When looking at a piece of authentic jewelry, it should have a stamp in a discreet spot that tells you what the content of the metal is.
For example, usually, on the inside of a gold ring, it will be stamped with
- 10K (10 out of 24 parts)
- 14K (14 out of 24 parts)
- 18K (18 out of 24 parts)
- 22K (22 out of 24 parts)
- or the purest form of gold, 24K (24 out of 24 parts), however, 24K gold is too soft for jewelry use.
By doing the division of each number over 24, this will tell you the exact percentage of gold in the piece of jewelry.
In silver, you will often see a three digit number such as .925 sterling or 925 sterling; this means that the metal is 92.5% sterling silver.
For platinum, you will also see a three digit number such as 900 which means that it is 900 out of 1,000 parts or 90% platinum. Platinum may also be abbreviated on the inside of the ring or another discrete spot on the piece.
When buying gold, you should understand what each karat means, 10K, 14k, 18K, etc. This indicates the amount of gold that is in a specific piece of jewelry while the rest is comprised of other alloy metals.
In the U.S., 10K is the minimum standard for the amount of gold in a piece of jewelry to be considered authentic, and 24K is too soft to be used in jewelry practice.
Depending on the color of gold (white, yellow, rose, etc.), different alloy metals will take up the rest of the percentage of metal in the jewelry piece.
In white gold, there tends to be a higher content of nickel, zinc, platinum, and silver to help with altering the color of the gold. Platinum, being rarer than gold, tends also to be much more expensive.
Platinum is an extremely durable metal and is heavier than gold, as well as a more vibrant white than white gold.
In silver, fine silver is .999 pure, which is considered to be pure silver. Silver is even softer than gold which is why it is also mixed with other alloy metals to make it stronger.
A setting is what your diamond is placed inside of on your jewelry piece.
Typically, there is a setting shaped for any shape of diamond (round, heart, marquise, etc.). The most popular setting is correlated with the most popular shape diamond-round.
Most of our products are set in prongs. However, there are other settings available, such as a tube, which encases your diamond with no prongs.
When buying jewelry, especially gold, the higher the karat, the heavier the metal is. A 10K ring would weigh less than a 14K ring of the same size. The heavier the metal, the more it tends to cost due to the amount of precious metal in the jewelry piece. Platinum is heavier and also more expensive than a piece of gold.