What is 1O karat gold?
It's hard to be an informed shopper if you don't know what karat gold is, so let's make sure we're on the same page. A karat is a unit of fineness for gold. The purest form of gold is 24 karat, meaning 24 out of 24 parts, or 99.999%, is gold.
All other karats of gold are gold alloys— a mixture of pure gold and other metals. 10k gold is 10 parts pure gold and 14 parts other metals, or 41.667% pure gold.
What's the difference between solid gold, gold vermeil and gold filled?
The takeaway: 1O karat gold has more other metals than pure gold
- 10k is the lowest karat of gold that's still considered fine jewelry, so marketing it as such is legal.
- The affordable price point often associated with 10 karat gold is because it's more other metals than pure gold.
- 10k gold is prone to tarnishing and reacting with skin (because of the metal composition), so people with metal allergies need to be careful.
Buying 10k, 14k, or 18k gold jewelry is a personal and financial preference. I choose to sell a minimum of 14k because I want gold to be the majority in my designs.
🥂Cheers to being an informed shopper! Check out my shop here.
