Gold, What is it?

Gold comes out of the ground yellow, in its natural state with no alloys, it is extremely soft and can be bent between your hands easily. With the addition of alloys, gold then becomes strong enough to use in the jewelry we wear today!

Yellow Gold

Yellow gold throughout history has ebbed and flowed in popularity. Currently coming back into the limelight, yellow gold, is made using pure gold and alloys such as zinc or copper.

White Gold

Have you ever wondered why your white gold ring gains a yellow hue over the years? That’s because gold’s naturally yellow hues over time come through stronger than the white alloys used to change its color. White gold is often made using pure gold, silver, nickel, or palladium.

That yellow tinge? Don’t worry about it! Head over to your trusted jeweler and get your pieces Rhodium plated. By using this naturally white metal you can combat that yellow easily. Most white gold engagement rings we recommend getting rhodium plated every 2 to 5 years to keep that beautiful white luster in good shape.

Rose Gold

Rose gold, on of the more popular colors in the 21st Century is actually made from pure gold, silver, and copper. These alloys help give the gold that lovely rosy tone you see so often.

A good thing about rose gold, is that over time, unlike white gold, the yellow hues complement the rose tones more so it is unlikely for you to see the color shift as easily.

What are Carats?

Good thing you asked! Here in the United States we use a system that goes like this:

10K – 417 out of 1000 parts of your 10K gold piece is pure gold. Some people may call this costume jewelry. The 583 parts left over are alloy materials such as zinc or copper (or other minerals depending on your color)

14K – 585 out of 1000 parts of your 14K jewelry is pure gold. 14K is the usual standard that fine jewelry starts at. It is strong enough to be used for daily wear, as it is about a 50/50 split between that soft pure gold and your alloy metals.

18K– 750 out of 1000 parts gold. Often times seen in your higher quality fine jewelry such as designer pieces, it is softer than 14K as it has more pure gold in it. Now a days it is recommended that those who have 18K gold jewelry take extra care for their pieces as they are softer.

24k– 999 out of 1000 parts gold! WOW! this is the softest you can get and the most delicate. This has barely any added alloys and is not often seen in the jewelry industry for daily wear pieces.