What kind of Gold Should I Buy?
Before
buying gold jewelry the most important thing to ask yourself is the
reason why you are buying. This is important because it will help you
determine how much to budget for your purchase, what quality and type of
jewelry to buy and from where to buy it.
If you are only
interested in buying a gold ring for fun, then you might not care too
much about the quality of the ring or the supplier as long as it looks
good on your finger. If, however, you are buying an engagement ring, an
anniversary ring or a wedding ring, you had better pay more attention to
the quality of the ring and the service you can expect from the
supplier. A wedding ring, we hope, will be appreciated for a long time
and you will want your partner to know that you put some thought into
the selection of their ring. You want the perfect ring so you need to
make sure that your supplier has a good return or exchange policy and
that they are easily contactable.
There are different qualities
and colors of gold used in jewelry. The different types of gold jewelry
are determined by the metals mixed in with the pure gold, and whether
the piece of jewelry is formed as a solid piece, plated or maybe hollow.
Gold Quality
Pure gold does
not rust or tarnish, and people that are allergic to some metals are
rarely allergic to pure gold. However, pure gold is very soft and easily
bendable. It is also very expensive. So to make it practical for
jewelry that can be worn everyday it is mixed with different metals.
Gold
jewelry is generally marked 18K, 14K, or 10K. The higher the Karat (k)
the higher the percentage of pure gold to other metals in the jewelry.
·
24K gold is pure gold.
· 18K gold contains 18 parts gold and 6
parts of one or more additional metals, making it 75% gold.
· 14K
gold contains 14 parts gold and 10 parts of one or more additional
metals, making it 58.3% gold.
· 12K gold contains 12 parts gold and
12 parts of one or more additional metals, making it 50% gold.
· 10K
gold contains 10 parts gold and 14 parts of one or more additional
metals, making it 41.7% gold.
10K gold is the minimum karat that
can be called "gold" in the United States. A high proportion of gold
Jewelry is made in 10K gold.
European Gold Markings:
Jewelry from
Europe may be marked is a different manner with numbers that indicate
their percentage of gold like this:
· 18K gold is marked 750 to
indicate 75% gold
· 14K gold is marked 585 for 58.5%
· 12K gold
is marked 417 for 41.7%
Genuine gold jewelry should have, in
addition to the karat marking, a hallmark or trademark that identifies
its maker. Sometimes the item's country of origin might also be
included. The hallmark or country of origin may sometimes be left out in
very small and delicate pieces of Jewelry.
Colors of Gold
Pure gold is, of
course, gold in color. However, gold can be made into jewelry of
different and exciting colors by adding different metals to it. When
other metals are added to pure gold the result is called an alloy. Any
gold alloy from18K, down to 10K can still be called solid gold. Anything
less that 10k is not solid gold.
White Gold: Created by adding
Palladium or Nickel to pure gold.
Rose Tint Gold: Created by adding
copper to pure gold.
Greenish Cast Gold: Created by adding silver to
pure gold
Gold Coated
Jewelry
Applying a coating of gold on lesser value metals
has always been a way of producing jewelry that looks as valuable as
gold but not as expensive to manufacture. This is OK as long as the
buyer is aware that the piece of jewelry they are buying is not SOLID
gold and as long as they are also aware of the quality of the plating.
Gold Filled Jewelry
Gold filled wire is a layer of gold 10K gold (or
higher) mechanically bonded under heat and pressure to one or more
surfaces of a supporting base material (usually brass). It is then
rolled or drawn to a specified thickness or gauge. The FTC (Federal
Trade Commission) regulates the labeling of gold filled products by
requiring manufacturers to marked or tag gold filled as 10, 12, or 14K
Gold-filled. Karat measurement of gold content must be part of the
marking or designation when sold to the public. The jewelry industry
standard regarding the quantity of gold in gold filled must be at least
1/20th (5%) by weight of the total product.
Gold Plated Jewelry
The gold layer in gold plated
jewelry is usually thinner than the gold in gold-filled jewelry. This
means that the goal plating usually wears away more quickly. However,
all gold plating is not the same. Some will be thicker and more even
than others and thus may provide you with long lasting true gold finish,
sometimes comparable to gold-filled jewelry.
Vermeil Jewelry
Vermeil is Sterling Silver that has been heavily electroplated with at
least 120/millionths of an inch of fine gold (usually 22K) ( the karat
of gold should be stated). The layer of gold may be either electroplated
or mechanically bonded.
Dangers to Watch out for
Gold
plated jewelry can provide a great deal of satisfaction and joy to the
buyer as long as they know what they are buying. It is unfortunate, but
there are still unscrupulous people out there that try to pass off gold
plated jewelry as solid gold. The only way to protect yourself from this
is to look carefully at the markings on the jewelry; observe the color;
feel the weight in relation to the size of the jewelry; and most
importantly, know whom you are buying your jewelry from. If you’re not
sure take an expert with you when buying.
Gold hollow is just that....hollow and is usually a
technique applied to large pieces of jewelry, especially earrings to
reduce weight and thus increase comfort. Jewelry that looks big and
heavy but feels light is probably hollow. It's a good idea to always ask
if a piece is hollow. You should be told without asking, but this is
not always done. Hollow jewelry presents a variety of problems. You
might find it comfortable to wear, but when the walls of the piece are
thin, it dents and wears through quickly, leaving holes. Repairing is
next to impossible. You will find pretty much all types of
jewelry....chains, bracelets, earrings, charms and many other items of
jewelry made this way. The advantage of buying hollow jewelry is cost
and weight. A rope chain that is hollow, or earrings will be lighter and
therefore more comfortable to ware and will cost much less then solid.
So Now You’re Ready To Take The Step
When
buying gold always aim to buy solid gold if your budget allows. This
will last you a lifetime, many lifetimes actually. Anything from 10k to
22k or 24K is good.
If you are allergic to nickel or other metals
then you should aim to buy the higher karat gold jewelry such as 18k or
22k gold. It will cost more but you can offset this by buying a smaller
piece of jewelry or by buying fewer pieces and only buying ones with
higher pure gold content. Your skin is still your most important and
valuable piece of jewelry and you should treat it accordingly.
Gold
plated and gold-filled jewelry is great for fashion jewelry that will
not be subject to heavy usage. And oh yes, try not to wear your gold
plated or gold filled jewelry when washing up or using any form of
detergents. Although not as valuable or durable, gold plated and gold
filled jewelry are cheaper and can last for years if treated kindly.
When
wearing Jewelry always remember that a confident and happy wearer can
make almost any piece of Jewelry look more beautiful and valuable.