Jewelry, Gold

In its pure form, gold is soft and bendable, and not practical to be worn. To produce jewelry, gold is combined with other metals in a process called alloying, creating what is known as karat gold; the higher the karat, the higher the gold’s purity. Jewelry purchased in the United States should always have a karat stamp to let you know the metal’s gold content. Alloying also gives gold different colors. Most gold is alloyed with copper and silver, producing yellow gold. Increasing the ratio of copper results in rose gold. White gold usually contains nickel and small amounts of zinc.

Read more about all types of jewelry metals on our Wedding Planning Tips page, under "Wedding Metals Defined".