Gold has always been a treasured possession owing to its radiance and beauty! When shopping for an engagement ring, you need more information than just selecting a gem. There’s the engagement band that you must also think of. You may have heard about engagement rings in 18k (18 karats) yellow gold and might be wondering what the k even stands for! Worry not! This article will take a look at gold and its purity levels. Read on and find out more about this highly valuable metal:
Purity Levels
Contrary to what most people think, gold jewelry is hardly 100% pure. Gold used in watches, bracelets, necklaces, and rings comes in different levels of purity. The karat (k) system is used to measure the purity of gold and is separate from carat (c), which is used to measure the weight of a diamond. The four most common levels are 24k, 18k, 14k, and 10k. Each level has its own advantages and is based on the type of hardness and durability that the gold represents.
- 24k is pure gold, this means that 24 out of 24 parts of the metal are made of pure gold. However, owing to its purity, it’s malleable and soft. This makes 24k gold unsuitable for wedding rings as they need to be more durable.
- 18k gold is the purest form of gold suitable for engagement rings and other precious jewelry! Owing to its advantages, 18k gold is expensive.
- 14k gold is less refined than 18k but is ideal for most jewelry. This level of purity ensures that you can create jewelry but at a lower price. While a lot of people go for this gold, it may not be ideal as a wedding band.
- 10k gold is the most durable of the lot but isn’t very lustrous. Due to its low purity level, some jewelers avoid using it to create beautiful jewelry.
Color
At present, yellow gold jewelry is still trendy. However, gold is now available in different shades. With the process of alloying, in which an alloy is mixed with gold to increase durability, gold color can also be changed. There are many types of composites used in changing the primary yellow color.
For instance, white gold is created by mixing silver or palladium with gold. Using copper as an alloy creates a soft pink hue, and intermixing gold with cobalt oxide produces black gold. However, when it comes to color, engagement rings in 18k yellow gold are still the best. This is because, in 18k, gold retains the yellowish-shade that makes it stand out. Made up of 75% gold and 25% alloy, 18k yellow gold is one of the most popular and sought-after options for engagement bands.
Benefits of 18k yellow gold
Now that we know 18k yellow gold is one of the best options to go for when choosing engagement rings – we can now look at its benefits:
- 18k gold looks brilliant. It has a classic appearance that most people associate with gold jewelry
- It is incredibly pure. When it comes to fine jewelry, 18k is the purest form available and is extremely precious
- It offers practicality. Considering that elegant rings can’t be created with 24k gold, 18k is the best practical option
- Although expensive, this type of gold is pure and signifies love in its most authentic form
- It’s an efficient metal for daily use. 18k gold is less prone to scratches and can withstand daily wear and tear
- It reduces the risk of skin allergies. 18k gold only requires a minimal amount of alloy, which ensures that the chance of allergy is extremely minimal
- It doesn’t get damaged easily. If you buy a ring with 18k gold, it will stay hard and durable, and keep the prongs intact. This will ensure that the gem doesn’t loosen when brushed against clothes or other items
- 18k gold perfectly complements all gemstones. Whether you’re going for diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, or rubies, 18k will look good. It’ll also give out a unique sense of desirability
When shopping for rings for your wedding, it’s essential to understand all the requirements. From looking for the perfect design to getting the ideal fit, the process of the proposal can be challenging. However, once you finalize the wedding band, everything else falls into place. It’s a good idea to go for engagement rings in 18k yellow gold because its durable, lustrous, and goes well with almost every gem. So, don’t wait, get exploring and find the best wedding ring out there!
