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When buying gold jewelry, always look for the karat mark. The karatage of the jewelry will tell you what percentage of gold it contains: 24 karat is 100 percent, 18 karat is 75 percent, and 14 karat is 58 percent gold. When comparing gold jewelry,
the higher the number of karats, the greater the value.
In the United States, 14-karat gold is the most common degree of fineness. More valuable is 18-karat gold, or three-quarters pure gold, and jewelry of this fineness is marked 18k or 750, the European designation meaning 75% gold.
Europeans have long embraced 18-karat gold as their metal of choice, and with good reason. Its rich yellow color, luxurious look and feel have an extraordinarily sensual appeal; many European women treat 18-karat gold like a second skin, even
wearing it to the beach! Today, women in the U.S. and around the globe are "trading up" and treating themselves to the beauty and opulence of 18-karat gold.
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