Let’s break down the basics of gold to better understand what 14ct gold is. First, gold is a precious metal; determining its value is not just determined by weight, but knowing its purity is crucial.
Gold is a precious metal weighed in troy ounces, ounces, kilos or grams. Pure gold is 999.9 or 24ct, and the purity of this precious metal is measured in carat or fineness. The gold carat indicates how much gold is present in the jewellery, gold coin, or gold bullion bar. The carat system or millesimal fineness system are the two measuring systems.
- The carat system represents the purity of gold by fractions of 24. Pure gold is 24 carat, the purest gold available in precious metal. The term ‘ct’ or ‘carat’ is used to express the proportion of an alloy that is pure gold. This is not the same as diamonds.
For example, 14ct Gold is 14/24 – 14 parts of pure gold, to 10 parts of other metals such as silver and copper.
- The millesimal fineness system represents the purity of gold by parts per thousand. Pure gold is 999.9 ; parts / thousand (999.9/1000). As a percentage, this would equate to 99.9% pure gold.
For example, pure gold is 999.9/1000 or 99.9% fineness.
So 14ct gold will equal 583 or 585 fineness (585 /1000) or, as a percentage, 58.5% pure gold and 41.5% other metals such as copper and silver.
14ct gold is a popular choice for jewellery as it still contains a high percentage of pure gold whilst being harder wearing than pure 24ct gold. 24ct gold is too soft for jewellery making and can be expensive, especially considering the current spot price of gold. Mixing other metals with the gold makes it more durable and long-lasting without compromising its lustrous yellow colour.
Now that you are more familiar with pure gold, let’s discuss what 14ct gold is. We’ll also go over the differences between all the types of 14ct gold available on the market.
What makes 14ct Gold real gold?
As we discussed earlier, purity determines gold value. For a piece of jewellery to be sold as 14ct gold, it must contain a certain amount of pure gold. In other words, 14ct gold has 58.5% pure gold content, or the number 14ct means the jewellery piece is made of 14 parts pure gold.
14-carat Gold marking for its purity.
You might wonder, “Aren’t there plenty of jewellery pieces that are 14ct gold?” Here’s a hint: always check if the piece is solid gold, gold filled, vermeil or plated. If it’s 14ct Solid gold, it contains pure gold and will be more expensive than other imitation gold.
In the United Kingdom, an independent service ‘The Assay Office’ must be used if jewellery weighs over one gram and contains over a 37.5% pure gold; this process is called hallmarked. Hallmarking is the authentication process for jewellery that guarantees its purity. A Hallmark specifies the exact percentage of gold present in an item, as indicated by the retailer. The hallmark has three components: the sponsor mark, purity mark, an assay office mark.
Fineness represents gold’s purity on a piece of jewellery. The gold mark is usually in an eight-sided shape. The UK also accepts internationally used hallmark stamps that consist of two circles with weighing scales. For gold that is 14 carat pure, the stamp will be 585 on the millesimal fineness system instead of 14.
How is 14ct gold filled, plated and vermeil different to 14ct yellow gold?
When it comes to gold, there are a few different types that you might come across; 14ct Solid Gold, gold filled, gold plated, and gold vermeil.
14ct Solid Gold, as the name suggests, contains 58.5% fine gold and 41.5% other metals such as copper and silver.
14ct gold-plated jewellery is created by dipping a base metal like brass or copper in pure gold. The gold on the jewellery will be less than 1%. Gold-plated jewellery may fade in colour or peel off over time.
14ct Gold filled jewellery is made by bonding a thin layer of 14-carat gold to a base metal. The gold layer makes up less than 5% of the total weight of the piece, making it more susceptible to wear and tear.
14ct Gold Vermeil jewellery is like gold plating. The difference is that the base metal is silver instead of brass or copper. The gold layer on the jewellery piece is also thinner- only 2.5 microns thick. This is about the thickness of a single strand of hair. 2.5 microns or 0.0025mm (micron = 1/1000th of a millimeter)
Which is better 18ct solid gold or 14ct Solid Gold?
When considering longevity, it’s important to note that 18ct solid gold jewellery is a wise investment. This is because 18ct solid gold contains 75% pure gold as opposed to 14ct solid gold, which only has 58.5% pure gold—meaning 18ct solid gold will not lose value over time.
14ct solid gold is a cheaper alternative that still contains pure gold, but it will only last for a short time as 18ct solid gold. The other metals mixed in make it more delicate and need more care.
Where is 14ct gold from?
14ct gold is popular in Europe and the United States. Still, it’s making the UK a better alternative to 9ct gold jewellery.
What is 14-carat gold worth?
As mentioned above, gold is 24 carat, 999 fineness gold in its purest form. Therefore, determining the value of 14-karat gold is relatively easy. The value depends on the spot price of gold, which is based on pure 24-carat gold. To find the value of 14 carat gold, multiply the spot price by 0.583 or 0.585.
To Summarise:
• 14ct Solid Gold, as the name suggests, contains 58.5% fine gold and 41.5% other metals such as copper and silver.
• All gold jewelry that is over one gram and contains a percentage of pure gold must be sent to an independent service for verification. This process is called hallmarked.
• For 14-carat gold, the stamp will be 585 on the millesimal fineness system instead of stamping purity with ’14ct’.
• When considering longevity, it’s important to note that 18ct solid gold jewellery is a wise investment .
