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The fineness (or purity) of gold is commonly measured in carats or karats. The upper end of the scale is 24 carat for 100%. Thus 18 carat = 18/24 = 75%.
24 carat gold
is the ultimate gold carat it doesn't go any higher than this. It's the purest form and consists of 99.9% gold. It is naturally yellow and highly valuable, but very soft and malleable, so it is not usually used to make fine jewellery or intricate objects.
22 carat gold
consists of around 91.6% gold and so is highly priced. It is also very soft, so it's not ideal for stone set jewellery, being more suitable for plain gold jewellery, such as wedding bands.
18 carat gold
contains 75% gold, with the rest made up of other more durable metal alloys used to add colour and strength. White metals will be added to create white gold with copper added to create rose gold. 18ct yellow gold is appreciated for its radiance and is much warmer and brighter in tone than 14ct and 9ct gold but with its high percentage of gold, it still comes at a higher price.
14 carat gold
has about 58.5% pure gold and has a warm yellow hue. It is more affordable than 18ct gold, making it a popular choice.
9 carat gold
has 37.5% pure gold; it is the most affordable form of gold jewellery and portrays a light yellow hue. Its higher percentage of other metals, makes it stronger and more durable and particularly suited to the creation of jewellery.
The fineness (or purity) of gold is commonly measured in carats or karats. The upper end of the scale is 24 carat for 100%. Thus 18 carat = 18/24 = 75%.
24 carat gold
is the ultimate gold carat it doesn't go any higher than this. It's the purest form and consists of 99.9% gold. It is naturally yellow and highly valuable, but very soft and malleable, so it is not usually used to make fine jewellery or intricate objects.
22 carat gold
consists of around 91.6% gold and so is highly priced. It is also very soft, so it's not ideal for stone set jewellery, being more suitable for plain gold jewellery, such as wedding bands.
18 carat gold
contains 75% gold, with the rest made up of other more durable metal alloys used to add colour and strength. White metals will be added to create white gold with copper added to create rose gold. 18ct yellow gold is appreciated for its radiance and is much warmer and brighter in tone than 14ct and 9ct gold but with its high percentage of gold, it still comes at a higher price.
14 carat gold
has about 58.5% pure gold and has a warm yellow hue. It is more affordable than 18ct gold, making it a popular choice.
9 carat gold
has 37.5% pure gold; it is the most affordable form of gold jewellery and portrays a light yellow hue. Its higher percentage of other metals, makes it stronger and more durable and particularly suited to the creation of jewellery.
Also found this.... The ACTUAL gold grains obtained from panning are often around 92% pure chemical Au, the remainder being very predominantly composed of silver (plus minor lead + zinc).
Barra_Mad
Jonathan
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Ramjet is correct alluvial gold is often a high purity as the silver is leached out by the time you find it. Though the region the gold comes from will dictate this, as a general rule Ballarat gold is close to 98% pure where as gold from the east of the state is closer to the 89% pure.
