What Is 24 Karat Gold?
You’ve heard of 24 Karat Gold, but what does that mean? Has anyone ever explained what exactly is 24 Karat Gold? Where does it come from, and why does it matter regarding Gold and Gold Jewelry? So let’s start by addressing what a Karat is….. or wait, is it Carat?
The History Of 24K
In the Mediterranean and Middle East grows the Carob tree, whose seeds are formed inside hanging pods. The weight of the seed became a standard tool in the ancient world for weighing small quantities. Arabic traders called Carob pods Qirat. In Medieval Latin, one of these “little weights” was called a Carratus, and in Old French, Carat, the form that, in the late 15th century, found its way into the English language.
Today Carat is the global standard for the weight of a diamond or gemstone.
In 1907 the Carat was standardized at 200 milligrams or .20 grams.
However, long before the standardization of the modern Carat weight in 1907, in the early 4th century during the Roman Empire, Constantine the Great introduced the Gold coin called the Solidus (“solid coin”). This pure Gold coin became the “Gold Standard” and the preferred standard of currency and trade throughout Europe and many parts of the world.
en.wikipedia.org
Solidus 24K Gold Coin Of Constantine The Great Minted In AD 32
The Solidus Gold coin was relatively Pure Gold and weighed 4.5 grams (~4500 milligrams) which in a Carat weight of that time (about 189mg) is 24 Carats.
This is how the Carat became associated with “Pure Gold,” specifically 1/24 of a portion. The Carat was still a measure of weight, but because the Solidus Gold Coin was pure Gold, it and its 24 Carats became a good comparison tool to express the level of Gold Purity. A piece of Pure Gold now became 24 Carat Gold and originated what is today known as 24 Karat Gold in the U.S.
The Carat as a Gold purity standard made it into the English language before the older weight measurement — in the late 1400s, about a century before the gemstone measurement of 200 milligrams. Diamonds were uncommon in Britain, but Gold had been mined since the Roman occupation, hence the need for a Gold purity standard.
How did we get to Karat with a K? That part originates from the United States. Most of the world uses the word Carat for Gold Purity and Gemstone weight, but Carat and Karat represent two different things in the U.S.
In the U.S., Carat refers to Gemstone weight, and, since the mid-1850s, American Jewelers have used the alternative spelling Karat when referencing the purity of Gold.
24-Karat System Of Gold Purity
In the U.S., we use the “Karat system,” which measures the ratio of Pure Gold to other metals. A Gold Karat is 1/24 part or 4.1667 percent of the whole.
In reference to Gold Jewelry, the Karat number indicates how many parts of gold to parts of non-precious metal there are in a piece of Gold Jewelry.
14k Gold = 14 parts gold (58% gold) 10 parts metal (42% metal)
18k Gold = 18 parts gold (75% gold) 6 parts metal (25% metal)
24k Gold = 24 out of 24 parts gold (99.9% gold)
24K Gold Is Pure Unalloyed Gold
Gold is a precious metal that is bright yellow, highly dense, malleable, and virtually indestructible. The chemical symbol for Gold is AU, and its atomic number is 79. Pure Gold is unaffected by moisture, does not oxidize, tarnish, or corrode, and is hypoallergenic.
Its attractive appearance and characteristics have attracted the most human attention in the history of any metal. Gold has deep-rooted significance in the world’s history. Because of Gold’s appearance and properties, it was a symbol of power, greatness, and immortality and was the ideal material for Kings, Queens, and nobility throughout the world to demonstrate their power and position through Gold crafts and Jewelry. Gold has been part of international trade and a store of Value for over 5000 years and as a currency for over 2500 years. Today the world's central banks still hold Gold to back up their currencies, and Gold Jewelry is the biggest form of Gold investment. At least 50% of the Gold mined in the world goes towards Gold Jewelry in Asia, the Middle East, and other parts of the world.
24K GOLD IS THE PUREST FORM OF GOLD, WHERE 24 OUT OF 24 PARTS ARE GOLD
What Sets 24K Gold Apart From Alloyed Gold?
When Gold Jewelry has been recovered from thousands of years ago, if it were made from cheap Alloyed Gold, it would be rusted and corroded. But Pure 24K Gold Jewelry was coveted by Kings and Queens for a reason. It is forever.
It does not corrode, it will not rust or tarnish, and it has an unmistakable Deep Gold, Yellowish Hue. This 24K Gold Bracelet from thousands of years ago sold at the Christies auction retains its properties because it is made from 24k Gold, not Alloyed Gold.
B.C. Greek Byzantine 24k Gold Bracelet Christies Auction
Nothing beats the color and feel of Pure 24K Gold and its physical properties. Once you have owned 24K Gold, you will never accept anything less. For those that own 24k Gold, they will tell you that contrary to the fake myth that 24K Gold is too soft for Jewelry, it ages better than any alloyed Gold.
Our product is the highest quality handmade custom 24K Gold that tests 99.5% purity or greater, the LBMA standard for Gold Bullion. We encourage you to ask the salesperson at your nearest U.S. Retail Jeweler if they carry 24K Gold. When they tell you no, ask them why, and they will regurgitate false information they have been taught by their company, such as 24K Gold is too soft for Jewelry. Ask them if they have owned 24K Gold, and their answer will be no, so how would they know?
YINCITY GOLD was created to allow discerning Americans to take advantage of the enormous price difference of Gold in the U.S. compared to Asia when sold in the form of 24K Gold Jewelry. We are the solution for the U.S Retail and Luxury Jeweler selling heavily diluted alloyed Gold Jewelry at markups of 200%-300% or higher than the Jewelry’s Gold value to maximize profit at the customer's expense. For Gold Jewelry to be an investment in Gold, Jewelers must stop charging excessive markups. If customers unknowingly pay obscene markups, the Jeweler will never offer customers a fair deal.
Educate yourself and vote by your dollars for a better product. We believe our product represents what gold jewelry should be:
THE MOST DIRECT AND AUTHENTIC WAY TO SIMULTANEOUSLY ENJOY
AND INVEST IN PHYSICAL GOLD