Precious Metals
PRECIOUS METALS ALLOYS
-
What is Sterling Silver?
Sterling silver is an alloy of 92,5% pure silver and 7,5% copper. It's due to this reason that it's commonly referred to as "925 silver". It's harder and more durable than pure silver, however, due to the addition of copper, it's prone to tarnish.
-
What is 9K Gold?
The purity of gold is determined in karats. They range from the purest, 24k, to the lowest recognized gold karat, which is 8k. For example, in the United States, the minimum standard for gold before 2018 was 10k, however, there were countries that allowed marketing 9k as gold such as Portugal, France, Austria, Ireland and the United Kingdom. Other countries like Denmark and Greece allowed 8k.
| 8k | 333 | Percentage of pure gold = 33.3% |
| 9k | 375 | Percentage of pure gold = 37.5% |
| 10k | 417 | Percentage of pure gold = 41.7% |
| 14k | 585 | Percentage of pure gold = 58.5% |
| 18k | 750 | Percentage of pure gold = 75.0% |
| 22k | 916 | Percentage of pure gold = 91.6% |
| 24k | 999 | Percentage of pure gold = 99.9% |
There are pros and cons to 9k gold. It is stronger and harder compared to high karat gold due to the higher content of other metals and it is more affordable due to a lower percentage of gold. It is also superior quality to gold-plated jewelry, withstanding a much more intense wear due to the fact that the color is permanent. Even though it tarnishes faster than higher karats, most of the time you wouldn't be able to tell until you compare it to a newer one. However, there is a greater chance of reacting on metal-sensitive skin.
Another thing to keep in mind, higher karats are more yellow and complement deep skin colors and warm undertones very well, while lower carats work best with cool-toned skins.