Gold jewelry is quite expensive. Its monetary value depends on its carat value. It becomes more expensive when it is designed with precious stones to enhance its beauty. Indeed, since ancient times, gold has been chosen as the precious metal preferred by women to adorn themselves. Most of the time, you are considered high in the society when you have these jewelry collections.
But since gold has become so expensive these days, consumers have other options in the form of gold plated jewelry, which is very affordable and also attractive. Let us see the difference between these two elements. How can you tell a pure gold from a gold plated one?
24 karat gold
The monetary value of gold depends on its karat value. The higher the karat of gold, the more expensive it is. 24 karat gold is pure gold. But it is impossible to make jewelry with 24 carats as it will be quite soft. You have to mix it with another metal to make it hard.
The karat value of jewelry tells you the proportion of gold mixed with the other metal. Therefore, the higher the karat value, the higher the gold ratio of a jewel, which means that it is more expensive.
Most of the gold jewelry available in jewelry stores is 21 karat and 18 karat. Although there are jewels that are made of smaller 14 and 10 carats that are also available. And most of it is designed with precious stones like diamonds and other precious stones, which makes it more expensive.
gold plated jewelry
This type of jewelry is much more affordable. It is an option for those consumers who cannot afford to have pure gold jewelry. It just means that it has at least a layer of 10 karat gold on it. The famous term used for this is gold fill, gold overlay, and rolled gold plate.
This jewelry tarnishes easily, especially if worn regularly. It loses its shine and color easily, especially when it comes into contact with sweat often. In fact, it is affordable, but it is not a good investment because its value does not last long. It’s good for fashion accessories, but it’s not worth passing a collection on to your children and grandchildren.
Checking between fake and authentic jewelry is acid testing or electronic gold testing. So when you buy one, make sure you know the details and if you are not sure about the jewelry you are buying, you can take it to your jeweler and have a test done to see if it is real or just gold plated jewelry.
It’s best to shop at reputable jewelers so you can be sure you’re getting your money’s worth. Refrain from buying jewelry from people or people you know. You can get one if you want, but be sure to take it to your jeweler first before buying. It is always good to make a safe purchase since it is a fairly expensive investment.