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Gold Karats

  • Karat is a measure of the fineness (i.e., purity) of gold. An alloy is a metal made by combining 2 or more metals. A gold karat is 1/24 part, or 4.1667%, of the whole. The resultant purity of a gold alloy is expressed as the number of these parts of gold it contains. Thus, an object that contains 16 parts gold and 8 parts alloying metal is 16-karat gold, and pure gold is 24-karat gold.

  • This system of indicating the relative proportion of gold originated with a medieval coin called a mark. A mark weighed 24 carats. Pure gold could not be used to produce marks because it was too soft, so copper or other metals were added to produce a hard alloy; the purity of the coin was then expressed by the proportion of its carat weight that was actually contributed by gold.

  • In other words, the strength durability of gold is determined by the alloying constituent, while the colour value of gold is determined by the actual gold content.

  • 24K gold is also called pure gold or 100% gold. This means that all 24 parts in the gold are all pure gold without traces of any other metals. It is known to be 99.9% pure and takes on a distinct bright yellow color. There is no higher form of gold other than 24K and you must be aware of this before you go to a dealer who might tell you that they’re selling you 25K or 26K gold. Since this is the purest form of gold, it is naturally more expensive than 22K or 18K gold. However, this type of gold is lesser in density as compared to gold of a lower karatage which makes it soft and pliable. Hence, it is not suited for regular forms of jewellery.

  • At D’ Diamond Shoppe® by NLE, we highly recommend 18K gold. Based on our 62+ years of experience in this business, we feel that 18K gold would best suit the fast paced and active lifestyles of the current times. Apart from that, we also find this to be the best and most cost effective option, without any compromise on quality for gold as well. We recommend setting your diamonds in 18K White Gold for the optimum lustre of the diamond to show through.

  • The alloying constituent used in Yellow Gold is generally zinc or copper, this allows for the natural ‘yellow’ colour of gold to come through. On the other hand, White Gold is made using Silver or Nickel and Manganese or Palladium as the alloying constituent, this results in a gun-metal coloured metal which is then Rhodium Plated to achieve the Platinum like ‘white’ colour which is characteristic to White Gold.

  • Rose Gold uses Copper as the alloying constituent. Copper is naturally ‘red’ in colour, this contributes to the classical ‘pink’ appearance of Rose Gold. Other colours like Black Gold, Blue Gold, Green Gold, etc. can be made using different alloying constituents such as cobalt, nickel, iron, etc. coupled with electroplating with different metals OR forming a coating of oxides of different metals OR both.

  • As the final step in the jewellery making process, any piece of gold jewellery is washed with chemicals and is then Rhodium Plated. Rhodium is a noble metal and is very rare. It is used to create a very thin final layer on jewellery, rendering a bright shine. Also, due to its hardness, it confers protection from scratches to your valuable piece of jewellery. Do take note that this coating doesn’t last forever. Depending on the nature of wear and tear that your jewellery is put through, Rhodium can start vanishing from the surface of the jewellery from any time between 8 to 12 months of regular use. However, do not worry as replating and polishing are affordable processes and D’ Diamond Shoppe® by NLE offers these services as well. Our Exclusive Designer is also highly skilled in accessing and cleaning jewellery, feel free to book an appointment with her!

  • With clever use of alloys, Rhodium Plating and oxide formation, almost all colours are attainable. Do feel free to Contact Us for further details!