As you may already know, not all gold is created equal. If your jewelry is 24 Karat, then you havethe purest form of gold available. Gold is measured in karats to signify how pure it is, and to let consumers know exactly what they are getting. This also comes into play if you want to trade in your gold for cash. The most common denominations of gold karat are:
- 24 KT
- 22 KT
- 18 KT
- 14KT
- 10KT
The lower the karat weight, the less gold is actually in the piece. 24 karat gold is 999% pure gold. 22 karat gold is slightly less at 917% gold. 18 karat gold contains 75% goldand 14 karat gold contains roughly 585% gold. The remaining elements in the gold mixture can vary depending on what color you want the gold.
In many cases gold will be marked to show what karat weight it is. Even though a piece may be marked as 18 KT gold, it may be not completely accurate. Depending on where the gold piece was made,will depend on the overall quality. Not all countries have the same laws regarding the accuracy of these stamps. If you are selling your jewelry for cash, the only true way to get an accurate estimate is to go to a gold refiner, and have them test it by hand, or melting it down and fire assaying it.
