Thursday, October 2, 2008

How to Buy Gold Jewelry

Gold is one of the most commonly used materials for jewelry. And as gold jewelry doesn't discolor like silver does, they are ideal for people with allergy concerns. Because of its malleability, gold is mixed with other metals to improve its durability and structure. That's why even 24K gold isn't really made purely of gold.

Gold jewelry is measured by its karat or the amount of gold it contains. 24K gold is the highest karat amount you can look for. The next would be 18K, 14K, 12K, and 10K. Any gold jewelry with a rating lower than 10K is no longer considered gold jewelry. In Europe, the karat rating is shown in percentage. 18K would be .750 because it contains 75% gold. 14K would be .583, 12K would be .500.

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