| What Is Gold? Gold is the world’s most popular choice for jewelry. Whether it's the traditional yellow and white gold, or the less common colored varieties, it’s a wonderful choice for any jewelry purchase. Gold is a relatively durable metal, and is a good choice for most jewelry. Pure gold is expressed as 24K or twenty-four karat. This means that the pure gold is twenty-four parts gold. Pure gold is very soft and malleable, and while it is found in some jewelry, it is not recommended for wear. To battle this problem, we mix it with other more durable metals. This process is known as alloying. Fourteen karat gold is fourteen parts pure gold, and ten parts alloyed metals. Every manufacturing company has their own alloying recipe, especially for colored gold, such as white, rose, and green gold. It is possible for people to have or develop an allergy to the metals that were joined to the gold during the alloying process. To find out more, read 'Why Does My Gold Discolor My Skin?'. |