9K vs 18K Fairtrade Gold

Pure gold is very soft and isn’t very practical to use alone in fine jewellery. For this reason it is combined with other metals for strength and durability. This durability is especially important for items that see a lot of wear. Engagement rings and wedding bands for instance.

Golds purity is measured by karat. This indicates the volume of pure gold vs other metals in an alloy

18K gold is 75% pure gold and 25% other metals (usually a combination of silver and copper). In the case of white gold, that 25% consists purely of white metals, present to contribute a silvery hue. 

9K gold, on the other hand, has a content of 37.5% pure gold and 62.5% other metals. 

In short, 18K gold is 18 parts pure gold; whilst 9K gold is only 9 parts pure.

Colour

Carat weight is in fact the only factor to influence the appearance of gold. Whilst provenance makes no difference (Fairtrade, Fairmined, recycled or industry standard - 18K gold looks like 18K gold), the lower the gold content the more diluted the metal in hue. You'll notice that 9K gold is lighter, less yellow and less lustrous than its 18K counterpart. 

Durability

All in all, 9K gold is tough enough to survive a lifetime of wear - but 18K gold is better suited to heirloom pieces chosen with future generations in mind. 

Whilst 9K gold is technically 'harder' than 18K gold, scoring higher on the Mohs Scale of Hardness, this doesn't mean it's more resilient in the long-term. 9K gold is in fact more brittle, which means it's less resistant to knocks and scratches on a microscopic scale.

Cost

The more gold in the mix, the higher the carat weight and the higher the cost. Generally speaking, 18K gold costs around twice as much as its 9K gold.

18K is generally the go to metal of choice, but if the budget is tight I will offer the design in 9K. This is usually the first port of call if their design and choice of gemstone is not quite within reach for their budget. This way the client can keep their dream design by only a slight compromise in gold karat.

A good option when you can’t afford gemstone, design and gold karat.