Gold Jewelry

Gold Jewelry


Gold jewelry is the jewelry item that is used as a fashion accessory and often as a lifestyle piece that you wear every day that defines your personal style. Most gold jewelry is appropriate casually or when dressed to the nines. Gold jewelry is versatile and wearable day or night.



We Buy Gold


We buy or trade your gold jewelery.



Why does gold sometimes darken your skin?


Actually, 24kt gold will almost never have a reaction on anyone. However, skin secretions containing chlorides and sulfides will darken skin when pure gold is alloyed with other base metals; i.e. copper, nickel, silver and zinc.



Description of Karat Gold Colors


Color Elements Added Yellow Silver and copper Red 25% copper Green 25% silver Blue 25% iron White Nickel, zinc or palladium



Why is there a color difference in gold?


Pure gold (which is always yellow) is too soft for jewelry use. The metals that are mixed with pure gold for strength can also modify the color of gold. Modern alloys are available in many colors and shades with a listing of popular ones below:



Markings for Silver


The use of the word “sterling” is always used to designate quality silver jewelry. Fractional marks .925 or 925/1000 also appear. Any other mark is a sure guarantee of either plated jewelry or jewelry with no silver content at all. Many states and large cities have trade practices designed to promote honesty in quality markings and advertising. But regardless of the sincerity of these organizations, massive frauds are perpetrated on the unsuspecting public with minor fines up to $500. As little as two decades ago, in England that was punishable by losing an ear or a year in prison. One example is in Los Angeles where a jewelry distributor was selling and advertising 14kt watches which had less than 50 cents worth of actual gold. Legal subversion of the law occurs every day as a misguided public buys one of the following examples thinking they are purchasing real value:

  • 10k to 14k H.G.E. - (Hard Gold Electroplated)
  • 10k to 14k O.B. - (Outer band only for appearance)
  • 10k to 14k I.B. - (Inner band only for wear)
  • 10k to 14k R.G.P. - (Rolled Gold Plated)
  • 10k to 14k Bezel - (Rim of article is only solid alloy)
  • 10k to 14k Head - (Prongs for stone are only solid alloy)
  • 10k to 14k Gold-filled - (Legally should contain at least 5% actual gold)


Markings for Platinum


The National Bureau of Standards states in its Commercial Standard booklet CS66-38, Marking of Articles Made Wholly or in Part of Platinum, that articles of platinum may have the quality mark for the particular metals stamped on them if the articles contain at least 985 parts per thousand of platinum. In the United States, platinum is usually marked PT or PLAT. In Europe, platinum is identified by the following marks: 950 or PT950.



What is the difference between carat and karat?


Carat is a measurement of weight. The actual word “carat” came from the carob bean. In ancient times, the carob bean was used to measure weight. Today, when we want to measure the actual weight of a diamond or other gemstones, we refer to their weight in carats. Each carat equals 1/5 of a gram or 5 carats = 1 gram.

The word “karat” is used to indicate the percentage of pure gold in an article of jewelry. Gold in its’ pure state is considered too soft for ordinary jewelry applications—it is generally alloyed with other base metals chiefly copper (but also nickel, silver and zinc). Pure gold is 24 karat; other alloys are simply a percentage of 24 karat.

18 karat gold jewelry is actually 18/24 pure gold or 3/4 pure gold and is often stamped .750. 14 karat gold jewelry is 14/24 pure gold and often stamped .585. 10 karat gold jewelry is 10/24 pure gold and often stamped .417. What do the markings on the back of jewelry actually mean?

The stamping of gold in the United States with a mark declaring its quality is governed to be the U.S. Stamping Law. The U.S. Department of Commerce along with the National Bureau of Standards has set the regulations, violations and punishment for the stamping of precious metals. The United States requires jewelry gold articles to be accurately marked in reference to karat content which is known as “plumb gold”.



Markings for Fineness of Gold Karats


Karat % of Pure Gold 10kt .4167, 14kt .5833, 18kt .7500.
(Sometimes instead of kt. Gold Jewelry will be marked with KP, this stands for karat plumb.)



Why does 18kt gold jewelry cost more than 14kt gold jewelry?


To understand why 18kt costs more than 14kt you need to understand two things. First, an 18kt gold piece of jewelry contains more pure gold than the exact same piece made with 14kt gold. 18kt. Gold contains a higher (75%) percentage of pure gold than 14kt (58.3%). Secondly, when you manufacture the exact same piece of jewelry the 18kt gold piece will actually weigh more than the 14kt gold piece. Therefore, you will pay more per gram (because of higher gold content) and you will have to pay for more grams.

In the past, many people were willing to pay more for 18kt gold jewelry because they enjoyed a richer look. However today, with modern alloy techniques, 14kt and even 10kt gold jewelry can be alloyed to look just as rich as a piece of jewelry made in 18kt gold. Depending on the application, if durability is a factor, many people will choose 14kt or even 10kt (being the most durable) over 18kt gold.