What is 24K and 22K gold?

Many of us have bought gold at some point in the past, either for jewellery or investments. You must be acquainted with the various gold karats if you’ve ever gone shopping for gold jewellery. Do you understand the main distinction between 22Kt and 24Kt? Which should you purchase as an investment? Look no farther if you have these queries or any others.

Why do we use the term “karats”?

One must first grasp what K or karat stands for in order to distinguish between 22K and 24K. It is a phrase used to describe how pure gold is. The purer the gold would be, the greater the karat value. It is scored between 0 and 24. In light of this, 24K gold is the purest gold that can be purchased.

One should be aware that pure gold is malleable. To make jewellery, other metals including copper, nickel, silver, and palladium are added to the formula. As a result, it is possible to define karat as a measurement of the proportion of gold to other metals or alloys.

Various kinds of gold (according to karat)

The market’s standard karats are listed below.

24 Karat Gold: 24K gold is 99.9% pure and is also referred to as pure gold because it doesn’t have any traces of other metals. One should be aware that 24K gold is the highest form of the metal. When it comes to the price of 24 karat gold in India, it changes daily. However, because of its purity, this type of gold is more expensive than 22K or 18K naturally. However, it is better suited for investments than for conventional jewellery because it is too delicate for that use.

22 Karat Gold: This type of gold is made up of 22 parts gold and 2 parts other metals, such as copper and zinc. It is tougher than 24K pure gold because of the presence of other metal traces in the composition, making it suitable for use in jewellery making. Because it contains 91.67 percent pure gold, gold of this karat is also referred to as “916 gold.”

What separates 22K gold from 24K gold?

The main distinction between 22K gold and 24K gold is as follows:

Purity: 24K denotes 99.9% purity, while 22K is roughly 91 percent pure gold, with the remaining 9% being other metals like copper, silver, zinc, etc.

Durability: Even while jewellery made of 24K gold has a dazzling colour, it won’t last as long as 22K gold jewellery. It is as a result of 24K gold’s weakness in resisting wear and tear. The addition of additional metals to 22K gold makes the jewellery more resistant to wear and tear.

Cost: 24K gold costs more than 22K gold since it is 99.9% pure.

Which should I choose, 24 or 22 karat gold?

It is best to get a 24K gold coin or bar if one is intending to invest. Because 24K gold contains 99.9% pure gold, 22K gold coins and bars won’t sell for the same price as 24K gold when they are sold. When purchasing gold, however, for jewellery, choose 22K rather than 24K because it has more gold in jewellery form and will hold up to wear and tear better.