Jewelry helps every individual fulfill the innate desire to look good, attractive and adorable. A lot of people love gold jewelry because it rarely oxidizes unlike other metals which are prone to rust, such as copper and iron. Gold jewelries also complement your outfit by giving you a unique look thereby making you stand out.
Have you ever wondered why your gold jewelries fade or reduce in value after a while, losing its initial shine? This happens for a few reasons, and this is why it is important to know the types and quality of gold available. In this article, you will find important tips for buying jewelry, but first let’s take a look at the types of gold.
Types of Gold
Gold in its purest form is a reddish yellow metal. Gold jewelry however is made by mixing pure gold with silver copper and zinc, in other words gold jewelry is an alloy. This is why it comes as yellow gold, green gold, white gold, black gold and rose gold; there are other types of gold apart from these ones.
Yellow gold is usually regarded as the purest colored gold as it has a golden yellow shine. It has this color because pure gold is mixed with red copper and silver.
Gold in its purest form is soft and likely to bend or scratch; this is why it is unusual to find a 24karat mark on jewelry.
Quality of Gold Available
Gold appears in several qualities but in order to know what to buy and the quality available, it is important to take note of the following before buying a gold jewelry.
The Weight of the Gold Jewelry: It is necessary to look out for the weight of the gold jewelry. This is because the weight of the gold determines its price and durability.
Purity of the Gold Jewelry: How pure is the gold jewelry you are about to buy? The price of a gold jewelry also determines how pure it will be.
Look Out for Its Hallmark: Ensure the particular gold you are buying has been hallmarked; this is the percentage of the purity of the gold jewelry which is usually engraved on some part of the jewelry, it is usually imprinted in areas of the jewelry that is not very conspicuous. Look out for the marking, this marking shows the purity code of the jewelry and is usually measured in karats. The purest form of gold is hallmarked at 24karats; this means that the gold is 99.9%.Since it is likely to bend or scratch it isn’t used as jewelry. Hallmarks differ, 14K means 58.33% gold and 18K is 75% gold.
Take note of return policies before buying a gold jewelry, it usually adds up to the price of the jewelry but it’s worth it. This return policy allows you to return the jewelry if it isn’t as durable as it is supposed upon use.
Clear your doubts on the quality of the gold jewelry you are about to buy. Be sure you are buying not just for its beauty but because of its durability.
