 parts gold and 2 parts other metals.
Although jewelers sometimes make pieces out of 22-karat gold, it's still a little soft for many types of items, so 18-karat gold, which mixes 18 parts gold to 6 parts alloys is preferred for making most gold jewelry. Other karats include 14 karats, 12 karats, and 10 karats. The key point is to remember that the lower the number of karats, the less amount of gold an item contains.
Color
Gold jewelry comes in a wide range of colors. Most people think of gold as yellow, of course, because that is how it appears in nature, but jewelers make gold in many colors. For instance, white gold, which is a popular type of gold jewelry, is made by adding nickel, copper, and zinc to gold. This alloy mixture gives gold a distinctive white hue. Rose-colored gold jewelry is created by mixing gold and copper. The more copper that is used, the darker the red tint.
Other colors used in the manufacture of gold jewelry include green and purple, although these are typically less common.
Real
If you have any concerns that your gold jewelry is not real, you can try this simple test at home. Because gold is heavy, it will sink in water, so you can test it by dropping it in a tub of water.
Knowing as much about your gold jewelry as possible will help you get the best price if and when you decide to sell.
Reach out to a gold buyer in your area for more information.
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