Today we will be continuing our metals series with 18K Gold! We recently worked on a couple of really cool 18K gold pieces, so we are excited to give you some more information on this beautiful metal!
First of, as you might have already guessed, 18K gold is more valuable than 14K gold because of it high gold content. In order for gold to be considered 18K it needs to contain at least 75% pure gold. Because it has such a high amount of pure gold in it, 18K has a very beautiful and rich color. It is also quite a bit softer than 14K gold, making it very easy for us to forge and spin it into the right design. At the same time, because of its softness it is important to be more careful with certain gemstone settings, because the softer the gold the easier it bends and loses stones.
Whether you want to use 14K or 18K gold mainly depends on your personal preference. In the U.S. 14K gold is the most common metal, while in other countries such as Italy, 18K gold is the standard. As mentioned above, 18K gold tends to be richer in color, so if you are looking for a really rich, bright yellow, then 18K gold might be the way to go! Even though 18K gold has a fairly high amount of pure gold in it, it still gets mixed with other alloys. This means that even 18K gold comes in different color variations. The difference between the colors might not be as pronounced as with 10K or 14K gold, but it is still noticeable. Last but not least, 18K gold tends to be a lot more expensive than 14K gold, which is why most people go for the less expensive 14k gold.
18K gold contains a very high amount of gold, which means it will never tarnish. However daily use will still result in your jewelry getting dirty and dull looking. To clean your jewelry, simply use a mild soap and water solution and a toothbrush. After you dried off your jewelry, store it in a dark and dry place. Make sure your 18K gold jewelry does not mix with other jewelry. Especially jewelry with gemstones such as diamonds can easily scratch your 18K gold jewelry as it is quite soft.