| Gold
Gold
Terminology
The
weight and purity of gold in a piece of jewelry such as a
ring play a large role in determining its price. To better
compare prices, it's helpful to understand the following terms
(they have been arranged in alphabetical order for easier
reference):
Electroplating
A quick and inexpensive way to make any metal look like gold.
The metal object is dipped in a gold plating solution and
then an electrical current is used to coat the object with
a thin layer of gold. The thickness of the gold depends upon
the amount and duration of the current. For a ring to be called
gold electroplate (commonly stamped GEP), the gold layer must
be at least 7j1,000,000 of an inch thick.
Fine
Gold Contains no other elements or metals. It's also called
pure gold or 24K (24 karat) gold and has a fineness of 999.
Fineness
The amount of gold in relation to 1000 parts. For example,
750 fine gold has 750 parts (75%) gold and 250 parts of other
metal(s).
Gold
Filled (GF) Refers to metal objects covered by a layer of
gold using heat and pressure. The layer must be at least 10K
gold and 1 /20th of the total weight of the object.Gold
Plate (GP) Basically the same as gold-filled, but the gold
content can be less than
& Gold Overlay one-twentieth of the total weight of the
item if so marked.
Karat
A measure of gold purity. One karat is 1/24 pure, so 24 karat
is pure gold. Do not confuse karat, the unit of gold purity,
with carat, the unit of weight for gemstones. Sometimes karat
is spelled carat outside .)f hardness, the USA.
Then
alloyed Ounce or Pound The weight system most commonly used
in the USA for food and
Avoirdupois people and almost everything else except precious
metals and gems. than water One pound = 16 ounces.
Pennyweight
(dwt) Used in the USA as a unit of weight for gold. Twenty
pennyweight = one troy ounce. The gram is the other main unit
of weight for gold. Plumb Gold (KP) Gold that has the same
purity as the mark stamped on it. 14KP means the gold is 14K,
not 13 1/2K, a deviation allowed in the past. for jewelry,
Pure Gold Same as fine gold. Solid Gold Gold that is not hollow.
A term that misleads people into thinking an object is pure
24K gold even though it can be as low as 10K.
Troy
Ounce (oz t) A unit of weight commonly used in England and
the USA for gold and silver. Twelve ounces troy equal one
pound troy, and one ounce troy equals twenty pennyweight.
The terms for weight are clearer in the following chart.
This
yellow color
The
thickness
percentage
of copper
If
you prefer to buy
Accidentally spotted
Apply
a drop of aqua
Determined
by calculating
Becoming increasingly popular
white
gold prongs
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