Cash for Gold Co Explains What K Markings Really Mean

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Los Angeles, CA, June 8, 2010 — Los Angeles, CA-In response to customer inquiries, Cash for Gold Co has chosen to explain just what the Karat (K) markings on gold jewelry really tell you about the piece. While the explanation is rather simple, it appears that quite a few sellers don’t really understand the markings on their jewelry.

According to Joe Montes, president, “Federal law requires all jewelry manufacturers to stamp a K marking somewhere on each item that they manufacture for sale. Failure to do so accurately carries significant penalties, so today, virtually every manufacturer complies. In simple terms, the Karat marking on a setting or chain indicates just what percentage of the item is pure gold. It is extremely uncommon to find a piece of gold jewelry that is mismarked unless it is an intentional forgery.

Here’s what the K markings actually stand for in the US and Europe:

Karat Gold	Parts Gold	Percentage Gold	Normal European Stamping
9 kt	9 in 24	37.50%	375
10 kt	10 in 24	41.67%	416
12 kt	12 in 24	50.00%	500
14 kt	14 in 24	58.33%	583 or 585
18 kt	18 in 24	75.00%	750
22 kt	22 in 24	91.67%	917
24 kt	24 in 24	99.99%	999 or .99999

This is critical information for Internet buyers who wish to know just how much gold they should pay the seller for. An assay is usually also performed just to be sure the stamped marking is actually correct.

Note that in Europe, jewelry is often stamped with different marking that conform to those in the right-hand column of the chart above. However, if you look at them carefully, you will see that they also represent the percentage of gold in the piece.

Any percentage of metal in a piece that is not gold, has been added to increase the strength and durability of the jewelry and, in some cases, to affect the color. These non-gold metals are not considered valuable and are not included in the payout. When a jewelry item is weighed, any gemstones are not included in the total weight, although in some cases, such as with diamonds, these may be appraised separately and paid for additionally. When the weight of a setting is determined, the percentage of pure gold is also determined as in the above chart.

For example, if a setting weighs 1 gram and it is 18K gold, then there is 0.750 or gram of gold to be paid for at the current spot market price. Thus, if that spot market price is $1216.00/ounce, and there are 31.1 grams/ounce, the 1 gram setting of 18K gold would have a total current value of $29.34.

In summary, the K marking stamped on a piece of jewelry tells you just what percentage of that settings total weight is pure gold.

Other press releases from Cash For Gold Co

• Selling Precious Metal Jewelry Will Be a Real Problem Solver When Extra Cash is Badly Needed - August 1st, 2011
• High Insurance Coverage for Property in Transit is Important - July 27th, 2011
• Learn to Tell if Your Jewelry is White Gold or Platinum - July 25th, 2011
• Protect Yourself When Selling Precious Metals to Internet Buyers - July 25th, 2011
• Cash For Gold Customers Ask: What is ‘Black Hills’ Gold and is It Valued Differently? - February 4th, 2011