What Does Karat Gold Mean?

On our website, you will find rings & jewelry available in several different gold karats: 9K, 10K, 14K & 18K. But what does Karat mean? And how do you go about choosing between them for your gold jewelry?

Pure Gold

Let's start by understanding what we mean when we speak about "pure gold". Pure gold is a metal that is 100% gold, unmixed with any other element. Pure gold is also commonly referred to as 24 karat gold (or 24K gold).

Pure gold is mixed with other metals to make jewelry

Pure gold is beautiful and rare. It is also relatively soft and not really suitable for jewelry that will be worn daily. In order to make gold jewelry that is beautiful but also hard and durable enough to be worn, pure gold is made into an alloy (a mix) with other metals such as silver, palladium, and copper depending on the desired end color. The mix of metals results in the three main types of gold: yellow gold (the natural color of gold), white gold, and rose gold.

Higher Karat means greater percentage of Gold

The "karat" is the unit used in jewelry to measure how much gold is in a piece relative to the other metals that are present. A higher karat means a higher percentage of gold in the jewelry. So for example 18K Gold contains 75% gold, while 9K gold contains half that amount.

The karat of gold has an impact on the end color of the metal, the weight of the piece and so the end price. This can also be referred to as the fineness. We offer 18K, 14K, 10K, and 9K gold in our jewelry hallmarked here in Ireland. The hallmark is a guarantee of the purity of the precious metal, and these small marks can be seen on all of our precious metal jewelry.

What about White Gold?

To make "white gold" jewelry, Pure Gold is mixed with white metals such as Silver & Palladium. The karat of White Gold follows the same pattern as Yellow Gold, with 18K White Gold containing 75% gold, 14K White Gold containing 58% and 10K contains 42%.

The key to White Gold is Rhodium-plating. Remember, Pure Gold is a deep yellow color, and even when it is mixed with white metals it needs an extra kick to make it "whiter than white". To give White Gold a real shine, the jewelry is coated with a very white metal called Rhodium.

Caring for your White Gold jewelry

It is important to note that Rhodium-plate will wear off over time revealing the true color of the white gold beneath. How long will this process take? That depends on how often you wear the jewelry, and how hard you wear it! The good news is that Rhodium-plating can be done by your local jeweler, and it is relatively inexpensive. To keep your white gold jewelry shining bright, we recommend that you have your piece Rodium-plated annually.

You also offer Rose Gold rings. What are these?

Rose gold is very similar to Yellow Gold, with the exception that a greater proportion of Copper is used in the alloy to bring out a red or "rosy" color. Again, 18K Rose gold contains 75% gold, 14K contains 58% and 10K contains 42%.

Got it! So which Karat should I choose?

In the graphic above we have outlined a couple Pros & Cons for each Gold Karat. Essentially the rule of thumb is "buy the highest karat that your budget will allow". And do remember the price is soon forgotten, but the ring lasts a lifetime.