Gold vs K gold (white/yellow/rose gold) vs Platinum

Pure gold (24K gold)

Pure gold as the saying goes, "gold has no pure gold" because 100% pure gold only appears in theory, and it is impossible to exist in reality. There is no 100% gold in nature. The highest purity of gold is 24K gold (also known as pure gold), and its overall gold content must not be less than 99.0%. Even gold ornaments with a purity of 999 can only be called "pure gold." Pure gold is used in jewelry because the material is soft and cannot catch the inlaid stones, so the inlays are not durable. Generally, only pure gold jewelry can be made. In addition, the pure gold will change color after wearing it for a long time, and it is easy to deform, so it must be taken to a jewelry store for renovation, which is more troublesome. In addition, in front of K gold and platinum, thousands of pure gold is unique, that is, its currency properties, because gold can be used as currency for the equivalent exchange of commodities; finally, it has the function of preserving value, which should be The most important.

K gold (gold alloy)

"K" is the abbreviation of English Carat and German Karat. Due to the rejuvenation and trend of the jewelry market, and the need for high-definition jewelry production technology for metal hardness, metal color, etc., pure gold can not meet these requirements at all, and K gold appeared. What is K gold? Add some other metals to the pure gold material, such as silver, copper, nickel, cobalt, etc. The material hardness of gold is hardened, and the color of the metal changes.

Advantages of K gold: high hardness, suitable for precious metal materials inlaid with gemstones. Compared with pure gold and platinum, K gold is much richer in color, such as white gold, yellow gold, and rose gold, and the color selection space is relatively large; finally, because the process requirements of K gold are much higher than that of pure gold, so its There are many styles to choose from. In front of pure gold and platinum, it is superior in style. And K gold is not easy to wear and deform.

In addition to purity, many people think K gold is "allergic." One of the cases of allergies to wearing K gold is based on the individual's unique physique. Another important reason is that if the other metals in the K gold you wear contain more than a specific content of "nickel", it will easily cause skin allergies.

The relationship between K number and gold content is, lK=4.1666%, according to this formula:

The gold content of 18K gold is 75%

14K gold with a gold content of 58.5%

9K gold with a gold content of 37.5%

【18K Gold】18K gold is a jewelry set's most used gold alloy.

The national standard stipulates that the purity of 18K gold is 750. That is, 75% of the gold is added with 25% of other types of metals, and the color of 18K gold is different according to the content of the metal type. Usually, the most commonly used on the market are 18K gold, 18K rose gold, and 18K white gold.

Many people confuse 18K white gold and platinum and cannot distinguish them, but in fact, there are significant differences between the two. Different components: 18K white gold is mainly composed of gold, 75% gold + 25% silver, nickel, zinc, etc. The main element of platinum is platinum, which contains a small number of other metals according to the alloy's purity.

Different hardness: 18K white gold is more complex and more suitable for gemstone settings. Platinum is relatively soft.

Different color retention: 18K white gold is a little dirty and gray in its natural color and has a slight yellow tone in the dull silver. Rhodium plating is usually applied to 18K white gold to make the color look shiny and less prone to oxidation. So 18K white gold will feel faded, yellowed, and dull if the plating is worn.

Platinum

Platinum is easily oxidized in the air, and the oxidized platinum may look brighter and whiter than the 18K white gold without the coating.

Different rarity: An essential criterion for judging precious metals is a rarity. Platinum is relatively rare, and its value is higher than 18K white gold.

If you still can't tell the difference between 18K white gold and platinum after visiting the above points, it is recommended to look directly at the steel stamp on the jewelry. The symbol of 18K platinum is usually AU750 or 18K, and the logo of platinum jewelry is usually Pt950, Pt990, etc.

14K Gold

14K gold is 585 pure, 58.5% gold, and 41.5% other metals.

Because the gold content is lower, the price of 14K gold is lower than that of 18K gold, and the color is lighter, so it is used more as fashion jewelry in Japan, South Korea, Europe, and the United States.

9K Gold

The purity of 9K gold is 375, and the gold content is only 37.5%, so it is easy to oxidize after a long time, and its value is low.