#7505 citrine bracelet.
Not too long ago, I found a bracelet that I fell in love with. It was gorgeous, but only 9k. I decided that since I love it, someone else will too and it became mine.
Then, I watched a jewelry auction recently (worse than watching paint dry), and I noticed that 9k jewelry was doing surprisingly well.
What is happening?
For decades, I was under the assumption that gold only counts if it is at least 14k. Nobody gave a 2nd glance at 9k. I'm beginning to wonder whether this is still true.
For the longest time, my assumption was that the only antique jewelry worth looking at was set in high karat gold. It is true that most fabulous jewelry is associated with a purer gold content. There are lots of exceptions such as beautiful diamonds set in silver. Times have changed and we should take a 2nd look at 9k gold with its additional benefits.
Recently, gold has reached astronomical heights (compared to all previous years). Being so expensive, prices are sometimes getting to be unreasonable. The gold value is putting a lot of jewelry out of range for many collectors. Do not despair, there is plenty of gorgeous 9k jewelry out there. Just look.
What is 9k gold: All gold jewelry is made from a combination of gold and other metals. When 37.5% of the mixture is gold and the other metals make up the balance, we call it 9k gold. That's why sometimes a jewel is marked 9k and sometimes 375 - meaning 375 parts of a 1000. All different ways of saying the same thing.
Most commonly, 9k has been used in the UK and less so in the USA. The French don't regard anything under a full 18k as gold.
#7115 Turquoise earrings and pendant in 9k gold.
Why would we use 9k instead of 14 or 18k? The most obvious reason was that pure gold is expensive. If you understood the composition of the metal as explained above, you will understand that 9k gold has less gold in the mix and is therefore cheaper. But this is not the only reason to use 9k as we will learn below.
For one thing, really interesting jewelry is really difficult to find. If I find a great-looking piece and it's only 9k, should I pass on it because of the relatively low gold content?
As times change, so do our priorities.
With that in mind, I'm working on my biases and looking more at beautiful, affordable and long-lasting 9k gold antique jewelry.
Below are a few good reasons to reconsider the desireability of 9k.
*Beautiful antique jewelry in 9k was made to provide a more affordable alternative to those of us with lesser means. The workmanship was still fine and like with so much antique jewelry, including paste, there was no compromising quality. 9k gold is price-friendly.
*9k gold may be relatively available. Sadly, over the years, much of it was lost or melted, but it is still out there.
*9k gold is stronger than other gold. Pure gold is very soft and so the more you use other metals with it, the stronger and more durable the result. If you want something to last longer, with less scratches, wear and tear, then 9k is actually superior to the higher purities of the metal, which will be soft, easily bent and damaged.
*like other gold, 9k will last forever.
*more than higher k gold, you can risk wearing 9k on a daily basis without fear of damage and loss.
#6750 9k gold citrine earrings
To be totally fair, here are a few cons of 9k gold:
* The color of 9k might be a little paler than higher k gold.
* 9k might tarnish more easily than higher k, but you can always buff it up.
* lower k might affect the resale price.
Don't get confused between 9k and 9ct. They are one and the same. In general, England used 9ct to describe the same gold as was denoted 9k in the USA.
But Do remember that antique jewelry is often not homogenous. The metal in a single item may range within a few levels of purity since it was hand-made before the age of computer accuracy. Don't get strung up on small details - after all, what is the economic difference in a few grams of gold, be it 9 or 19k?
The bottom line is that 9k beautiful jewelry can be your enduring, life-long treasure, as much to be enjoyed and appreciated as any other.
Buy it while you can!
#7505 citrine bracelet.
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