The Different Types of Gold Jewelry

Lots of people want to sell their gold jewelry for the extra cash. Economic times are tough, and it’s better for most people to have money than things. Gold is something that always has value, even in hard economic times, and has been used as money since the beginning of human society. People have always valued gold for its beauty and rarity. So you can be sure that if your gold is real, it will be of some value if you take it to a reputable gold buyer.

The thing is, there are so many people out there right now who want to sell their gold that a whole business in buying gold has cropped up. You can see people holding signs on nearly every street corner these days, trying to entice you to come into their stores to sell your gold. However, not all of these gold buyers are reputable. Many of them will give you way less than what your gold is worth in the hope that you won’t know any better. While any gold buyer will have to give you less than retail value for your gold so that they can then turn around and sell it for a profit, a reputable gold buyer will give you the maximum value possible for your gold while still maintaining a good profit margin for themselves. They also will not lie to you about the worth of your gold. You can trust a reputable gold buyer.

If you’re going to be selling gold, it’s a good idea to educate yourself about the different types of gold, how to tell them apart, and their relative values. This way, you can be sure you’re being dealt with honestly when you go to a gold buyer to sell your gold. Here’s what you need to know before you enter any gold buyer’s store.

Karats

The purity of gold is measured in karats. If it’s real gold, it must, by law, have a karat stamp on it somewhere indicating its karat measurement. There will usually be a manufacturer’s stamp, too, except in the case of some types of antique gold jewelry. Nothing less than 10 karat gold can be sold as gold in the United States, though 9 and 8 karat gold is sometimes sold as gold in other countries. Here are the most common karats of gold jewelry in the United States:

10 Karat–This type of gold is only actually 41.7 percent real gold. It is lighter than higher karats of gold. The rest of the jewelry made from 10 karat gold consists of filler metals of various kinds. This type of gold has the lowest value of any of the solid gold jewelry types.

14 Karat–The most type of gold in the United States is 14 karat gold. This is because it is affordable while being more pure than 10 karat gold. Lots of jewelry is made with 14 karat gold. This type of gold is comprised of 58.3 percent real gold, with the remainder being filler metals.

18 Karat–For those who want extremely pure gold while still maintaining the strength to use it for durable jewelry, 18 karat gold is perfect. With 75 percent real gold and only 25 percent filler metals, this is a very pure grade of gold, indeed. Its value on the resale marketplace reflects this. It is more expensive than 10 and 14 karat gold, and you will get more for it when you sell it to a gold buyer.

24 Karat–This is pure gold, with no filler metals in it. While it is sometimes used in gold coins, it is rarely used in modern gold jewelry (though you will find it in some ancient gold jewelry in museums). It has a very high value, but is not considered suitable for jewelry because pure gold is so soft. It can easily be bent and scratched. It also melts quite easily. If you’ve got gold bullion bars at your house, they are probably 24 karat gold. It is the heaviest of the gold karats, and can usually be identified by trying to put a tiny scratch in it with your fingernail. If you can do it, it’s likely 24 karat gold.

Gold-Filled Jewelry

Some jewelry is gold-filled. This simply means that a layer of gold of at least 10 karats has been heated and bonded to the supporting metal of the jewelry and rolled to an appropriate thickness. To be considered gold-filled, the gold must make up one-tenth the weight of the piece of jewelry.

Gold-Plated Jewelry

When jewelry is gold-plated, this means that a thin layer of 10 karat or higher gold has been bonded by head to the outside of the jewelry. The bulk of the jewelry underneath is some metal other than gold. This is the same as gold leafing, except that instead of being applied by heat, the gold is applied by hand, usually using a mallet for pounding it onto its metal surface. Since they use much less gold than solid gold jewelry, you won’t get nearly as much money for gold-filled or gold-plated jewelry, if your pieces have any market value at all.

Yellow Gold, White Gold, and Rose Gold

There are also different colors of gold. Naturally, the gold you come across the most often is the gold colored gold that exists in nature. However, mankind has been able to make different colors of gold by mixing them with different metals. Yellow gold, for example, is gold that has been mixed with zinc, silver, and copper. It produces a fine yellow color and is malleable enough to apply to any jewelry.

Rose gold is gold that is mixed with copper to produce a rose hue. It is not commonly found, as most people prefer gold, yellow gold, or white gold. However, it does have its fans, and you will occasionally see it on a piece of jewelry.

White gold is gold that has been mixed with zinc, copper, and nickel. This type of gold is very shiny and is often mistaken for silver. Unlike silver, however, it does not tarnish. Lots of modern jewelry is made with white gold. The value of the various colors of gold depends on the karat of the base gold and the current market demand for a particular color.

Conclusion

The base price of gold can be determined by checking any gold investing website. It will tell you the current value of an ounce of 24 karat gold. The value of your gold will be based off of this price, depending on its karat, quantity, and color. The best place to sell gold in Boca Raton is Raymond Lee Jewelers. This company has been around for a while and it has an excellent reputation among gold buyers in Boca Raton. You can be sure the buyers there will always tell you the truth about the value of your gold jewelry, and will also give you the best price on it above any other buyers in town. Knowing what kind of gold you have and at least a little bit about what its value is will help you as well as the buyers at Raymond Lee Jewelers to work together more easily when you come in to sell your gold. This will ensure an excellent experience for you, and the maximum amount of cash possible for your gold in your pocket.