Gold Characteristics
Pure yellow gold is actually very soft - too soft to be used in jewelry on its own,
so it is usually combined with other metals, or alloys, to make it stronger and
harder-wearing. Typical alloys include copper, zinc and nickel.
Gold is also one of the most malleable of all the metals, which means that it is
perfect for crafting into interesting designs without putting too much stress on
the metal.
Gold Karat
The percentage of yellow gold in jewelry varies and is referred to in karats, or
K for short. Pure gold is referred to as 24K gold. Much of our jewelry collection
is manufactured from 18K gold which is 75% gold and 25% metal alloys. 14K gold is
made up of 58.3% gold and 41.7% other metals to give it extra strength.
Gold Color
Yellow gold is available in different tones and the exact yellow hue depends in
the type of metal alloys used and the percentage of each of them. Pure gold is a
rich, shining yellow, full of luster. 18K gold is also an intense yellow but 14K
gold may be a little muted in tone compared to 18K or 24K gold because of the higher
percentages of metal alloys which dilute the brilliant gold color somewhat.
See our collection of
yellow gold jewelry.
Learn about
white gold and
platinum.
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