You are on page 1of 3

Gold Purity Guide: Difference between 24k, 22k and 18k gold | My Gold Guide Page 1 of 3

Home (/) Trivia (/News-And-Trends/Trivia) Gold purity and colour guide: what is the difference between 24k, 22k and 18k gold?

Gold purity and colour guide: What


is the difference between 24k, 22k
and 18k gold?
TRIVIA (NEWS-AND-TRENDS/TRIVIA) 07 JUL 2017

Gold Glossary
Indirect investment

Indirect investment refers to indirect


ways of in... 
(http://www.mygoldguide.in/why-gold)
such as gold ETFs
(http://www.mygoldguide.in/what-to-
buy/gold-etf), E-Gold, and gold futures.
It is also called paper gold
(http://www.mygoldguide.in/tax-
benefits-with-paper-gold-investments).

Read More

Search

The Different Karats of Gold


Karat is the term used to measure the purity of gold. Before we understand
the difference between 24k, 22k and 18k gold, you must know what karat
stands for. Karat is basically a unit used to measure the purity of gold. The
Gold Estimator
higher the karatage, the purer the gold. Here’s a simple guide to
Enter an amount to find out its value in
understanding the difference between 24k, 22k and 18k gold. gold

24K gold

24k gold is also called pure gold or 100 per cent gold. This means that all
24 parts in the gold are all pure gold without traces of any other metals. It
is known to be 99.9 per cent pure and takes on a distinct bright yellow C A LCU LATE

color. There is no higher form of gold than 24K and you must be aware of
this before you go to a dealer who might tell you that they’re selling you
25K or 26K gold. Since this is the purest form of gold, it is naturally more
expensive than 22K or 18K gold. However, this type of gold is lesser in
density as compared to gold of a lower karatage which makes it soft and
pliable. Hence, it is not suited for regular forms of jewellery. Coins and
bars are mostly bought of 24K gold purity. 24K gold is also used in
electronics and medical devices such as those used for children
suffering from ear infections who are fitted with gold tympanostomy
DID YOU KNOW
tubes that are known to improve aeration of the middle ear.

22K gold The largest ever true gold nugget


weighed 2316 troy ounces when found
22K gold jewellery implies that 22 parts of the jewellery amounts to gold at Moliagul in Australia in 1869. It was
and the balance 2 parts are some other metals. This kind of gold is called the “Welcome Stranger”.

commonly used in jewellery making. In 22K gold, of the 100 per cent, only
91.67 per cent is pure gold. The other 8.33 per cent comprises metals
like silver, zinc, nickel and other alloys. It is this addition of metals that
make the texture of gold harder thereby making the jewellery durable.
However, you must know that although this can be used to make plain
gold jewellery (http://www.mygoldguide.in/why-gold/jewellery), 22K gold
isn’t preferable for diamonds and heavily studded jewellery.

18K gold

http://www.mygoldguide.in/gold-purity-tips-difference-between-24k-22k-18k-gold?ut... 30-Jun-18
Gold Purity Guide: Difference between 24k, 22k and 18k gold | My Gold Guide Page 2 of 3

18K gold is 75 per cent gold mixed with 25 per cent of other metals like
copper or silver etc. Usually studded jewellery and other diamond
jewellery is made in 18K gold. This kind of gold is less expensive
compared to 24K and 22K. This one has a slightly dull gold colour.
Recognizing 18K jewellery is rather simple – you will see the item
stamped with 18K, 18Kt, 18k or a variation similar to these. At times, 18K
gold is marked by 750, 0.75 or a stamp similar to these in order to
symbolise that the jewellery contains 75 per cent gold.

How is gold fineness calculated?


In the West the karat is expressed in fineness. For e.g. 24 k gold is
expressed as 1000 parts out of 1000 pure or fineness 1.000. 22 k is
expressed as 22 divided by 24, multiplied by 1000 which will give you a
fineness of 0.9166, 21 karat is 21 divided by 24 multiplied by 1000 which is
0.875 fineness and similarly 18 karat is 0.750 fineness.

Various colours of gold


24 karat gold has the natural warm colour of pure gold and its colour
cannot be changed without changing the purity to less than 24 k. Other
colours of gold can be made by changing the composition of the alloy in
the making of the jewellery.

Pink or Rose gold - Pink gold is made by adding more copper in the alloy
composition of the gold

Green Gold – Gold is given a green colour by adding more of zinc and
silver

White Gold – the white colour of gold is achieved by adding nickel or


palladium

A surface colour can also be given to gold articles by electro-plating.


However this can only be a surface finish and will be worn off over a period
of time.
24 karat gold contains 24 parts pure gold. 22 karat gold contains 22 parts
gold and 2 parts of other metals added as alloy. 21 karat gold contains 21
parts gold with three parts of other metals added. 18 karat gold contains 18
parts pure gold with 6 parts of other metals added. In the West the karat is
expressed in fineness. For eg. 24 k gold is expressed as 1000 parts out of
1000 pure or fineness 1.000. 22 k is expressed as 22 divided by 24 ,
multiplied by 1000 which will give you a fineness of .9166, 21 karat is 21
divided by 24 multiplied by 1000 which is .875 fineness and similarly 18
karat is .750 fineness.

Tips for Gold Buyers


24 karat = 99.5% pure gold and above
22 karat = 91.7 % gold
18 karat = 75.0 % gold
14 karat = 58.3 % gold
12 karat = 50.0 % gold
10 karat = 41.7 % gold
Also, check out 5 questions you must ask before buying gold jewellery here
(http://www.mygoldguide.in/5-questions-to-ask-before-buying-gold-
jewellery-india)

RELATED STORIES

http://www.mygoldguide.in/gold-purity-tips-difference-between-24k-22k-18k-gold?ut... 30-Jun-18
Gold Purity Guide: Difference between 24k, 22k and 18k gold | My Gold Guide Page 3 of 3

Why Gold (/why-gold) What To Buy (/what-to-buy) News and Trends (/news-and- Others (/)
(/) Investments (/why- Gold Bars (/what-to-buy/bars) trends) Price (/price)
gold/investment) Gold Coins (/what-to-buy/coins) Trivia (/news-and-trends/trivia) Experts Speak (/expert-speak)
Jewellery (/why-gold/jewellery) Gold Backed ETF (/what-to- Fashion & Lifestyle (/news-and- Gold Glossary (/glossary)
History & Facts (/why-gold/history- buy/gold-etf) trends/fashion-lifestyle)
Privacy Policy (/privacy)
and-facts) Gold Monetisation Scheme (/what- Fun Facts (/news-and-trends/fun-
Terms & Conditions (/terms-and-
to-buy/gold-account-monetisation) facts)
condition)
Sovereign Gold Bond (/what-to- Mythology (/news-and-
Contact Us (/contact-us)
buy/sovereign-gold-bond) trends/mythology)

Gold Jewellery Scheme (/what-to- Market Commentary (/news-and-


buy/jewellery-sip) trends/market-commentary)

Follow Us On Copyright © 2017 World Gold Council (India) Private Limited.

http://www.mygoldguide.in/gold-purity-tips-difference-between-24k-22k-18k-gold?ut... 30-Jun-18

You might also like