9 Karat Or 18 Karat Gold - How Much Gold Is Enough?
Which should you choose, 9 karat or 18 karat gold jewellery?
If you’re interested in buying gold but aren’t sure how much to spend, you may find yourself asking, “Should I buy 9 karat or 18 karat gold?”
Why do people buy more expensive jewellery than cheaper options? This question is the result of a study by researchers from Harvard Business School, who asked 7,000 gold buyers to compare two pieces of jewellery. They found that even when people were given the same price range, they tended to favour higher-karat gold than lower-karat gold. In fact, even when the difference between 9 karats and 18 karats was $2,000, they still chose 18 karat gold.
What Is A karat?
A karat (or carat) is the unit of measure for the purity of gold or silver. It’s the percentage of metals in a specific alloy. In the UK, a karat rating is typically used to refer to the precious metal content of an item.
A gold karat is 1/24 part, or 4.1667 per cent, of the metal. The purity of an alloy of gold is expressed as the proportion of pure gold it contains. So, a piece of jewellery that contains 18 parts gold and 6 parts of other metals is 18 karat gold, and pure gold is 24-karat gold - there is nothing except gold in the metal.
When selling gold in the UK and many other countries there is a legal requirement that metal should carry a hallmark from an assay office that shows and guarantees the quality of the precious metal.
On the other hand, a carat is a unit of weight used with precious stones such as diamonds. To confuse matters, sometimes instead of the K and the word karat, a C and the word Carat is used. Just remember that Karats are about the purity of gold and other precious metals and not the weight and you'll be fine!
Which Is Better: 9 Karat Or 18 Karat Gold?
Gold is a very soft metal and in its pure 24K form is too soft to be used in jewellery. For this reason, gold is usually mixed with copper and other metals to create a stronger, more durable form of gold that still looks 'golden'.
In the UK, most gold jewellery is made with either 9 or 18 Karat gold. !8K gold jewellery will cost more than 9K gold because it has twice as much pure gold in the alloy. On the other hand, 9K gold will be somewhat more durable than 18K gold, however, in most cases, the difference is not great enough to make this a reason to choose one over the other.
One of the most attractive features of gold is that it does not tarnish - it never loses its shine because it does not oxidise. 18K gold is pure enough that it should never tarnish, just like pure gold, however, 9K gold can tarnish somewhat over time. Of course, should any tarnish appear then having the jewellery cleaned as part of its normal maintenance will solve the problem.
In addition, the greater proportion of other metals in 9K gold can lead to skin reactions. If this is likely to be an issue then the best choice will be 18K gold.
Why Is It Better To Buy A Ring With A Higher Karat Number?
The choice of karat number is not a simple as 'always choose 18K gold'! If you are buying ready-made jewellery then the choice will often have been made for you. 9K gold will be used in less expensive jewellery in order to keep the price down.
If you are having bespoke jewellery made for you then you can choose, but the lower cost of the gold will not have a great impact on the price because of the cost of working with a designer and so most people will choose 18K gold as a matter of course.
As noted in the first paragraph, people almost always prefer to have 18K gold, if they have a choice. We prefer to know that we are buying higher quality products wherever possible.
One area where there can be a visible difference between 18K and 9K gold is the colour. While anyone looking at a piece of 9K gold jewellery will always identify the colour as being golden, 18K gold, because it has more of the precious metal in it, will tend to have a richer, more yellow colour than 9K gold. If your preference is for a cooler colour with a silvery hue, perhaps to match skin tone or the diamonds used in the piece then 9K gold may be the right choice.
For most buyers of fine jewellery the choice will come down to budget and that's a very good reason to go for 9K gold!
Brazalete de tenis con diamantes y rubíes de 2,35 ct en oro amarillo de 18 k
€2.544,95
Este deslumbrante brazalete de rubíes y diamantes es un regalo elegante o un regalo decadente solo para usted. El rojo intenso del rubí crea un sorprendente contraste con los brillantes diamantes de calidad G/SI de origen ético. Montado en oro… read more
White And Rose Gold
While taking of colour, we should mention white and rose gold. These are alloys of gold that have been created specifically to give buyers a choice of the colour of their gold jewellery. Just as with yellow gold, white and rose gold can be purchased in 9 or 18K grades. The difference is that in rose gold more copper is added to the mix than any other metal, apart from gold. With white gold, the copper content is reduced and more zinc and nickel are added. Usually, the jewellery is then coated with rhodium to increase the silvery-white sheen. In either case, if you buy 9 or 18K hallmarked gold, then the amount of gold would be exactly the same as in classic yellow gold.
In conclusion, while 18k gold is more expensive it has better quality than 9k gold. In terms of durability, it is much the same. In terms of price, the 9k gold is cheaper than the 18k gold. In terms of design, most people think that 18k gold is more attractive than 9k gold.
I can’t say that one option is clearly superior to the other. The only thing that I can say with certainty is that it is not wise to buy gold jewellery based on price alone. Gold has always been a valuable asset and a store of value, so it is no surprise that it is one of the most popular types of investments around. When you look at the price of gold, you can’t help but wonder how it is that it has managed to retain its value over such a long period of time.
Please check out our other articles about gold HERE and take a moment to browse our collections of fine jewellery. At All Diamond, we offer jewellery made with gold in yellow, white and rose colours as well as pure platinum.
Collar en forma de flor de rubí de 1,30 ct en oro rosa de 18 k
€906,95
Joyas fabulosamente divertidas pueden ser suyas en la forma de este encantador colgante en forma de flor con una gran cantidad de magníficos rubíes cortados a mano que brillarán maravillosamente en la cadena de oro rosa de 18k elaborada con… read more
