The different grades of gold jewelry
Gold rings are graded according to the weight of pure gold that they contain. The different types of rings (and other jewelry items) classified by grade are:
- 24 karat gold rings made of pure gold. Because pure gold is a soft metal, 24 k gold rings are malleable. Any designs on the ring can easily be deformed; the ring is easily scratched, dented and pressed out of shape. 24 k rings are typically yellow brown in color. The color may deepen or lighten depending on where the gold used to make it was mined.
- 18 karat gold rings which are actually 75 % gold. The metal is a mixture of 18 parts gold and 6 parts of another metal. This grade of gold is harder than pure gold but it has a lighter yellow-brown color, can also be deformed, scratched, dented and squeezed out of shape to a lesser degree than 24 k gold.
- 14 karat gold rings which are formed by a mixture of 14 parts gold plus 10 parts of another metal. It is thus 58.3 % pure. A 14 k gold ring is hard enough to resist deforming and damage. However, its color is lighter than an 18 k gold ring.
- 12 karat gold rings which are half gold. A 12k gold ring is practically as hard as steel and cannot therefore be easily damaged by normal use.
- 10k gold rings which have 10 parts of gold and 12 parts of another metal. It is 51.3 % gold and is the lowest grade that is still resistant to tarnishing and is still considered to be solid gold.
The different colors of 10k gold rings
When gold is mixed with other metals, depending on the metal mixed with it, it can assume different shades. Along this line we have yellow gold, rose gold and white gold.
By combining gold with copper and silver in different proportions, goldsmiths are able to produce different shades from white to red to the standard yellow-brown.
As an alternative for silver for casting white gold, nickel and palladium are often used. A white 10k gold ring that has silver is greenish white in shade, nickel and palladium produce the whiter shades of white gold. However, nickel is a metal which is allergenic and irritating to many people. In case you are sensitive to nickel whenever you are purchasing a white gold ring, be sure to look at its papers to verify the metal mixed with it.
By far the best additive for white gold is palladium. It belongs to the platinum family of metals and is the least dense among them. Like standard platinum, palladium does not corrode. It is normally less expensive than platinum but more expensive than gold. It is also costlier than silver. White 10k gold rings mixed with silver are therefore less expensive. They are also shinier initially but fade very easily. Palladium white gold jewelry is less brilliant but the sheen will not fade.
Gold as an investment
Your 10k gold ring, as indicated by the upward trend of gold prices in the market, is a good investment. During times of economic distress, rich people prefer to bury their money in gold investment because it is traditionally one commodity that never devaluates. Because of this, in current times, the demand for gold for increases.
In the face of those demand, gold mines are themselves fast becoming myths. There is barely enough gold going around to create jewelry from and the new pieces of gold jewelry are usually crafted from gold extracted from old jewelry and coins. In fact, gold is becoming scarcer as the demand for it goes higher.
Those conditions, as anyone can see, are what have kept the price of gold going up steadily for several years now u. Therefore, your 10k gold ring will probably cost more than you paid for it in a few short years. So that even if you do not like wearing jewelry, you can just let the solid gold jewelry you bought sleep quietly in your jewelry box. In a few years, you may be able to sell it again for a higher price.
On the other hand, keeping your 10k gold ring as a charm for good fortune is also a good idea.
I never realised this before, but you have a very good point indeed