SRESHT

Terms Used in Jewellery

Alloy

An alloy refers to a metal created by combining two or more metals. The new metal will have some properties of both metals used to create it. Gold jewellery is typically crafted from an alloy of gold with copper, silver, nickel or zinc. Similarly, silver jewellery is crafted from an alloy of silver and copper, brass or bronze. The resulting alloys are harder, more durable and may have a different colour from the initial metal.

14KT

Gold in its purest form is 24KT, but it is too soft to be moulded into durable jewellery. Hence pure gold must be mixed with other metals to make it harder and enable it to maintain its shape. 14KT gold refers to a gold alloy that features 14 parts of pure gold and 10 parts of another metal. Thus, approximately 58.3% of the alloy is pure gold. 14KT gold is harder than 18KT or 22KT gold but is lighter in color. Jewellery made in 14KT gold also costs less than its 18KT or 22KT counterparts. It may be expressed as 14KT, 14K or 58.3% on gold jewellery.

18KT

18KT gold is the most popular gold alloy used for making jewellery. This alloy contains 18 parts of pure gold and 6 parts of copper, zinc or nickel. In terms of percentage, 18KT gold contains 75% pure gold. 18KT gold jewellery may be stamped as 18K, 18Kt, 18KT or 75%. 18KT gold is usually used for any jewellery that is studded with precious or semiprecious gemstones. Gold with this caratage is relatively hypoallergenic but may bend or scratch easily.

22KT

Solid gold jewellery is typically made in 22KT gold. This gold alloy contains 22 parts of pure gold and only 2 parts of alloy metal. It is the purest form of gold used for jewellery. In terms of percentages, 22KT gold has 91.6% pure gold. It may be marked on jewellery as 22KT, 22K, 22Kt, 916 gold or 91.6%. 22KT gold has a vivid yellow color and is much softer than 18KT or 14KT gold. It is rarely used for designs that involve diamonds or other precious gemstones.