Yellow gold is beautiful. Not only is yellow gold the traditional choice for wedding and engagement bands, it’s also a beautiful and practical setting for gemstones. Yellow gold jewelry never goes out of style.

One of the reasons yellow gold is so widely cherished and appreciated is because it can be worked into almost any shape. From thin and delicate strands to very thin sheets, yellow gold can be manipulated into nearly any shape the jewelry artist desires. Because of this, there is great potential for yellow gold in the creation of truly beautiful and unique jewelry designs.

Furthermore, pure yellow gold does not tarnish and rarely causes problems for people with skin irritations.

The Purity of Yellow Gold Jewelry

If you look at your favorite yellow gold ring you’ll notice it’s marked 18K, 14K, or 10K. The K stands for karat. This system is used to describe the percentage of pure gold in any given item.

24K yellow gold is 100% gold. 24K gold is not appropriate for jewelry making because it is too soft. A better option for yellow gold jewelry is 18K gold. 18K yellow gold, marked ‘750’ in Europe, is made of 18 parts gold and 6 parts of one or more additional metals. This makes 18K yellow gold 75% gold.

14K yellow gold, marked 585 in Europe, contains 14 parts gold and 10 parts additional metals, making it 58.3% gold. 12K yellow gold is 12 parts gold and 12 parts additional metals, making it 50% gold and 10K yellow gold, marked 417 in Europe, contains 10 parts gold and 14 parts of additional metals, making it 41.7% gold. In the United States, 10K gold is the minimum karat that can be called “gold.” In the United States, the term ‘solid gold’ can be used to describe an item that’s at least 10K gold all the way through.

The difference between an 18K yellow gold ring and a 10K gold ring is obvious. Whereas an 18K gold ring will be rich in color and shine, a 10K yellow gold ring will not have the color or luster as a ring made of a purer yellow gold.

Gold is pricey. In fact, it’s getting more expensive everyday. If you just don’t have the budget or the inclination to spend lots of money on solid gold jewelry, 14k gold filled jewelry is a wonderful alternative to pure 14k gold.

14k gold filled jewelry is a solid layer of 14k gold bonded to the outside of a base metal such as brass. What’s the difference between 14k gold filled jewelry and 14k gold plate? 14k gold filled has significantly more gold than the few microns of gold in gold plate. Actually, 14k gold filled jewelry has a hundred or more times gold than gold plate.

Under the normal wear and with the care you would give any precious metal jewelry, 14K gold filled jewelry will not flake or peel. 14k gold filled jewelry can be treasured for years.

Like solid 14k gold, 14k gold filled jewelry is tarnish-resistant and safe for most people with sensitive skin. In the end, 14k gold filled jewelry is a beautiful and economical alternative to solid 14k gold.

You can’t go wrong with 14k gold filled jewelry!