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Many people are familiar with gold karats. 24-karat gold is considered pure gold. Actually, 24-karat gold is jewelry mixed with a minute amount of some other metal, usually copper. Most people consider 24-karat gold too bright and too soft to be practical for use as jewelry. When you see 750 on jewelry, it indicates how much gold is in the gold alloy of your ring.
Other purities of gold, such as 18-karat, 14-karat, or 10-karat gold are usually what is used when you buy fine jewelry. The lower the karat, the less gold there is in the piece, and the stronger the metal is. That is because the gold is mixed with copper or other metals that are much stronger and more durable than gold. Anything less than 10-karat gold is considered costume jewelry and not real gold.
What 750 Means On Jewelry?
Many pieces of gold jewelry have a small stamp in an inconspicuous place. For a ring, the stamp might be inside the ring. This stamp is called a hallmark. The hallmark tells you how pure the gold is - what the karat is. If you see a hallmark that says 750, that means that it is 18-karat gold.
Since 24-karat gold is considered almost pure, to determine the percentage of gold in the lesser karat, you would divide that number by 24. If you have an 18-karat gold piece, that means 75% of the metal is gold and 25% is some other metal. The number 750 stands for the percentage of gold in the jewelry. So this number is another way of saying 18-karat gold.
A 14-karat gold piece would have a hallmark of 583 or 585 and 10-karat gold would have a hallmark of 417 or 416. This means that 14-karat gold is 58.3% or 58.5% gold and 10-karat gold is 41.7% or 41.6% gold.
Karats vs. Carats
The purity or fineness of gold is measured in karats, as described earlier. This should not be confused with carats, which is a measurement of the weight of a gemstone. A carat is 200 milligrams (.2 grams). A two-carat diamond would weigh 400 milligrams (.4 grams). Other stones that are often measured in carats include ruby, sapphire, emerald, topaz, aquamarine, garnet, tourmaline, zircon, spinel, and sometimes opal and pearl.
A diamond engagement ring often has a one or two-carat diamond with a band of 18-karat (or a hallmark of 750) gold band.
Luvari Can Answer Your Jewelry Questions
At Luvari, we can answer all of your jewelry questions and clear up any confusion regarding karats, carats, and hallmarks. We’ve been in the jewelry business for years and we love to share our knowledge. We want informed customers who understand the high quality and workmanship in all of our pieces.
You can check out our entire jewelry collection on our website. We also specialize in designing and manufacturing custom-designed pieces. Call us at 385-213-1553 to discuss your ideas for a one-of-a-kind jewelry piece for yourself or to give as a gift. We will use our advanced rendering technology to give you a clear idea of what your jewelry will look like when it is made by our superior manufacturers. Your informed enjoyment of your jewelry is our highest achievement.
