Karat Gold Information
Pure Gold
Gold in its purest form, is soft compared to other metals, too soft generally to be used for coins or jewelry. Though this is done, the product generally wears quickly and is not durable enough for general usage, unless the product is used in a "low wear" capacity.
Alloys
Therefore, man has learned that he can still have the look of nearly pure gold but with the durability needed to endure daily use. He does this by melting the metal and adding other metals to the gold that allow it to still be gold but have other properties. You may remember this from high school science class. Many other products in the world today are made of alloys so that they can better serve us.
Karats, Carats (and carrots)While confusing, two of these words have one thing in common....they have to do with weight.
When you buy the carrots at the store, they are sold by the pound. When gold is sold, it is sold by the pound or ounce, since it is so expensive. Carats are also a unit of weight having to do with precious stones. See the diamond information page for details.
A karat, when used with gold, is a unit of purity, not of weight per se. A 24-karat gold item is pure gold, but again, too soft to be very useful. Usually you mix gold with other metals like copper, platinum, palladium or silver to make jewelry. Each karat indicates 1/24th of the whole.
So if a piece of jewelry is made of metal that is 18 parts gold and 6 parts copper, that is an 18-karat gold. An item that is half gold and half other metals would be 12kt gold.
Gold can be "cut" or alloyed down to where there is almost no gold in the item, but the law states that any item marked gold must be a minimum of 10kt or a fineness of .41666 gold. Anything lower than this can not legally be marked gold in the United States.
An item marked 14kt gold has a minimum of 58.5% gold, or .585 purity and can be marked as such. It is often another country's method to mark gold with a .750, .585 or .410 to show the fineness or karat mix.
Because it has more gold, an 18kt item will be softer than a comparable 14kt one, and thus may not be suitable in a high wear situation. The durability of 14kt gold is one reason why it is such a huge seller in the market today. Ten karat is even harder and more durable and why it is used in many rings.
Item of Interest......Where did such a funny unit of purity come from? It turns out that a German gold coin called a mark was common about a thousand years ago. It weighed 24 carats (4.8 grams). The purity of the gold in the coin was expressed in the number of carats of gold present in this 24-carat coin.
Other CharacteristicsMan has also used the alloying for other benefits. If you have seen white, rose or green gold, it has been because the alloy has been altered to produce that kind of gold. Remember, if it is 14kt yellow, white or rose...it must still have 58.5% pure gold in the item, all of the other alloy elements can change though, in order to give the gold more strength.
Rose gold gets the color from a high percentage of copper, and may cause allergic reactions. See the notes below on this.
White gold, especially 18kt, has a tendency to look slightly yellow because there is such a high percentage of the raw, yellow gold (75% gold). Therefore, most white gold is plated with rhodium...a white, shiny, hard metal to achieve a true white look. Over a period of time, the plating will wear off, and the item may look slightly yellow and will need to be replated, something any competent, local goldsmith can do for a small fee.
Other EnemiesWhile gold in the pure form is one of the most durable metals to exist, chemicals, such as chlorine, found in pools and bleach, can attack the jewelry you wear because of the other alloys in the item. There are policies that should be followed to protect your jewelry and the removal of an item from a harsh chemical environment is one of those policies.
Because everyone has a slightly different body chemistry, and produces different chemicals in perspiration, it is possible that some people are not able to tolerate certain alloys in jewelry, and thus may have an "allergic reaction" to a certain alloy of a metal. It will be through trial and error that you determine how you do or do not react to certain types of metals.
The discoloration of skin, clothing and the item are signs of such a problem. Another sign could be the "tingly" feeling that some women develop in the ear lobe when certain earrings are worn.
Believe it or not, gold and silver dips not withstanding, the best method to clean your gold jewelry is an old toothbrush, and some warm water with detergent free soap! Try to store your jewelry in a small cloth bag, away from other pieces it can bump into. (And away from where a burglar could find it...the jewelry box will be the first place they look!)
Weighing & Pricing
Gold, like carrots and hamburger, is sold by weight. Check the TV or the paper and you will see the price quoted as so much per ounce. Be aware that the ounce that weighs gold and the ounce that weighs carrots are two different ounces. One is the avoirdupois method and the other, the one for precious metals, is the troy system.
An ounce in the troy system contains 31.3 grams, but the other system has the ounce with only around 28 grams. Much jewelry is sold by the gram or the pennyweight method, but one also has to factor in other costs, such as labor, shipping and other related items when considering the true value of the item.
One pair of earrings that weighs two grams could sell for considerably more than another pair that weighs less than 2 grams due to the fact that the first pair requires much more labor to create the earrings. Always look at all of the variables when selecting your gold jewelry items.
and finally,
Why does Gold Discolor Fingers and Clothes?
While many point to "underkarating" or "faulty manufacturing" the most common reason is "abrasion." That is right, the same thing that makes sandpaper work is making the "black" from the gold, friction and abrasion.
When soft gold comes in contact with certain compounds harder than the gold, and they have a "rubbing war," the gold often comes out the loser. And many cosmetics contain compounds harder than the gold. Very fine gold dust appears black (as does most finely divided metal) and that is where the jet-black dust originates. This dust then forms a smudge when it comes in contact with clothing and skin, much like the fine dust from a pencil sharpener.
The best solution to the problem? Hard to tell the best, but several will satisfiy. Try switching to another cosmetic. Another would be to take off rings and jewerly when you apply the cosmetics. and clean skin areas that are in contact with jewelry with soap and water.
Another cause could be actual corrosion of the metals. Gold by itself does not corrode, but the alloys of silver or copper will corrode, forming a very dark chemical compund, under moist conditions.
Perspiration releases fats and fatty acids which can cause 14 karat gold to corrode, especially if it is in warm, damp air. Seacoast and tropical areas, smog fumes, chlorine and chlorined compounds help to exacerbate this corrosion.
Try to remove jewelry often and use absorbent powders, free of abrasives to minimize problems.
And finally, even the jewelry design can contribute the this problem. Wider shank on rings have more surface area to contact abrasives and corrosives, and concave surfaces inside of shanks can form collection points that will trap moisture and contaminants causing dermititus.
Try to remove all rings before using soaps and cleaning compunds or detergents, and clean your rings frequently. Your rings will also look much better clean!
As a last resort, you may have to switch to 18 karat gold or platinum if this becomes a major problem with wearing your 14kt jewelry since the 18 karat will have less alloy and more gold in the item. Platinum jewelry wearers RARELY have this problem.
We hope that this page has been useful and informative to you. Please email us if you have any other questions.
Cande & Greg
C and G Coins
Phone 410-641-0023Celebrating business Since 1972.
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