Jewellery Tips
Gold is among the most loved
precious metals in the world. It's a wonderful ornament to wear as well as a
great hedge against inflation and falling markets. Another significant
attribute of gold is that it can be liquidated easily around the world.
For us Indians, gold is a symbol of
purity, prosperity and assets. But how well do you know your gold jewellery and
what things should you keep in mind while buying gold ornaments?
Here's what you need to know:
- Understand that there are variations in gold that
affect its purity, quality and price. The main factors to consider include
purity, gram weight and design.
- Purity:
When it comes to purity, most gold has a marking inside that indicate its
caratage. Pure gold is too soft to use it as jewellery. So it is alloyed
with a mixture of metals like silver, copper, nickel and zinc to give it
strength and durability. The most common 'Carat' options are 18K, 22K and
24K. The higher the number, the higher the purity of the gold.
Carats
|
Fineness
(of 1000)
|
Purity
(%)
|
Comments
|
24
|
999
|
99.9%
|
Pure gold
|
22
|
916
|
91.6%
|
Popular in India
|
21
|
875
|
87.5%
|
Popular in Middle East
|
18
|
750
|
75.0%
|
Standard international caratage
|
14
|
585
|
58.5%
|
Standard in US
|
Source:
World Gold Council
- Price:
The price of gold jewellery is determined by the purity of the gold, which
alloy it is combined with, and by the amount of skill and labour that goes
into the piece. The higher the skill and labour, the higher the making
charges.
- Colour:
Gold has many variations. In addition to yellow gold, white gold and rose
gold are also popular options. You can also find many two-tone styles, if
you prefer a mix of colors. Combining pure gold with other metals creates
a new and diverse colour palette. Mixing in white metals, such as
palladium or silver in combination, creates white gold, now the
overwhelming choice for wedding bands in the US. The inclusion of copper
results in the soft pink complexion of rose gold. And gold can now be
created in a spectrum of other colours, such as green, purple and even
black. But the greatest demand for gold around the world remains for
yellow gold, warm, rich, and subtle, the ultimate in precious metals.
- Identification:
In many countries including India, local law requires that every item of
gold jewellery bears a clear stamp indicating its caratage. This
identification is often controlled through a hallmarking system. Branded
jewellers usually stamp the jewellery themselves, displaying both their
own identifying mark and the caratage or fineness of each piece. The
government of India has identified BIS as a sole agency and the BIS
hallmarking scheme has been aligned with the international criteria on
hallmarking (Vienna Convention 1972). As per this scheme, licence is
granted to the jewellers by BIS under the hallmarking scheme. The BIS
certified jewellers can get their jewellery hallmarked from any of the BIS
recognized assaying and hallmarking centres.
Needless to say, the jeweller's reputation is also important to consider.
Buying gold is based on trust and you are building a lifelong relationship with
the jeweller. Ensure that brand is well established and has proven reliability
and authenticity.
Also, it is important to keep your
gold jewellery fresh and clean, and always glittering like new.