What is 10K Gold?

Gold is always the most common material used to make engagement rings and other high-end jewelry. Gold is a very soft and malleable metal, and in its purest form, it is too soft for most jewelry applications. And pure gold is extremely bright as well, with an orange color that doesn’t look very attractive when it’s used for jewelry. Therefore, it is often alloyed with other metals to increase its durability and strength. Like many other precious metals, gold comes in a variety of purity levels. Today we will talk more about the 10K gold which we need to know.

10K gold contains 10 parts of gold and 14 parts of other metals, such as silver, nickel, palladium, zinc or copper. 10 karat gold is made up of 41.7% gold and 58.3% alloy. In many countries, 10K gold is the lowest level purity that can be legally marketed and sold using the word ‘gold’.

10K gold is a popular choice for jewelry because it is more affordable than higher karat of gold while still maintaining some of the desirable properties of the metal, such as its luster and durability. But because of its low purity level, 10K gold is not very commonly used for engagement rings and other fine, high-end jewelry. Instead, it’s mostly used for jewelry items such as earrings, pendant, and other affordable jewelry.

10K gold comes in three color options: white gold, yellow gold, and rose gold, which gives options for everyone to choose the color based on you or your loved own tastes and preferences. Using a slightly different blend of metals can change its appearance when the blended with the gold.

Below, we’ll learn more about each 10K gold color to help you choose the best option for your needs.

10K White Gold

10K white gold is an alloy of 41.7% gold and other metals like silver, zinc and palladium. A piece of jewelry made out of 10K white gold will contain 47.4% of silver, 10% of palladium, 0.9% of zinc and rhodium coating. The coating will protect the gold against corrosion and make it more durable.

White gold is very popular metal for engagement rings, pendants and other fine jewelry, but it is less traditional than yellow gold. And 10K gold is the most affordable type of white gold that’s used for jewelry. Besides, for those people who are with rosy or fair skin, 10K white gold’s light and neutral appearance looks particularly elegant and beautiful. But it will be fixed every few years to maintain its protective benefits, color and luster because the rhodium coating used on 10K white gold will wear off over time. And 10K white gold is more likely to trigger allergic reactions than other K gold because 10K gold has such a large amount of alloy metals relative to its gold content. So if you or your fiancé-to-be aren’t allergic to nickel or other common alloy metals, you can safely wear 10K white gold without any concerns.

10K Yellow Gold

10K yellow gold is an alloy of 41.7% gold and other metals as silver and copper. Most 10K yellow gold will usually contain as much as 52% silver and 6.3% copper in addition to its gold content.

Although yellow gold isn’t a very common choice for high-quality engagement rings, but it is a good choice for vintage-inspired earrings, pendants and other jewelry because of its classic, traditional looks. People with olive or darker skin look particularly good when they wear yellow gold jewelry. So it worth considering if you or your fiancé-to-be have this type of skin tone. In all, 10K yellow gold is the least type of yellow gold on the market, and it’s very durable but isn’t widely used for high quality engagement rings and other fine jewelry because of its low purity level. Like 10K white gold, 10K yellow gold might cause skin allergies if you or your fiancé-to-be are allergic to copper.

10K Rose Gold

10K rose gold is an alloy of 41.7% gold and other metals as silver and copper. Just like white and yellow gold, 10K rose gold isn’t very pure as well which is made up of 20% silver and 38.3% copper. Thanks to its almost 40% copper content, rose gold has a warm, attractive pinkish-red color. Except that, 10K rose gold is often a more affordable metal than white gold and yellow gold. The high copper content of rose gold, especially of 10K rose gold, it’s difficult to bend, warp or scratch.

Like white and yellow gold is fit for some type of skin tones, rose gold looks fantastic on pale, olive or dark stone tones. Rose gold shines with a warm, pink hue, making it the most romantic metal choice for a jewelry piece. Its unique color makes it an appealing choice, especially for those looking for something a little different. The copper in rose gold makes this metal the most durable of all three gold color options. However, it is important to note that 10K rose gold is more likely to trigger skin allergies because of its large amount of copper.

All in all, 10K gold is the most affordable and durable type of gold used for engagement rings and other jewelry. So it’s worth considering if you’re on a strict budget, or if you or your fiancé-to-be have an active lifestyle and need a ring that won’t scratch easily.