Best Gold for Jewellery: While 24-carat gold is considered to be of the purest form of gold, it may not be the best option when one plans to use gold to make jewellery. While one may think that the higher purity of gold will always translate to better value, this may not always be the case when one plans to use gold for making jewellery.
Why 24K gold isn’t ideal for jewellery?
24K gold consists of 99.9 per cent pure gold. This makes 24K gold extremely valuable. However, there exists a drawback in terms of its extremely soft nature. 24K gold can be bent by hand. This makes 24K gold unsuitable for making jewellery.
Jewellery made from such a soft gold has a tendency to:
- Lose shape easily
- Getting scratched quickly
- Be damaged easily from use
Due to such weakness, 24K gold is not used in making jewellery pieces meant for daily use.
Why are 22K and 18K gold used?
For making jewellery pieces, 22K and 18K gold are more practical choices.
- 22K gold contains 91.6 per cent pure gold
- 18K gold contains 75 per cent pure gold
The rest of the composition consists of metals like copper, silver, and zinc. This combination gives more strength to the gold.
This increased strength ensures:
- Jewellery remains in shape over time
- Designs are intact over a long period
- Jewellery withstands daily wear and tear
18K gold for diamond jewellery
When considering 18K gold for diamond or gemstone-studded jewellery, 18K gold is always a popular choice. This is because 18K gold contains a higher alloy composition, which gives the required firmness to hold the gemstones in place.
24K Gold: Best for investment, not wear
While 24K gold may not be suitable for jewellery, it remains the best option when considering investment. This is because 24K gold contains a higher purity composition, which makes it suitable for investment but not for wear.
Key takeaways for gold buyers
When you are considering buying gold, you should not just look at purity. You need to ensure you are considering the strength of gold, too. This is particularly relevant when you are planning to use gold jewellery.
Gold and silver prices today
The prices of gold and silver have seen a sharp decline in recent days, while geopolitical tensions persist in the market. This decline in gold and silver is occurring despite traditional safe-haven demand, owing to rising inflation and interest rate concerns.
The gold price on MCX was trading at Rs 1,39,509 per 10 gm, while silver was trading at Rs 2,25,350 per kg by 5 pm.
