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- Author of the entry: Mennica Skarbowa
- Date of entry:
Why do we talk about 24-karat gold? And how does this relate to diamonds, whose size (or rather weight) is also measured in karats?
We recently explainedwhy gold comes in different colors. Because gold is too soft to be used in jewelry, it is combined with other metals such as silver, copper, nickel, zinc, or palladium, which give gold jewelry its color. While the proportions of metals in the alloy may vary (giving it a yellow, white, pink, or red color), the amount of pure gold in the gold alloy is subject to strictly defined standards. The amount of pure gold in the alloy is indicated by the fineness or number of karats (k). The lower the gold fineness (the fewer karats), the "less gold in gold," and therefore the cheaper the jewelry. In Poland, it is more common to use fineness, while in Western countries, karats are used.
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24-carat gold (24k) is pure gold (100% gold). In practice, jewelry makers use 999 gold (99.9% gold). This material is too soft to be used in jewelry production, but it is sometimes used to gold-plate luxury jewelry.
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18-karat gold (18k), i.e. 750 gold, contains 75% pure gold and is ideal for jewelry making.
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14-karat gold (14k), or 585 gold, contains 58.5% pure gold. It is cheaper than 18-karat gold, but still perfect for jewelry production.
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8-karat gold (8k) , i.e., gold with a fineness of 333, contains only 33.3% gold.
