Understanding the material at the heart of Via Orefici jewelry.
Gold has been used in jewelry for thousands of years. It is beautiful, rare, remarkably workable and made to endure.
Pure gold, or 24K gold, is naturally soft. For jewelry, gold is usually combined with other metals to create an alloy with the characteristics needed for making and wearing a jewel.
What Does 18K Gold Mean?
18K gold contains 75% pure gold and 25% other metals. This is why Italian 18K gold jewelry is commonly stamped 750: 750 parts out of 1,000 are pure gold.
The remaining metals may include silver, copper or palladium. The combination affects the color, hardness and other characteristics of the gold.
Yellow, white and rose gold can therefore all be 18K. The proportion of pure gold remains the same, while the alloy changes.
Why 18K?
For me, the answer begins with the gold itself.
With 18K, there is a high proportion of pure gold in the jewel. You see it in the richness of the color and you feel it in the material.
It is also a wonderful material for a goldsmith. It can be cast, formed, soldered, engraved, textured and polished, allowing very different expressions of the same precious metal.
18K gold has a long place in Italian fine jewelry, so it is also the material I have always associated naturally with fine jewelry.
At Via Orefici, we use solid 18K gold because the material itself is part of the jewel. Its color, substance and feel are part of the pleasure of wearing it.
18K and 14K Gold
The basic difference is the amount of pure gold.
18K gold is 75% pure gold. 14K gold is approximately 58.5% pure gold.
Both are used in fine jewelry, and each has its own characteristics. The higher proportion of alloying metals in 14K generally makes it harder and also affects its color and feel.
Our preference for 18K isn’t about saying that every jewel must be made from the same material. It is simply the gold we prefer for the jewelry we want to create.
Karat or Carat?
They sound the same, but mean different things.
Karat (K) describes the proportion of pure gold in an alloy.
Carat (ct) measures the weight of a gemstone. One carat equals 0.2 grams.
So an 18K gold ring set with a one-carat stone is telling you two completely different things about the jewel.
Understanding Italian Gold Marks
Italian 18K jewelry is commonly marked 750, indicating the fineness of the gold.
You may also find an Italian identification mark connected to the registered maker or manufacturer. These tiny marks can tell you something about the material and where a jewel was made.
They are worth knowing how to read.
Gold Made to Be Worn
Gold is precious, but it doesn’t need to be treated as something untouchable.
A well-made gold jewel is meant to be worn and enjoyed. Its surface will change slightly with wear. It can also be maintained, polished and repaired over time.
This is one of the things I love about gold. It is precious and enduring, but it can also become very much a part of everyday life.
For Via Orefici, 18K gold is not simply a specification. The gold itself is part of the luxury.
