It can be alloyed with a number of other metals to increase its strength and produce a variety of colors and can be re-melted and used again to create new designs. Look for the quality mark. Pure gold, or 24-karat, is generally considered too soft for use in jewelry, so it is alloyed with other metals to increase its strength. In the United States, 14-karat gold is used most commonly for jewelry. Nothing less than 10-karat gold can be legally marked or sold as gold jewelry in the United States.
Gold comes in a variety of colors.
Because gold is alloyed with other metals to increase its strength, it can also be made in a variety of colors. Gold, one of the world's most precious metals, dates back to the dawn of mankind. All great civilizations built up treasuries of the lustrous metal, reserving golden objects for their most important rituals. The karatage and gram weight tell you how much gold is in a piece, but other crucial factors determining price are the piece's construction and design. A price based solely on gram weight does not reflect the work that has gone into the piece.