18ct Gold vs 9ct Gold, what is the difference?
Pure gold is a beautiful rich yellow metal that has been worshiped and highly prized by many societies throughout history.
It is a soft, yet highly durable metal not suitable for most jewellery manufacture so it is combined or ‘alloyed’ with other metals to add strength and hardness.
The amount and type of other materials (alloys) added determines the final carat (gold content) of the gold alloy. There are many different recipes for gold alloys, for our purposes we will just describe the more common jewellery alloys.
24ct (twenty four carat) gold is pure gold, so all 24 parts are pure gold. Soft and extremely durable.
18ct gold is 18 parts pure gold or 75% pure, hence the stamp 750 found inside pieces made from this alloy. This is the perfect metal alloy for making pieces such as engagement and wedding rings that need to last at least a lifetime!
9ct gold is 9 parts pure gold or 37.5% pure, hence the stamp 375 found inside pieces made of this alloy. This is a common choice for those on a budget, but it is not as durable as 18ct gold and over it's lifetime, may corrode, tarnish or require more repairs than pieces that are made from 18ct gold.
We hope this has answered your questions and helped with your decision of what gold to use in your engagement and wedding rings...
