One of the dilemmas that people often face when buying jewelry is the choice of gold. The most popular samples are 333 and 585. There are also products with a sample of 750 on the market. What are the gold samples, what is the difference between them and how to choose really high-quality products — we will provide such information in this article.

What are the samples of gold?

The sample shows the content of pure gold in the alloy, that is, how many mass units of the precious metal fall on 1000 mass units of the alloy. Gold itself is a very soft material, so to increase its strength and stability, I add other metals — the so-called impurities.

The term «gold fineness» was introduced to standardize the characteristics of products containing precious metals. The assay office checks the content of the precious metal in a given product (in a wedding ring or earrings) and stamps this product. It indicates the type of precious metal and its sample.

The higher the sample, the more gold in the product. The price of gold jewelry largely depends on the type of gold.

Among the gold jewelry, the most popular is the sample of the 585th sample, from which wedding rings, bracelets and necklaces are most often made. According to jewelers, 585 gold, that is, 14 carats, is the best compromise between durability and nobility of the product. 750 or 916 jewelry will have more pure gold, but it is very soft and will be susceptible to scratches or damage. The highest quality 999 gold is used exclusively for the manufacture of investment products such as bars and coins, which are packaged in a special way to protect them from damage.

For a person who does not engage in jewelry daily, it is difficult to distinguish 333 gold pieces from 585 fine pieces of jewelry. However, the difference lies in the cost. Very often, buyers compare prices for jewelry from different manufacturers, look at the shape, the beauty of the model or the way of weaving. But few people know that the same-looking jewelry is produced with different samples.

What are the types of gold fineness?

The most popular in the world is the 585th test, which is mainly used for making wedding rings. It is considered the perfect compromise between product value and durability.

750th — is more noble due to the purity of the metal, however, due to the softness of gold, it may turn out that after a short use, deep scratches or bends will appear on the product.

333 is a good solution for people who don’t want to spend too much money to buy jewelry. They are visually indistinguishable from higher quality products and their price should be much lower, but the stains from them are very difficult to remove.

Another measure that is used to find out what sample gold is is carat (denoted by kt or ct). This is a unit of mass used in jewelry to indicate the size of stones, as well as the purity of gold in an alloy. In Europe, this metric system is not very popular. But in the United States, this is the main and commonly used indicator. 1 carat is 1/24 of the gold content of the alloy. This means that 24-carat is pure gold, corresponding to the 999th test. Below we present how the carat measurement compares to the percentages previously listed:

What is the standard of gold in Ukraine?

In Ukraine, the State Assay Inspectorate is responsible for testing gold on jewelry. According to the standard, each manufacturer or importer is required to mark gold items weighing more than 1 gram.

From gold 750 with a value of 18 carats, accessories are created with the most saturated shade of yellow. This gold is softer and more malleable. Most often, this alloy is used to create custom-made jewelry with stone inserts, especially if a diamond is used.

The most popular 14 carat 585 gold. This alloy contains more than half of the gold itself. It is quite plastic, elastic and allows you to play with the additions of other metals, creating various shades — from red to light yellow. They do not affect the noble properties of the metal itself, but make it harder and more resistant to abrasion.

The lowest standard of 333 is found in 8 carat gold, from which the most fragile jewelry is made. The clasps of such chains, bracelets and earrings can quickly break or fall apart. Due to the large amount of impurities of other metals, products of this sample most often stain the skin in a dark color and cause an allergic reaction. This is due to the large amount of impurities. They react with cosmetics or with compounds found in our sweat (most often it is sulfur), which causes oxidation, that is, the darkening of the metal.

What color is gold?

The color of the ring is affected by the admixture of other metals that are added to the alloy during the production process. How to find out what sample gold has? Pay attention to its shade. The lower the sample, the more intense the color of the dopant in the alloy.

• Yellow gold is a classic shade of this metal, which includes gold, silver and copper. This color appeals to both traditionalists and minimalists. Yellow gold wedding rings are relatively durable and at the same time very aesthetic. If your loved one prefers gold accessories, give them a classic yellow gold ring. Yellow gold suits women with darker skin.

• White — contains an element such as nickel or palladium. Due to the allergenic effect of the former, palladium is mainly used. It is rhodium plated for hardening. Perfect for adherents of minimalism, which will please with its nobility. If your partner wears silver jewelry every day, a white gold ring should match his style. It goes well with light skin and light hair. White gold with an admixture of palladium has a beautiful rich platinum color. Due to the fact that it is a precious metal from the platinum group, it does not cause allergies, and gold with palladium is 10.5% heavier than yellow or red. Single color palladium gold rings are considered the hardest.

• Pink — made from an alloy of gold with palladium and zinc or copper. It is often called «Russian». If the amount of silver in the alloy increases due to copper, the red color takes on a delicate pink tint. Extremely charming and feminine, this gentle shade of pink and red will emphasize the beauty of the chosen one. It attracts the attention of fans of vintage jewelry, which are extraordinary in the art of jewelry. It harmonizes perfectly with precious stones.

• Red — a combination of yellow gold mixed with copper and silver, causing a change in color. The more copper in the alloy, the more intense its shade will be. Red gold has the same weight and price as yellow gold.

• Blue — created by adding an impurity of iron, nickel or cobalt.

• Purple and dark purple — formed by adding aluminum.

• Black — made with the addition of carbon, rhodium or ruthenium.

However, the color of the jewelry does not determine the purity of the metal, it is just a designation of its additives. Regardless of the color of the goods, the brand is a mandatory marking that shows what kind of sample this gold has.

The choice is yours — check out the Silvers online store catalog and place your orders!