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      Under $100 $100-$250 $250-$500 $500-$750 $750-$1,000 $1,000-$2,500 Over $2,500   |
24K, meaning 24-karat gold (24 parts gold, no alloy), is considered pure gold and too soft be used for jewelry. 22K, meaning 22-karat gold, contains 90% pure gold (22 parts gold, 2 parts alloy). 18K, meaning 18-karat gold, contains 75% pure gold (18 parts gold, 6 parts alloy). 14K, meaning 14-karat gold, contains aproximately. 58% pure gold (14 parts gold, 10 parts alloy). This appears the most widely. 10K, meaning 10-karat gold, contains aproximately. 42% pure gold (10 parts gold, 14 parts alloy). Anything below 10K cannot be labeled or sold as gold. Yellow gold is by far the most popular. Copper and silver are the alloys used most for yellow gold. White gold contains copper, zinc and palladium, or nickel alloy. The value of gold jewelry is based on karat count, weight in grams and workmanship used to create the piece. Platinum Gold Platinum ranks among the rarest of metals. Ten tons of ore yield one ounce of platinum. The refining process takes nearly a half-year. Unlike gold, which doesn't work well in its purest form, platinum is used in jewelry at 90 to 95% purity. Platinum is usually stamped "900Pt" or "900 Plat" (for 90%), "950Pt" or "950 Plat" (95%) or just "Plat". Platinum in it's purest state contains five other metals; iridium, rhodium, palladium, osmium and ruthenium. Terms of Use |
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