What is the difference between 24kt, 18kt, 14kt and 10kt gold?

Jennifer August 13th, 2007


The difference between the different types of gold is in the purity of the gold. The karat weight of gold is measured by gold’s purity.

24 karat gold – pure gold (with the highest purity, the more valuable the piece is)

18 karat gold – purity of 18/24, so it is 75% gold

14 karat gold – purity of 14/24, so it would be roughly 50% gold

10 karat gold – purity of 10/24, so it is 41.6% gold

As the purity of gold decreases, the alloy in the jewelry increases. Copper and silver are the most common alloys used when making gold jewelry and white gold is usually made with a nickel alloy.

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3 Responses to “What is the difference between 24kt, 18kt, 14kt and 10kt gold?”

  1. # dianaon 06 May 2008 at 8:20 am

    So if you were buying your son who is graduating from college his college ring would you buy the 10kt for $822 or the 14kt for $1119. Is it worth the difference in cost? Will the 10kt ring darken over time?

  2. # Billie Hunteron 09 Jan 2009 at 8:49 pm

    hi
    1nfss2hqshne77k1
    good luck

  3. # salon 01 Nov 2009 at 11:04 pm

    Well, 10kt and 14kt is a good way to go for a graduation ring and given the fact that in the future your son will want to look at something that’s not “decaying”, so to speak.

    So definitely don’t go for the 18kt… because it will wear quicker. 10kt is usually cheaper and 14kt gold has a very “stable” color and is very durable.

    I’d recommend the 14kt… but that price is outrageous… try going to jtv.com and search for “gents ring”. They MAY have some nice 10kt or 14kt affordable rings.

    As a matter of fact… many jewelers buy from jtv.com and resale the jewelry, because it’s so affordable. But try that… :)

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