Breaking down karats and colors. We explore what's in your jewelry and what that means for wearability and worth.
Karat purity
24k99.9% gold by weight
Pure Gold
As elemental as gold jewelry gets. Rich in color and typically a deep, saturated yellow. Pure gold is generally too soft for most wearable pieces and is unsuitable for setting stones; it bends, scratches, and deforms with ordinary use. Often seen in investment pieces like bullion and coins, and in some cultural styles.
Very softHighest purity
18k75.0% gold by weight
The High Jewelry Standard
The preferred choice of heritage jewelry houses. Balances rich color with enough alloy content to retain its shape through everyday wear. Durable enough for rings and bracelets. Carries a depth of tone that lower karats can't match. Most high-end jewelry is made in 18k, often marked Au750 to reflect elemental composition.
Excellent durabilityLuxury quality
14k58.3% gold by weight
Entry-level Fine Gold
The most common karat in the US. Harder than higher purity alloys, 14k is an affordable and practical choice. The higher alloy content means variability and inconsistency in color, sometimes with a brassier tone, and a greater chance of sensitivity reactions in people with metal allergies. Also marked Au585.
Lower priceColor variability
10k41.7% gold by weight
The Accessible Choice
The minimum karat that can legally be sold as gold in the US. Durable and affordable, but less than half of the metal content is gold; the rest is metal alloys. Noticeably paler and brassier in appearance.
Most affordable solid goldHigher allergen risk
9k37.5% gold by weight
International Affordability
Below the US legal minimum for solid gold jewelry, though widely used in the UK and parts of Europe. Durable but with a noticeably muted gold color. Tarnishes more readily than higher karats.
Mass marketMuted tones
Gold filled, vermeil & plated
These categories are not solid gold. They use a base metal and have a thin layer of gold applied to the surface. The differences between them are gold thickness, application method, and base metal.
Gold Filled≥2% gold by weight · mechanically bonded
Gold-filled jewelry is the most durable of the three. A layer of 10k or higher karat gold accounting for at least 1/20th of the item's total weight is heat and pressure-bonded to a base metal core, often brass.
Gold Vermeilsilver base · ≥10k gold ≥2.5 microns thick
Vermeil is gold plating over sterling silver, regulated in the US to a minimum 10k gold thickness of 2.5 microns. The gold layer will eventually wear down with regular use, especially on high-friction surfaces like bracelets and rings. A popular format for fashion jewelry.
Gold Platedany base metal · any gold karat often <0.5 microns thick
Gold-plated jewelry has a thin layer of gold, sometimes less than 0.5 microns (comparable to a strand of hair), deposited onto a base metal through electroplating. It is the most affordable option, though the gold layer is thin enough to wear away with routine handling, perspiration, and cleaning. Fading, tarnishing, and base metal exposure are expected over time. Pieces described as "gold tone," "gold dipped," or "gold wash" usually fall into this category.
Metal alloys by color
Pure gold is always yellow. Color comes entirely from the metals alloyed to reach a given karat. Toggle between alloy types below.
18k Yellow
The classic balance. Silver lightens and brightens while copper warms and hardens. Together they preserve the rich, saturated yellow tone that gold is known for.
14k Yellow
More copper and silver give a slightly warmer, brassier tone compared to 18k.
10k Yellow
At this karat, the high alloy content pushes the color toward pale yellow and brass. Noticeably different from 18k when side by side.
18k Rose
High copper, minimal silver. Copper drives the warm blush tone; at 18k, gold tempers it into a nuanced rose rather than an orangey red.
14k Rose
More copper at lower gold content creates a deeper, more saturated rose-copper tone. Distinctly redder than 18k rose gold.
10k Rose
Heavily copper dominant. At this karat, the color shifts into warm copper territory, quite different from the soft blush of 18k rose.
Note: copper is a common allergen. People with sensitive skin may react to rose gold more readily than to yellow or white gold alloys.
18k White
Palladium, platinum, silver, rhodium and iridium alloys produce a white result. Durable and prestige priced.
14k White
The most widely sold white gold in the US. Higher alloy content than 18k keeps production costs lower. Allergy risk in nickel alloys is correspondingly greater.
10k White
At this karat, the alloy dominates. High nickel and copper content produce a harder, more silvery-gray metal. Palladium formulas exist but are uncommon at 10k due to cost.
White gold is not naturally white. It is a yellow gold alloy made pale by decolorizing metals, then finished with rhodium plating. Without plating, most white gold alloys show a light yellow or faint gray tint over time. For certain pieces, we prefer platinum.
