All You Need To Know About 24k, 22k and 18k Gold Purity

Most of us are not aware of gold purity standers. Even we have probably purchased gold at some point in our lives, either for jewellery or as a potential investment. If you’ve ever bought gold, you’ve probably heard the term “karat.” Have you ever wondered what the distinction between jewellery made of 22Kt, 24Kt, and 18Kt is? Are you trying to decide which one to buy as an investment? Well, your quest ends here. We have curated a simple, go-to guide on how what these differences stand for and how they can affect you. You can thank us later!

Karat or ‘k’- What is that?

Before we get any further, let us first know what karat or kt means and stand for. It is a term that refers to how pure gold is. It is scored between 0 and 24. Thus, 24K gold is the purest gold that can be purchased.

Gold is a highly malleable or flexible metal. Thus, to make jewellery, other metals including copper, nickel, silver, and palladium are added to the formula. As a result, it can be better said that karat is a measurement of the proportion of gold to other metals or alloys.

Different types of gold according to purity

When it comes to gold purity, there are two main types: 22k gold and 24k gold. Other variants such as 18k, 16k and 14k also exist. However, jewellery of 22k and 24k are favoured the most over the latter three. Here are the basic distinctions between these varieties:

24 Karat or 24K Pure Gold

24k or 24 karat gold is the purest form of gold. This indicates that the gold is entirely composed of pure gold with no traces of any other metals. Gold that is 24 karats pure or above is recognized to have a distinctive brilliant yellow hue.

Since 24k gold is the purest available, it is always more expensive than 22-carat or 18-karat gold. This form of gold has a far lower density than gold with a lower karat, though. With no other metal to fortify it, 24-karat gold is more malleable and softer than lower karats. Therefore, it is unsuitable for fine and delicate jewellery types.

22 Karat or 22K Gold

Jewellery marked with a 22-karat gold content often means that 22 per cent of the jewellery is made of pure gold and the remaining 2 per cent is made of an alloy of gold and another metal. Jewellery frequently uses gold that is 22 karats pure. Various metals, including silver, zinc, nickel, and other alloys, make up the remaining 8.4%. By incorporating additional metals, gold becomes harder, increasing the strength and longevity of gold jewellery. This karat of gold is also referred to as “916 gold” since it is 91.67% pure gold.

18 Karat or 18k gold

75 per cent gold and 25 per cent other metals, like copper, silver, etc., make up 18-karat gold. Typically, jewellery with stones is made of 18-carat gold. When compared to 24-carat and 22-karat gold, this type of gold is less expensive. Gold that is 18 Karat pure has a slightly dull gold hue.

24k, 22k or 18k gold- Which one should you go for?

If you are opting to buy gold as an investment option, buying 24k or 22k gold is the best option. 24k and 22k are best preferred by banks as collateral in case you want to pledge your gold to acquire a gold loan to help fund an emergency. However, certain gold loan providers like SahiBandhu Gold loans do accept gold between the purity of 18k to 24k and provide low gold loan interest rates.

If you own gold assets and are considering a loan, choosing doorstep services can provide you with a seamless and efficient borrowing experience.