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What Is Pure Gold?

March 8th, 2008 by Gold Charm Subscribe To Our Feed

What is pure gold? Why is there different karats in the measurement of gold, and what do they mean? Looking at the history of gold, the benefits of gold, and what where and why should you buy gold is one of paramount concern, whether you want gold jewelry or you want to invest in gold bullion.

What is rich reddish gold? What looks great on men and women of any body type or coloring? What is prized the world over as jewelry and for its monetary value? The answer to these questions and many others is 24 karat gold.

::: What Is 24 Karat Gold? :::
The short answer is that 24k gold is as pure as it gets. In other words, it has not been blended with another metal to make it stronger, less expensive, or to change the color. It is pure gold. The word “karat,” or carat in countries other than the U.S., comes from the origination of the weighing system used for gold.

The earliest measure of gold was done by using the seed of the carob, keration (in Greek), which translates to English as either karat or carat. Today, the karat weight of gold depends solely upon the other alloys, blended metals, found in a particular piece of jewelry. Gold is measured based on a system that is roughly equivalent to 24 ancient carob seeds.

According to this system, then, 1 karat is equivalent to 1/24 pure gold. However, the lowest karat weight that is generally accepted in the U.S. is 9 karats or 9 parts pure gold and 15 parts alloy materials. It follows, then, that 24 karat gold equals 24/24 parts pure gold, or is a piece of jewelry that is pure gold with no alloy materials.

::: The Benefits And Drawbacks Of 24 Karat Gold :::
The benefit to owning 24 karat gold jewelry, aside from the purity of the piece, is the lack of alloy materials. While this may appeal to a collector or purist, it is also something that people that suffer from allergic reactions to nickel may consider. Nickel is a commonly used alloy material in gold jewelry and is, quite often, responsible for allergic reactions to metal.

The drawback to 24 karat gold jewelry is softness. Gold is not a hard metal, which is one of the main reasons that it is usually alloyed with other materials. Therefore, it is important to purchase good thick heavy pieces rather than something thin and less likely to maintain its shape or wear well.

Additionally, it is always vital to make sure your piece of 24 karat gold jewelry is stamped, usually 24K, so that you can be comfortable knowing that you are paying for pure gold and not some variation. 24 karat gold is commonly used in necklaces, rings, bracelets and earring, and once you see the rich color and feel the delicate purity, you will know the reason so many will wear nothing but the purest of gold.

The most common carats used for gold in bullion, jewellery making and by goldsmiths are:
* 24 carat (millesimal fineness 999)
* 22 carat (millesimal fineness 916)
* 20 carat (millesimal fineness 833)
* 18 carat (millesimal fineness 750)
* 15 carat (millesimal fineness 625)
* 14 carat (millesimal fineness 585)
* 10 carat (millesimal fineness 417)
* 9 carat (millesimal fineness 375)

Whether in gold jewelry or in gold bullion investments, gold is a metal which captivates man. The illustrious color and look of gold has made man want as much as he or she can get. Pure 24k gold will always be sought after. Finding 24k gold jewelry is an easy possibility online, as there are many online jewelry stores selling 24k gold jewelry, whether buying 24k gold charm bracelets or 24k gold rings, you can buy gold jewelry from a number of online jewelry retailers.