Learn about Yellow Gold Engagement Rings
- A classic choice for your engagement ring.
- 9ct gold is a pale yellow colour.
- 18ct gold is a richer yellow colour.
General Information on Yellow Gold
Mined since before 4000 bc, the Egyptians were the main producers in the ancient world, but at one time or another many countries have been large producers, especially in the new world. Gold is a rare metal and it is estimated that if all the gold in the world were put together, they would fill only 3 olympic sized swimming pools.
Pure gold (24 carat) is a very soft metal and not ideal for jewellery - it is so soft that it can easily be beaten out into a very thin sheet. It is so soft that in India where pure gold is particularly prized, wearers of pure gold briacelets have to reshape them by hand every day. So 24 carat gold can't really be used for jewellery that is subject to a lot of wear like and engagement ring - the closest alloy to the colour of pure gold is 18ct rose gold. Gold is therefore normally alloyed with other metals such as zinc to add hardness. The proportion of gold to alloys is defined by the carat number which measure the parts of gold out of a total of 24.
Gold's price fluctuates every day and is bought and sold as a commodity. In times of economic uncertainty, the price of gold (and all precious metals for that matter) tends to become higher as gold is through of as a safe haven for money.
Gold is a very inert metal (ie it does not react well with other things) and this means that it won't tarnish (ie react with the atmosphere) like silver and maintains its wonderful yellow colour.
Gold is an element with the symbol Au and atomic number 79. It is generally found in compound form, eg gold chloride - AuCl3. It is mined in South Africa and the United States.
9ct Gold
9 carat gold is 9 parts in 24 (or 37.5%) pure gold. It is a paler yellow colour as compared with richer 18ct gold and tends to be a little harder.
18ct Gold
18ct gold is 18 parts gold in 24. It is a richer, darker yellow colour as compared with 9ct gold. It is a little less soft than 9ct yellow gold, although opinions on relative hardness vary even in our own workshop!
Either 9 or 18ct gold is a lovely yellow colour and the classic choice for engagement rings.
Find out about using licenced fair trade gold
Please contact us if you have any questions or would like to arrange a design consultation.
Related blog articles
- Alice's blog article: Dirty Gold.