Table of Contents
The Different Types of Gold You Need to Know
Did you know that out of all the different precious metals on the market, gold is the most popular choice for investors? When most people think of gold, they think of the classic yellowish bars. However, unknown to many, there are actually several different types of gold.
Whether you trade gold on the market or buy it to keep as an asset, it’s important to know about the different kinds of gold.
This article will guide you through the most popular types. We will explore yellow gold, which is the most common, as well as rose gold, white gold, blue gold, and the difference between gold karats.
Let’s begin with the ever-famous yellow gold.
Different Types of Gold
Most people prefer yellow gold because it is familiar and immediately identifiable as gold. It is also a favorite among jewelers and investors. It is a metal that can easily be melted and molded into various shapes, such as necklaces, earrings, and rings.
However, not even all yellow gold appears exactly the same. Some yellow gold may be lighter or darker than others. The color is dependent on what other metals are mixed with the pure gold when melting it down.
Popular metal choices to mix with gold are silver, which will lighten the gold, and copper, which will give it a darker tone.
However, common metals such as nickel and zinc may occasionally be used as well. With this kind of information, you may find that buying gold is not as easy as you thought.
However, by knowing more about this precious metal, in the long run, you may find it’s easier buying and selling gold than ever before, because you know what to look for.
Is there such a thing as gold that is not mixed with other metals? Of course, and that’s where the subject of karats comes in.
24K Yellow Gold
If you’re wondering, “How much does gold sell for?” it depends on the karats.
24K gold is as pure as you can get when it comes to gold. It is 99.9% pure gold.
Unsurprisingly, this is the most expensive type of gold, and it is often the most esteemed among gold buyers and sellers. This is because pure gold has a unique richness and sheen in its appearance.
Another benefit of gold is that it won’t tarnish. This is because it doesn’t contain cheaper metals like copper, which can become tarnished over time. For the same reason, 24K gold won’t cause skin irritation when wearing it.
A big downside to 24K gold is that, because it is so pure, it is very soft and can easily be bent. For this reason, 24K gold is not very practical in the form of jewelry, though it’s ideal for traders. Instead, many jewelry makers prefer 18K gold.
18K Gold
18K gold is considerably more durable than 24K and is often used for bracelets, necklaces, and rings. The downside is that it is only 75% pure gold. The other 25% is often zinc or copper.
Because of this, 18K gold does not have the same sheen as 24K gold. This doesn’t mean 18K gold is seen as cheap. In reality, 18K gold is what most people are familiar with when they think of gold.
From 18K gold, the percentage of pure gold progressively declines. On the lower end of the Karat spectrum, there is 14K and 10K gold.
10K is only 41% gold, while the rest is nickel or other cheap metals. The appearance is noticeably duller than purer forms of gold.
Rose Gold
If you’re interested in facts about gold, rose gold made its debut thanks to the Russian Imperial family’s personal jeweler, Carl Faberge, in the late 1800s.
While rose gold is obviously not pure gold, it is famous for its delicate pinkish shade. Today, rose gold is at an all-time high in terms of popularity.
The reason rose gold has its unique pink tone is because of the copper mixed with the gold.
Rose gold can be either 18K or 14K gold. 18K rose gold has only a very pale pink shade, while 14K gold has a more intense pinkness.
White Gold
Interestingly, while yellow gold is the most popular type of gold for jewelry buyers and sellers, white gold dominates the engagement ring industry. White gold, as its name suggests, is a very pale type of gold. This is because it is mixed with only white metals.
In some cases, less gold is used in white gold in order to achieve a whiter result. The most common metals to mix with gold in this case are palladium and silver. In some cases, white gold is then coated with another pale metal to increase its whiteness.
White gold is usually preferred in 18K or 14K. However, 10K white gold does exist.
Blue Gold
Most people have never heard of blue gold, and if they have, they may not know what it is. Blue gold is a very uncommon type of gold and is considered an intermetallic alloy.
Intermetallic blue gold is typically gold mixed with gallium or indium, and can be fragile.
After the gold is mixed with the other metals, the alloys are heated at high temperatures. This gives the gold a unique blue sheen.
However, since blue gold is hard to make and not very durable, it is not a popular option for gold enthusiasts.
Investing In Gold of Different Types
You now know all about the different types of gold and the different purities of gold. If you plan on investing in gold anytime soon, you can be confident in the choices you make.
In fact, why wait? Why not get out there and start investing in gold now?
For more great articles, be sure to visit the rest of our blog!
Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed this article… What are your thoughts on The Different Types of Gold You Need to Know?
Please feel free to share with us in the comments section below.
Fact Check
We strive to provide the latest valuable information for our readers with accuracy and fairness. If you would like to add to this post or advertise with us, don’t hesitate to contact us. If you see something that doesn’t look right, contact us!