Know Your Gold

Gold is the most recognisable precious metal in jewellery, but "gold" alone doesn't tell you much — purity, colour, and alloy composition all shape how a piece looks, wears, and is priced. Here's what actually matters when you're choosing a gold piece.

What Is Gold Purity?

Pure gold (24K) is a naturally soft, bright yellow metal. In its pure form, it's too soft for jewellery that needs to hold its shape through daily wear — so it's alloyed with other metals like copper, silver, or zinc to add strength. Purity is expressed in karats, where 24 karats represents 100% gold.

24K vs 22K vs 18K vs 14K

Gold Karat Comparison

Karat	Purity	Best For	Durability
24K	99.9% gold	Coins, bars, investment gold	Very soft — not ideal for daily-wear jewellery
22K	91.6% gold	Traditional Indian jewellery, bridal sets	Moderate — softer, needs careful handling
18K	75% gold	Diamond and gemstone-studded jewellery	Good — strong enough to hold stone settings securely
14K	58.5% gold	Everyday wear, Western-style fine jewellery	Very durable — higher alloy content resists scratching

There's no single "best" karat — 22K is preferred for traditional Indian gold jewellery because of its rich colour and cultural association, while 18K and 14K are favoured for stone-set pieces because the added alloy strengthens prong and claw settings.

Karat vs. Carat

BIS Hallmarking

In India, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) hallmark is the official mark of gold purity. A valid BIS hallmark includes the BIS logo, the purity grade (such as "916" for 22K, meaning 91.6% pure), the hallmarking centre's mark, and a unique HUID (Hallmark Unique Identification) number that can be traced back to the exact piece. Always check for a complete hallmark before purchase — it's your independent guarantee of declared purity.

Common BIS Purity Codes

Karat	BIS Code
24K	999
22K	916
18K	750
14K	585

Gold Colours: Yellow, White, and Rose

• Yellow gold is the most traditional and closest to gold's natural colour, alloyed typically with copper and silver.
• White gold is alloyed with white metals like palladium or nickel, then usually finished with a rhodium plating for a bright white shine (which may need periodic re-plating).
• Rose gold gets its warm pink tone from a higher proportion of copper in the alloy.

All three start from the same pure gold — the colour is purely a function of the alloy mix, not a difference in underlying quality.

Understanding Gold Pricing

The price of a gold jewellery piece is generally made up of three components: the gold rate (based on the day's market price and the piece's purity and weight), making charges (the cost of craftsmanship, either a flat fee or a percentage of gold value), and, if applicable, stone or diamond charges. Ask your jeweller to itemise these separately so you can compare pieces fairly.

Investment Gold vs. Jewellery Gold

Gold coins and bars (usually 24K) are bought purely for their metal value and are easy to value and resell. Jewellery gold includes making charges and design value that aren't typically recovered in a resale — you're paying for craftsmanship as well as metal. Both are valid ways to hold gold; they simply serve different goals.

Common Gold Myths

• "Higher karat is always better." Not for daily wear — 24K is too soft for rings and bangles that see regular friction and impact.
• "White gold is a different metal from yellow gold." It's the same gold, alloyed differently and often rhodium-plated.
• "Hallmarked gold can't have any variation." BIS hallmarking allows for a defined tolerance, but a genuine hallmark still guarantees the piece meets its declared purity standard.