Throughout history, gold has been treasured for its natural beauty and radiance. It never goes out of season; it is one of those timeless things that seems to exist forever. Pure gold (24k) is very soft and malleable, it can’t be used for jewellery as it can easily be deformed. To solve this problem, jewellers’ alloy (mix) gold with other metals to increase its strength and resistance. This alloying process is what produces coloured gold—yellow, white, rose, and green gold. Furthermore, this process brings about different degrees of gold purity which is determined by karat (k)—the ratio of pure gold to other metals in the gold alloy. Now, let’s talk about karats and colours of gold.
Karat
18k Gold
18K gold is 75% pure gold mixed with 25% of other metals, it is a good choice if you want a piece of jewellery that is reasonably pure but is not overly soft. Since it’s purer than lower karat gold, it’s relatively easy to scratch.
14k Gold
14k Gold is 58.3% pure gold mixed with 41.7% of other metals, it offers a harder, stronger, and more affordable metal with higher wearability. It’s an excellent choice for everyday wear jewellery. If you have a metal allergy, 14k gold has the potential to trigger skin irritation as it has a high alloy content than higher karat gold.
9k Gold:
9K gold is 37.5% pure gold mixed with 62.5% of other metals. It’s slightly durable and hard; it’s a wonderful option for everyday wear or for those who work with their hands. You should know that 9k gold isn't always consider gold, this depends on the country it is sold in. For example, in the United States, it cannot be sold as gold. Colour
Yellow Gold
It is made by mixing pure gold with silver and copper. This helps a yellow gold alloy maintain a golden colour and makes it stronger. It’s easy to work with yellow gold during repairs and it requires less maintenance.
White Gold
White gold has a pale silvery appearance, similar to platinum or sterling silver. White gold is less expensive than platinum, and a valuable and hard alternative to silver. It is made by mixing pure gold with copper, zinc, nickel or palladium. For those with nickel allergies, always check whether your white gold has nickel mixed in the alloy.
Rose Gold
Rose gold is created by combining gold with copper. Pink and red gold are varieties of rose gold; the depth of colour in the rose gold depends on the ratio of yellow gold to copper. It is more durable than yellow or white gold, has an incredible romantic connotation, and complements all skin tones. Rose gold isn’t widely available as white or yellow gold and can cause allergies for people allergic to copper.
