The following are standard gold alloys as related to standard gold fineness, grade or purity. •24k Gold - pure gold, or fine gold, is very soft, it is rarely used as jewelry without being alloyed. •22k Yellow Gold - 91.8wt% gold alloyed with 8.2wt% copper and silver. •18k Yellow Gold - .75wt% gold alloyed with 25wt% copper, silver, zinc and other alloys. •18k Nickel White Gold - 75% gold alloyed with 25wt% nickel, silver and other alloys. Nickel can be allergenic. •18k Palladium White Gold - 75wt% gold alloyed with 25wt% palladium, silver and other alloys. For those that have an allergy to nickel. •14k Yellow Gold - 58.5wt% gold alloyed with 41.5wt% copper, silver, zinc and other alloys. 14k is a very strong, somewhat brittle with a pale gold colour •14k Nickel White Gold - 58.5wt% alloyed with 41.5% nickel, silver and other alloy. Nickel can be allergenic. •14k Palladium White Gold - 58.5wt% alloyed with 41.5% palladium, silver and other alloy. For those that have an allergy to nickel. These are just examples or the more commonly available gold alloys.
24K gold – The purity of the gold is measured in karats, which is expressed in 24ths. That makes 99.9% fine or pure gold 24 karat (24K). Pure gold is not only the most yellow, it is also very soft. Therefore, 24K gold is not recommended for daily wear. 22K gold – To strengthen it, alloys or other metals are added to 24K gold. The amount and type of alloy determines the color of the gold and its strength. It is 22 parts pure gold and 2 parts other metals, making it 89% pure. As a result, it is slightly less yellow in color than 24K gold.
Ornaments cannot be made in 24K gold. It has to mixed to make the making of ornaments possible, otherwise it will break. 22K is standard for ornaments.
