carats of Gold

[Silver Fox]

Am watching the Veronese hour & although I like many of the designs I do not like the very yellow colour of 18 carat gold.I have a lovely Veronese bangle but the colour for me is a downside.I know many people dismiss 9 carat & 18 carat is the norm on the continent but I much prefer the colour of 9Ct--but again have to admit I go more for white gold, 'nough said!

 

[Weathergirl]

Me too SF.

Maybe it's because we are so used to the colour of 9 ct gold and 18 ct looks too brash. 14 ct gold is a lovely compromise.
I have my grandmother's engagement ring which is 18ct gold, but the colour is much softer than veronese, so I wonder if it's really an accurate reflection of the colour.

 

[BusyMum]

Me three! I did once order a Veronese ring and sent it straight back - "in the flesh" it looked like brass to me - admittedly I'm only used to 9ct gold and like you SF I prefer white metals anyway.

 

[Bea Frugal]

Over time I think 9ct tarnishes more than the others. I'd go for 14 or 18 carat every time. I prefer the look of it and I love wearing it!

 

[Frazzled]

They are doing a few Veronese white gold pieces. I received a ring I'd been waiting for just after Christmas, unfortunately I didn't like the setting very much so sent it back, but apart from that it was very nice, I shall try again as I like Veronese designs but prefer white gold or silver.

 

[Julius]

I prefer white gold! Having said that 9ct and 14ct have quite a nice buttery soft colour to them.

 

[Tinkerbelle]

I've got a few 18ct yellow gold pieces but none of them are that colour. I think that's the Veronese colour, or perhaps the Italian colour, rather than being the carat weight colour.

I've posted before that their rose gold is very pink. My engagement ring is 18ct rose gold and looks nothing like Veronese rose gold. I've also got 9ct rose gold. Pretty much every piece is a different colour to my eye.

Yellow gold shouldn't tarnish whatever the carat weight. Rose gold can and Veronese definitely does. White gold is often plated with rhodium so over time the white dulls down but it shouldn't tarnish.

 

[Julius]

Rose gold looks too coppery! 9ct is buttery soft.

 

[Bea Frugal]

Perhaps it shouldn't tarnish Tinkerbelle but I once succumbed and bought a pair of 9ct yellow gold earrings from qvc with a semi precious drop which exactly matched some beads I have and after not wearing them for a while I was shocked to find the gold dark and dingy. Never bought gold again from them.

 

[Tinkerbelle]

I don't blame you Bea Frugal. They shouldn't tarnish.

I've just done a really fun job of listing some items I've inherited and the oldest one is 184 years old. It's rose gold and its is still beautifully shiny. The pattern has worn off a bit it has to be said lol.

 

[Queen Bee]

gold won't tarnish, it may have gotten dirty but it should never tarnish. White gold will change colour and the yellow will start to come through so will need replating in rhodium every few years, thats to be expected.

 

[Weathergirl]

I had a pair of solid 9ct gold earings made for me out of some of my "scrap" gold. They are little gold coffee beans. The jeweller had to plate them in 18ct gold in the end because of a problem with the "flux". Something had gone wrong with the mix, causing one of the alloy metals to tarnish. The gold does not tarnish but as it is only 9 ct the remaining percentage of the mix is of coursr other metals that can tarnish. Plating them in 18ct completely solved the problem.

 

[Tinkerbelle]

Oo-er wonder what flux is??! The earrings sound lovely Weathergirl and what a good idea. I had a brooch remodelled into a ring. I'd never wear it as a brooch but its now a pretty solitaire garnet ring.

 

[Weathergirl]

Beats me!!! But he definitely said it was the flux. I had a coffee bean pendant done too. The mould he used was a hollow coffee bean pendant that was my favourite as a child. Remember the gold blend advert? Like those. I have a white gold set too and wear one or other of the pieces daily. Guess it is my "trademark" now, but my mum says it's boring that I wear the same thing all the time.

 

[Tinkerbelle]

I had a handmade solid gold coffee bean charm in the late 80s. Lost it in about 2006. Bit if a bugger really as I'd worn it every day for years.

Not boring at all! Wear what you like. )

 

[Julius]

My mum had a coffee bean pendant in the 80s too. I vaguely remember some tv soap opera style adverts with a sophisticated couple (the woman had an ensuite bathroom) of next door neighbours that were always having sex / drinking instant coffee. (Well it was the 80s) the woman wore a white dress and a coffee bean pendant! I'd completely forgotten about it until you mentioned it! My mum must have taken her coffee bean pendant with her as it wasn't with all her possessions when I cleared out her flat after she passed away. Thanks for the memory x.

 

[stratobuddy]

I have some 24 carat (99.999% pure) gold, it is a very yellow colour.

 

[Sazza]

Gold plating always looks more yellow, more brassy that solid gold.

 

[kitten_with_claws]

Gold plating always looks more yellow, more brassy that solid gold.

I agree Sazza - I don't own any Veronese pieces but my watch is 18ct gold (not all of it, I wish! lol) & I had my eternity ring done in 18ct gold to match it, neither are that slightly nickel like brassy tone of the Veronese pieces I've seen on the tele, they're just 'gold', there's not even a hint of 'yellow' in the colour of them!

 

[stratobuddy]

9ct gold is only 37.5% gold content so can be almost any colour, depending what the other 62.5% of metals are.

If I remember, I will compare my pure gold colour to 9ct, 18ct and veronese.

You have got me interested now.