Carats of gold, what differentiates them?

Illustrated by different symbols such as Ct, or K, the carat is a unit of measurement used to determine the purity of gold. The higher the carat, the more valuable the purity of the gold. So there are different carats ranging from 9 to 24 carats. 

Understanding and appreciating the quality of gold

Diamond Ring 0.52 Carats Paving Diamonds 18 Carat White Gold

We commonly speak of carats to define the share of gold in the precious metal from which your jewelry is made, but officially, the share of gold is defined in thousandths, while carats are 24ths. For example, 18 carat gold is therefore composed of 18/24 gold, and therefore corresponds to 750/1000 gold.

Gold says “24 carat”

24 carat gold, otherwise called 999 thousandths, is composed entirely of pure gold. But 24 carat gold is not suitable for jewelry because it is too soft. It is then easily damaged and tends to become deformed. It will be used more for investments and is therefore not used in traditional jewelry. 

Gold called “18 carat”, a tradition for vintage jewelry

The traditional carat used in jewelry is therefore 18 carat gold, composed of 75% pure gold. The remaining 25% is composed of other metals such assilver or copper. It is also this alloy which will give the color to the jewel, we will therefore be able to find White gold, of yellow gold or else rose gold. Thus, 18-carat gold jewelry can be passed down from generation to generation thanks to its solidity and high proportion of gold. The vast majority of gold jewelry on 58 Facettes have this gold content. 

Gold in “14 carat or 9 carat”

Next we have 14k gold containing 58.3% pure gold. Being made of more alloy than the previous ones, “14 carat” gold jewelry is more affordable since it contains less gold. However, they are more fragile than those in 18 carat gold and have a different tone, which may please you. This carat remains more widespread across the Atlantic.

Finally, 9 carat gold is made from an alloy of only 37.5% pure gold. Moreover, in France, 9 carat gold is considered a “gold alloy” rather than solid gold. It is therefore more commonly used for costume jewelry because it tends to oxidize due to its low gold content.

Half wedding ring 18 carat yellow gold diamonds 0.70 carat

You will find some jewelry of this gold content, but quite rarely on 58 Facettes.

Find all our jewelry on 58 facettes.