How is gold quality measured?
The quality of gold is measured in units called karats,
abbreviated "k" or possibly "kt", and usually
range from 24k to 10k. 24 karat gold is pure gold, though most jewelry is not made from this since it is too soft. To
make the gold more strong, materials are added to it such as copper,
nickel, silver, and zinc to create an alloy. After the gold has been
mixed with other materials, the amount of gold is reduced, so 18
karat gold contains approximately 75% gold, 14 karat gold is about
58.5% gold, and 10 karat gold has about 41.7% gold in it. Nothing
less than 10 karat gold can be legally sold as gold jewelry or called
gold in the United States.
| Twenty-four karat |
24K |
999 |
99.9% |
| Eighteen karat |
18K |
750 |
75.0% |
| Fourteen karat |
14K |
585 |
58.5% |
| Ten karat |
10K |
417 |
41.7% |
What is the difference between white and yellow gold?
Yellow gold more closely resembles the actual color of gold and is
usually an alloy of silver and copper. White gold looks like platinum and is usually an alloy of nickel, zinc, and
copper. Nickel is sometimes substituted for another mineral in white
gold, as some people may be allergic to nickel. Since gold must be alloyed to other materials when making it
into jewelry, gold is able to come in various colors as well, such
as green, pink, or rose.
| Yellow Gold |
Copper, Silver |
| White Gold |
Copper, Nickel, Zinc |
| Rose / Pink Gold |
Copper |
| Green Gold |
Copper, Silver, Zinc |
*Actual alloy elements and percentages
of alloy materials may vary between jewelry pieces.
What is sterling silver?
Sterling silver is made up of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% alloy
material, such as copper, to provide extra strength, since pure silver
is generally too soft to make jewelry out of. Any jewelry that is called
silver must contain at least 92.5% pure silver.
How is gemstone size measured?
The size of gemstones, including diamonds, are measured in units
called carats, abbreviated "ct". One carat weighs
about 200 milligrams, or 0.2 grams, and 142 carats weigh about one
ounce. The size of gemstones may also be measured in units called
points. Often, the larger the size of the
stone, the more valuable it is.
A Carat is a Karat is a Carrot?
A Carat, abbreviated "ct", is a unit of measurement for
the size of gemstones and is equal to 100 points. A
Karat,
abbreviated "k" or possibly "kt",
is a unit of measurement for gold quality with 24 karats being pure
gold and 10 karats being the lowest legal limit for selling an item
as gold jewelry in the United States. A Carrot is a vegetable whose orange, conical shaped roots
are eaten for their nutritional value and has no relation to jewelry
whatsoever.
How large is a point?
A point, abbreviated "pt", is 1/100th of a carat. Therefore, a 100 point size gemstone would be equal to 1
carat, and a 50 point gemstone would be 1/2 carat in size.
How is Total Weight (T.W.) calculated?
The Total Weight is calculated by adding up all the stones in a jewelry
piece. For example, a jewelry piece containing one 1 carat stone and
two 1/2 carat stones would have a Total Weight of 2 carats.
What do the common gemstone shapes look like?
There are many shapes that a gemstone may take, but some of the most
common are round, oval, pear, heart, marquise, radiant, emerald, princess, baguette, and trillion. Here is a drawing of these
common shapes which gemstones are cut into:
NOTE: The drawings shown above may differ
greatly from the actual cut or shape of any given jewelry piece.
What are the birthstones?
Note: Birthstone lists may vary from jeweler to jeweler.
| Month |
Color |
Stone |
Additional Stones |
| January |
Dark Red |
Garnet |
|
| February |
Purple |
Amethyst |
|
| March |
Pale Blue |
Aquamarine |
|
| April |
White / Clear |
Diamond |
White Topaz |
| May |
Bright Green |
Emerald |
Green Tourmaline |
| June |
Cream |
Pearl
|
Moonstone, Alexandrite |
| July |
Red |
Ruby |
|
| August |
Pale Green |
Peridot |
|
| September |
Deep Blue |
Sapphire |
|
| October |
Variegated |
Opal |
(Pink) Tourmaline |
| November |
Yellow |
Citrine |
Yellow Topaz |
| December |
Sky Blue |
Blue Topaz |
Turquoise, Blue Zircon, Tanzanite |
*Adapted from the list recommended by the Jewelers of
America.
|
