White Gold And Rhodium Plating
Since white gold alloys usually look more or less yellowish, they are often covered with a thin layer of rhodium.
This plating gives white gold jewelry the color and chromatic look people commonly associate with this material.
The rhodium plating also adds additional strength and hardness to the piece it is applied to.
Melting And Sampling Spectrum Detection
While this technique is expensive, it is one of the most comprehensive. It capitalizes on a thermal-analytical technique called Differential Scanning Calorimetry. It involves placing a sample of the piece to be tested in a Differential Scanning Calorimeter and subjecting the sample and reference piece to the same temperature intensity. This technique helps to identify fake gold as it will have significantly varying heat properties from genuine gold.
Lastly Calculate The Value Of Gold Jewelry
Ready to find out what your gold jewelry is worth? Now that youve done all the legwork, the rest is just plugging in numbers into a gold calculator or formula. Either use a gold value calculator online, or insert your values into the equation below:
Weight of gold jewelry x gold purity / 24 = Grams of pure gold
Lets break down each part of that equation to help you better understand what each value means:
-
Weight of gold jewelry: the weight in grams of your gold jewelry item. Example: you have a piece of gold jewelry that weighs 5 grams.
-
Gold purity: To accurately value your gold jewelry, you need to know how much pure gold is in each item. To calculate this variable, remember that 24 Karat gold is pure gold, and each karat value smaller will contain less increments of pure gold.
Example: You have 5 grams of 18k gold.
-
24: You are dividing by 100% of pure gold, which is 24 karats.
If we plug each figure into the equation, it looks like this:
5 x 18 / 24 = 3.75
If you have 5 grams of 18k gold jewelry, then you own 3.75 grams of pure gold. Not too complex is it? Once you break down what each value means, you can see how karatage, weight and purity determine the overall value of your gold.
Now, what can you do with this information? You know how many grams of pure gold you have in each jewelry piece, but how do you put a price on that?
Youll now need to research the…
Read Also: Rx Gold Card
Store Your Jewelry In A Cool Dark Place
You cant just store your jewelry anywhere. Keep your pieces out of the bathroom and anywhere else there might be heat and humidity, like next to a window.
Jewelry, such as 925 silver and 14K gold, fare better in room temperature, away from direct sunlight, and somewhere with low humidity to avoid speeding up the tarnishing process for silver.
Consider these top three tips today and there’s no doubt you will keep your jewelry looking pristine for a lifetime and beyond.
Gold Karats In A Nutshell
Lets start with a basic explanation of what a karat is and why its an important determining factor when choosing a piece of jewelry.
A karat is a measure of the fineness, or purity, of gold. To be specific, a gold karat is approximately 4.1667 percent of a pure gold alloy – in other words, 1/24 of pure gold. A piece with 24-karat gold, therefore, contains gold that is totally pure.
So what about golds that are rated at 18k, 14k, and 10k?
Read Also: How To Get Free Golden Eagles In War Thunder
Is Purity Different In Gold Less Than 14k
Buy anything less than 14K and the line between fine jewelry and costume jewelry becomes blurry. In fact, most fine jewelers dont even carry 12K or 10K. Pieces of jewelry that are 10K or greater should be stamped with an engraved marker indicating its purity, so be cautious if you cant locate a stamp.
With these considerations in mind, you should be able to maneuver your next jewelry purchase with ease and confidence. At Brinkers Jewelers, well help you find the perfect gold piece that matches your style and needs. And if you cant find the dream piece youre looking for, well help you create it.
How Else Is The Purity Of Gold Measured
The Carat or Karat is a measurement mainly used in the United Kingdom or United States respectively. However many European countries, as well as the four Assay offices in the UK, when hallmarking use the millesimal fineness system for standardisation. This system is represented by the purity of Gold, Platinum and Silver alloys by parts per thousand of pure metal by mass in the alloy. For example an alloy containing 91.6% of Gold is shown as “916” and is usually rounded to a three digit number, particularly when used as a hallmark.
You May Like: How Much Is 10k Gold Worth
What You Need To Know About Diamond Carat
First, and most importantly: A higher carat size means a higher price. And that price rises significantly and not by a linear scale as carat increases. Contrary to popular belief, the carat is not the size of the diamond. Its the weight. A diamonds size is measured in millimeters, length by width in other words, the diameter of the stone.
Carat will influence the other of the 4Cs youll need to prioritize when shopping for a diamond to fit your budget. For example: If youd like a larger carat size, youll need to choose a diamond with a higher color grade, as that color will be more apparent. Youll also need to go with a higher clarity grade if you want a very clear, bright stone.
The most popular engagement ring size is 1 carat. Visually, its hard to tell the difference between diamonds that vary 5 to 10 percent in carat weight. For example, a 0.95ct and 1ct diamond will be nearly indistinguishable.
Reading Karat Marks On Gold Chains
One way to find out how many karats there are in a gold chain is to look for hallmarks on it.
These stamps should show the purity of the gold alloy in karats or parts per thousand.
Interpreting karat marks is straightforward: 10K stands for 10 karats, 18K means 18 karats, and so on.
If the gold purity of a chain is expressed in parts per thousand, however, you will see a 3-digit number instead of karats.
For example, a mark that reads 583 means that the piece contains gold in the proportion of 583 parts per thousand, which is equal to 58.3%, or 14 karats.
In general, to convertaparts-per-thousandnumbertokarats, simply divide the number by 1000, and then multiply it by 24.
For example, if you see a hallmark that reads 750, you can calculate that 750 divided by 1000 times 24 equals 18, and therefore, the item is 18 karats pure.
Some other common parts-per-thousand numbers are 917 for 22 karats, 833 for 20 karats, and 417 for 10 karats.
More:Check out these gold chains and their prices .
You May Like: Does Gold Bond Cure Athlete’s Foot
How The Pawnshop Calculates The Price Of Gold
The value of gold and its exchange rate keeps changing. Even so, most pawn shops are ready to purchase your gold if youre selling.
A pawnbroker will not buy your gold instantly, though. It doesnt matter if it is a piece of jewelry or in any other form. Theyll always determine its value first.
Below are several factors that pawnshops consider when calculating the price of gold.
What Is A Hallmark
If youve shopped for jewelry in Europe, or even imported pieces over in the U.S., chances are you’ve come across a few strange images on the jewelry which may or may not be accompanied with an actual purity number stamp. These are called hallmarks and do not need tobe accompanied by a specific purity stamp. If you know the hallmark, you will know just which purity is being guaranteed.
The symbols you will come across will vary by country and time period. Not only are hallmarks great for identifying the gold or precious metal used in the piece, they also help date the jewelry.
Here are clues to look for:
- An octagon shape in the hallmark shows gold.
- If the hallmark includes a three-digit number, this is most likely the purity of gold. For example, if the number 585 is stamped inside the octagon, this shows that you have a piece of gold that is 14K, or .585 in purity.
- Other symbols stamped into the gold show which company submitted the piece for hallmarking, and which assay office tested and stamped the hallmark of approval. Hallmarks give you peace of mind that the gold you bought is genuine and has been tested and certified.
Don’t Miss: How To Get Free Golden Eagles In War Thunder
The Historical Value Of The Gold Jewelry
Most pawnshops are willing to buy pieces of gold jewelry with historical value at a higher price. For instance, lets assume you have a 14K gold bracelet that Queen Elizabeth II wore. A pawnbroker will pay more for it than another piece without any heritage.
When selling gold pieces with historical value, have a certificate of origin. This proves that the celebrity you claim wore the bracelet, ring, or chain actually did. Otherwise, the pawnshop might not believe you.
Note that gold jewelry with popular jewelry designers signatures also falls under this category. If yours has one, mention it to get more cash for it.
The Ultimate Guide On Gold Purity Measurements
If youve shopped for gold jewelry and other products, youre probably familiar with the term karat or carat . Karat is the most commonly used measure of gold purity, and its scale ranges from 0 to 24.
A karat signifies the percentage of gold present in a piece of metal. It is 1/24 part or 4.1667% of the whole. Pure gold is 24 karats, and a product that contains 14 parts gold and ten parts other metal is 14-karat gold, or 58.33% gold.
Likewise, an item with a purity of one karat encompasses 1 part gold and 23 parts other metals or alloys, or 4.16% gold. To convert karats to a percentage, divide the karat value by 24, then multiply the result by 100.
Besides karat, gold purity can also be expressed in millesimal fineness, indicated by parts per thousand of genuine gold by mass in an alloy. All of these are used as gold purity measurements. Lets find out more about it!
Read Also: Does Zales Sell Fake Diamonds
Group Jewelry By Metal
Youve given your pieces some love and affection, next step is to roundup all your pieces that you want to store away. Separate your jewelry by metal.
If not worn regularly and maintained, silver tarnishes over time. Store your silver pieces by themselves in a sealed pouch or box away from exposure to the air. We recommend you store it in the original INO wool felt pouch that comes with your order since the felt will help absorb excess moisture and prevent premature tarnishing.
Gold is a relatively soft metal and can be damaged easily by scratches from hard gemstones or other metals. We suggest storing your gold pieces away from silver by keeping them in a soft cloth bag or our complimentary wool felt pouch. This separation helps keep your gold safe and looking new.
Current Market Price For Pure Gold
Knowing what youve got is the first step. Next, youll need to know the value of your item against the current market price for pure gold.
Remember: market value for pure gold is measured in ounces. Ready for another formula? Great! Once youve got your trusted price of pure gold in ounces, convert it to grams and plug in the values below:
Total grams of 24k gold X current price of gold per gram = value of your gold jewelry
And thats it! Follow these steps and youll have a solid grasp of what your gold jewelry is worth. Ready to sell your gold jewelry? Keep in mind that gold values shift daily, so its a good idea to appraise your gold jewelry from home a few times to get an average.
Bottom line, you can expect to get anywhere from 70-90% of the value you calculated for your gold jewelry.
Was this article helpful?
Recommended Reading: War Thunder Golden Eagles Hack
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.
Yellow White And Rose
Differences exist in gold colors based on the alloy the gold contains. Yellow gold is typically 14 and 18-carat gold and has a deep orange tint. Zinc and silver are common alloys in yellow gold, which hardens the jewelry but preserves the rich color. White gold is also produced from 14 and 18-carat gold, but contains alloys such as silver, platinum and palladium, which dilutes the gold hue and creates a silver color that looks very similar to pure platinum jewelry. Rose gold is less common than yellow and white gold and contains a copper alloy that gives the gold a pink-rose hue. It is generally produced from 10 and 14-carat gold.
Related Articles
Don’t Miss: Who Owns Gold Peak Tea
White Gold Jewelry And Karats
Perhaps you already know that the purity of regular yellow gold is measured in karats. This is also the case with white gold the karat number of any gold jewelry has the same meaning regardless of what the alloy is composed of.
For example, if a white gold ring is said to be 18 karats, this means that the item is made up of 75% gold and 25% other metals.
What Karat Is Pure Gold
If youre a lover of gold and interested in building a high quality collection of jewelry, your first thought may be if pure gold is how many carats, where can I buy this and what will it cost? The answer is tricky. 24 karat gold is the purest karat of gold you can buy, since it is made of 100% pure gold. No other mixed metals are found in 24k gold. This is why karats are measured on a scale out of 24, since 24 is the pure gold standard amount. However, 24 karat gold isnt often used to make jewelry because of its softness and delicacy. 24k gold doesnt have any alloys or other mixed metals, which makes it an impractical material to craft jewelry. This is why when crafting jewelry its important to have other alloys and mixed metals combined.This is what creates the durability of gold jewelry, making it long lasting and resistant to tarnishing. Heres a brief history lesson about the backstory of this karat grading system. In medieval times, the purest gold coin produced was known as a mark. This mark coin weighed 24 karats. It was quickly discovered that the material of the mark was extremely soft and delicate. This was how 24 karat gold was discovered as 100% pure gold. 24 karat gold is 100% pure gold, and that is what karat is pure gold. In our article specifically about 24k gold, we provide more information about what 24k gold is, and why it is the purest karat of gold.
Read Also: Can I Buy Gold Jewelry From Dubai Online
Which Gold Is Most Suitable For Engagement Rings
Shopping for an engagement ring? Theres more to picking the perfect ring than just choosing the right diamond and setting. The type of gold used in an engagement ring can have a huge impact on its appearance, feel and durability. We recently helped two readers find rose gold engagement rings. One reader went with this bold 14K setting while the other went with this, subtler, 18K setting.
Most importantly, making the right choice can help you get the best bang for your buck overall. Take this ring for example. Depending on which metal you choose, the price difference is $400. That means you can get this diamond or if you end up with the 14K version of this ring, you can get this diamond which is a whopping 25% larger while spending the same amount of money.
Contrary to popular belief, theres no single type of gold used for all gold jewelry. The gold used for rings, bracelets, watches and other fine jewelry is rarely 100% pure gold instead, it comes in a variety of different purity levels.
The most common gold purity levels are 10K , 14K, 18K and 24K. Each level of gold purity offers its own range of advantages and disadvantages, from hardness and durability to the risk of certain levels of gold purity contributing to skin irritation.
What Type Of Karat Is My Gold
Each piece of jewelry is stamped with the karat designation somewhere on the piece. For jewelry pieces, you probably will need a magnifying glass to find a two-digit number with a k or kt after it. If you dont see a two-digit number but a three-digit number instead, place a decimal point in front of the numbers and youll have the percentage.
- .999 = 24k
- .585, .583, or .575 = 14k
- .417 = 10k
If neither of these options is available to you, Bellatory recommends other tests that you can do to determine the purity of gold.
Also Check: Robinhood Gold Crypto
