The materials

Gold is a precious metal, also called noble metal, colored used in jewelry. Gold should not be confused or equated with platinum, another precious metal.

What does the karat of gold mean?

Gold is an extremely malleable metal, which is why it is necessary to mix it with other stronger materials in order to create jewelery that is rigid enough to be worn. This is how the notion of “carat” for gold comes into play. Not to be confused with the carat of gems which refers to their weight, the carat of gold indicates the percentage of "pure" gold in an alloy. This percentage is generally expressed in thousandths in the hallmarks. 

How to check the carat of a gold jewel?

To check the carat of a gold jewel you can check the state hallmark represented by an animal head. Indeed, if there is an eagle or owl head, then it is an 18 carat gold jewel. 14 carat gold is represented by a scallop shell. Finally, a piece of 9-karat gold jewelry will have a three-leaf clover hallmark. You should know that 24 carat gold (pure gold) is not used in jewelry because it is too soft. A jewel with the highest gold content is an 18 carat jewel.

It is also possible to check the gold content of your jewel by using a touchstone. Only professionals practice this method. This consists of making a trace on the stone with the jewel and using specific acids, experts can assess the gold content of the jewel.

Which carat of gold to choose?

Why is there a price difference between 9K and 18K jewelry?

As gold is the most expensive metal of the alloy, the difference in price between the two different gold titrations is explained by the quantities of fine gold in their composition. This is why a jewel of the same weight in 18K gold is more expensive than a jewel in 9K gold.

On the other hand, the price of the stones and the work of the workshops remains identical in 9 and 18 carat gold for the realization of a jewel.

Is 9K gold more fragile?

The composition of the 9K gold alloy in no way justifies that 9K gold is more fragile and more brittle. The alloy produced is rigid enough for the creation of jewelry and thus can be worn daily.

A 9K gold jewel can be altered more quickly by oxidizing products because the gold alloy is more coppery than that of 18K gold.

What are the differences between the three types of gold?

There are three main "types" of gold depending on the color of the metal: yellow gold, rose gold and white gold.

These different colors of gold derive directly from the composition of the multiple possible gold alloys. It is the proportions of these additional materials which are at the origin of the different shades of gold.

• Yellow Gold

Yellow gold is the color of gold that comes closest to gold in its natural state. For 18K gold, its alloy is composed of 75% fine gold, 12.5% ​​silver and 12.5% ​​copper.

• Rose Gold

For 18K gold, this gold is composed of 75% fine gold, 20% copper and 5% silver.

• White gold

There is frequent confusion between the denominations "grey gold" and "white gold".

For 18K gold, these two denominations refer to the same gold alloy, namely 75% fine gold, 18.5% silver, 5.5% zinc and 1% copper. As it is, this alloy is slightly “grey”, hence the name “grey gold”.

To obtain white gold, gray gold is covered with a thin layer of rhodium (rare and noble metal more expensive than gold) to give it a lighter color; we then say that the gold is “rhodium”. Over time, white gold acquires a patina.

It may therefore sometimes be necessary to reapply a layer of rhodium to keep the piece of jewelery as it was purchased.

Gold, what is its symbolism over time?

Used at all ages and in many civilizations, gold is a symbol of the divine par excellence. This can be explained in particular by two of its physical properties, namely its almost inalterability to time which makes it a material of immortality and its dazzling yellow color which reflects the light.

Beyond its aesthetic aspect and its symbolism, gold has also played a significant economic role since antiquity. It is now listed on the major Western stock exchanges, New York, London and Tokyo. The transactions that take place on this value, especially in times of crisis, are considered an important economic barometer.

Check the quality of my gold jewelry

How to recognize gold jewelry?

To be certain that your jewel is a gold jewel, there are different ways to check it. First, you can simply take your jewelry to a jeweler . He will be able to tell you if it is a gold jewel or not. However, it is also possible to check this for yourself.

The hallmarks are a way of verifying that your jewel is in gold and its carat. This is a guarantee present on the jewel. In France, a gold jewel must have two hallmarks. The first is the hallmark of responsibility which is specific to the manufacturer. It is oval or diamond shaped. The second is the state hallmark . The latter features different animal heads that refer to different gold titers. They are explained in more detail in the previous point How to check the carat of a gold jewel . The hallmark therefore makes it possible to verify the carat of a piece of gold jewellery. You should know that gold is a metal that shines a lot. Therefore, to verify that your jewel is gold, you can clean it and if it does not shine, it is not gold. Gold-plated jewelry (single layer of plating over another metal) will wear faster, and you will see the color of the other metal under the gold plating. This is another way to see if the jewel is gold or not. Be careful, this should not be confused with the rhodium plating done on white gold jewellery, which allows you to obtain a "shiny white" finish on the gold jewellery.