Precious Metal Guide

This is a short summary for each of the different precious metals we stock.  We have also described a little about the background of carat gold and silver.  If there is anything you are unsure of, please simply get in touch contact@aureejewellery.com.

 

What is Yellow Gold?

Yellow Gold is simply pure Gold mixed with alloy metals like Copper and Zinc, which gives the material its sunny colour. Yellow Gold is the most popular colour of Gold available, closely followed by White and then Rose Gold.

 

What is Rose Gold?

Rose Gold is another form of coloured Gold, which combines pure Gold with alloy metals such as Copper giving the Gold its famous pinky tint. It is also the third most popular colour of Gold on the market.

 

What is White Gold?

White Gold is an alloy of Yellow Gold mixed with White metals like Silver or Palladium. An alloy of Yellow Gold simply means that Yellow Gold has been mixed with another metal. White Gold can often be mistaken for Platinum due their near identical appearance. Platinum is a much harder metal than White Gold and is actually 60% denser. 

 

What does Carat mean?

Carat is a measure of the purity of gold. Pure gold is 24 carats; therefore the purity of Gold will always be a number out of 24. Carats can be worked out in percentage. To work out the percentage of 18ct Gold you would divide 18 by 24 and then times in by 100, equaling 75%. This is why 18ct Gold jewellery will have 750 stamped on it.

 

What is 22ct Gold?

22ct Gold is 22 parts of pure gold of a total of 24 parts (or in percentage, contains 91.7% pure Gold).  22ct Gold is typically 91.7% Gold, 5% Silver, 2% Copper and 1.3% Zinc.

 

What is 18ct Gold?

18ct Gold is made of 75% pure Gold. The final 25% is made of varying alloy metals. This is why 18ct Gold will have 750 stamped on it which refers to the 75% pure Gold it contains.

 

What is 9ct Gold?

9ct Gold contains 37.5% pure Gold mixed with 62.5% of differing metals. Jewellery made of 9ct Gold will have 375 stamped on it referring to the 37.5% pure Gold that it contains.

 

What is Gold Vermeil?

Gold Vermeil is Sterling Silver, which has been covered with Gold. To be considered Vermeil, the coating of Gold must be at least 10ct gold.  The word Vermeil was popularized in France in the 19^th century and was used as an alternate name for ‘silver-gilt’.  18ct Gold Vermeil is Silver coated in an 18ct Gold and 22ct Gold Vermeil is Silver coated in an 18ct Gold - and so on.

 

What is Sterling Silver?

 Sterling Silver is an alloy of Silver. This means that Sterling Silver is a mixture of pure Silver and other differing metals.  Sterling Silver is 92.5% of pure Silver and 7.5% of other metals, most typically Copper. Most of your Silver jewellery will be stamped with 925, referring to the 92.5% pure Silver.

 

What is Oxidized Silver?

Oxidized Silver is essentially darkened Sterling Silver. Unsurprisingly the colouring occurs when the Sterling Silver is exposed to oxygen and will darken depending on how long you leave it exposed.