GOLD AND GOLD KARATS

Gold has been the inspiration for jewelry since the beginning of time. It's coveted for its gleaming beauty and strong yet malleable nature. Gold will not rust, corrode or tarnish.

Gold is measured in karats, abbreviated as the letter "K" and preceded by a number. 100% pure gold is 24K. However, in its pure form, gold is too soft to be used in jewelry. In order to give it resilience to hold up to everyday wear, gold is alloyed with other metals.

Gold is Available in a Variety of Different Karats

22 karat (91.7% gold)
While beautiful, it is really too soft for use in jewelry as the gold would literally bend out of shape. You will often see antique 22k gold jewelry in museums.

18 karat (75% gold)
Excellent for use in fine jewelry with a rich, deep color. 18K gold is a little softer than 14K and will usually wear a little more, giving it a soft patina.

14 karat (58.3% gold)
Great for use in traditional jewelry. This is a hard, resilient metal that will maintain much of its original look (polish and detail) for many years.

12 karat (50% gold)
We do not use nor recommend below 14k as the color is not an attractive, rich hue at this percentage.

10 karat (41.7% gold)
Although this is the minimum legal karatage allowed to be called gold in the US, we do not use nor recommend it for jewelry.

Yellow Gold

At Diamond Ideals we offer both 14k and 18k yellow gold settings for our diamond jewelry. If you prefer a deep, rich, golden color, we recommend 18k. Many people also enjoy the traditional color of 14k yellow gold. The choice is entirely up to you.

White Gold

Diamond Ideals offers 14k white gold settings. Although much whiter in color than yellow gold, 14k white gold has a subtle yellow hue because it is made with 58.3% yellow gold. To increase the white color, rhodium is plated over our 14K white gold settings. (Rhodium is a hard, durable, silvery-white metal.) Eventually, the rhodium plating will wear off. Your local jeweler can easily re-plate the rhodium finish on your jewelry to restore its shiny white color. Your 14K white gold jewelry should be re-plated about once a year.

Diamond Ideals also offers an 18K white gold and palladium alloy. The palladium alloy gives the white gold a whiter, platinum-like color. 18 karat mixed with palladium alloy (75% gold) is our preferred form of 18K white gold as the palladium adds elasticity to the metal giving it more of a platinum look and feel.

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