Gold Jewellery.....

[Loosehead]

Why is it that most gold in the Jewellers shops is 9ct in this country? I mean it's less than half gold so really it's stretching a point calling it gold at all. Now I understand that 18ct is too soft for many applications but 14ct is fine and in use in most of the rest of the world as the minimum cut for gold. So why do I find it almost impossible to get much of a choice when I'm trying to buy my lovely girlfriend a gift?

[mccfluff]

try avoiding cheap high street stores and look for craft shop's where they work the gold themselves, you'll get something pretty unique as well

[Clanad]

Actually, Loosehead, a jeweler friend tells me that the best pieces are made from 18ct. gold and is actually harder and longer wearing. He prefers to sell custom made pieces of 18 ct. but the cost of the same piece made from 18 ct., vs. 9 ct. is almost 3 times as much to customer. The 9 ct. is hard to tell from the 18 ct. except by an experienced customer...

[Loosehead]

Yes I understand that Clanad, I suspect that 90% of all gold sold is probably 9ct, in UK anyway. What's the US situation? do they have 9ct there? and why is 18ct 3 times the price, twice I could understand but surely the amount of actual gold is double and the workmanship is the same. I agree it is indistiguishable, although there are specific markings, it's just I somehow feel false buying something that is primarily something else, do you know what they mix it with?

[what..the?]

I have worked in highstreet jewellers and yes it is a stretch to get anything over 9ct, but then the extra special extends to the addition of white gold, titanium, diamonds and other jewels.

High street stores will always mark up the price to make their profit, but you can guarantee the quality and know that the markings on the reverse of the said item of jewellery is the true 'ct' value and not an over estimated figure placed on there by a craftsman here or more likely aboard.

[tboo]

Ive got decent reasonably priced pieces of jewellery from the US in 10ct and 14 ct, no idea what the next step up is but I do tend to get 18ct here as its a little bit more hard wearing than 9ct.

[funnygirl]

I try to buy 18ct gold jewellery.
It is much better and stronger as Clanad says.
It is also more expensive and very hard to find.

[Narolines]

Loosehead, the main metal alloyed with gold to make 9ct gold is copper. Other metals are used as well, each giving the particular alloy its own quality - often colour, but also workability or durabilty. Whereabouts in the country are you? Here in Birmingham you would have no difficulty in obtaining almost anything you desire in 18ct in our world-famous Jewellery Quarter; even in 22ct if you really want to push the boat out. Other jewellery quarters may be available (but ours is the best!)...............

[Loosehead]

Bournemouth, I'll try and have a look round next time I'm up there.

[Loosehead]

that came out wrong pickle, I wasn't suggesting anything dodgy, just that most gold sold is 9ct. perhaps it should be termed 15ct copper!

[Narolines]

It's not quite accurate to say "the remainder is made up of copper"; the MAIN metal in the alloy is certainly copper, but there will also be some silver present. As I said above, other metals are used to provide speciffic characteristics to the alloy - zinc, tin and cadmium among others. 9ct gold can contain as much as 55% copper, the remaining 7.5% of the non-gold being silver, or vice-versa - only 7.5% copper to 55% silver. The difference will be in the colour; 9ct white gold contains no copper at all, being 37.5% gold (as is all 9ct gold) and 62.5% silver.

See here for a fuller explanation of gold alloys: http://www.gold.org/jewellery/technology/alloy s/index.html

[Narolines]

Oops - didn't mean to put two f's in "specific"!

[beso]

It is the modern way and at least 9ct is over one third gold. In Australia a meat pie doesn't even have to have any meat in it at all.