Something that is 100 percent gold is 24 “karat”; something that is 12 “karat” is 50 percent gold, the rest being impurities or harder metals like silver, bronze, or brass. (Because pure gold is so soft, you rarely see 24-karat gold jewelry, and even the “purest” gold is at most 99.90 percent gold.)
The numbers of 10K, 14K, 18K, and 24K are markers of the purity of gold and expressed in terms of 'karat', hence the abbreviated K. It is often confused with carat, which is the measurement of a gem's weight. Pure gold is notated as 24K – this is the highest karat level for gold meaning it is 100% pure gold.
The gold jewelry from Turkey ranges from 10 karat to 21 karat. The 10 karat and 14 karat jewelry are made for the U.S. retail market and is stamped “417” for 10k and “585” for 14k. 18 karat and 21 karat gold are generally made to be sold in Turkey for the Turkish people and the people who go to turkey on vacation.
10-Karat Gold
10k gold is the lowest solid gold alloy used for jewelry. It's composed of 41.7% gold and 58.3% alloy. Appearance: 10k gold is pale yellow in color. It's the least yellow of all the karat types since it contains the least amount of gold.
Gold Purity Marks
The letter “k” refers to karats, where pure gold is composed of 24 karats (24k). A piece of jewelry with an etching that reads “18k” or “750” indicates that it is made up of 75 percent gold, while a “14k” or “585” mark indicates the metal is constructed with 58.5 percent gold.
Most other letter markings indicate that a piece is gold-plated or gold-filled. Gold-plated pieces may be marked 'GP,' 'GE,' or 'HGE. ' 'GP' or 'GE' means the piece is electroplated with a thin layer of gold; '18K GP' would indicate a piece plated with 18 karat gold.
AK stands for 'Atasay Kuyumculuk', which means 'Atasay Jewelry'. 14k stands for '14 karat', which means that 14/24 ratio is gold, 10/24 other metals.
AK is the manufacturer's stamp, and it stands for Atasay Kuyumculuk, one of the leading jewelry manufacturers in Turkey. Sometimes found on gold plated sterling, Related questions (More answers below)
Although they have a common origin and are pronounced the same, carat and karat now have different meanings. A carat is a unit of weight in gemstones. A karat is a unit for measuring the purity of gold. Carat is abbreviated as c. or ct., while karat is k. or kt.
The highest karat of gold is 24K gold. 24 karat gold is 100% pure and doesn't contain any other metals, making it the purest gold available. This means that it has zero impurities and is usually softer than lower karats—10K and 14K. There are many different karat levels of gold.
24 Karat Gold
The purest form of gold, 24 karat, is not used in items of jewelry. 24 karat gold is made entirely of the metal itself, without other metals mixed in. Due to its purity it is also the most expensive type of gold available.
It depends on what your taste is really, and how you dress with them or where you buy them, for quality. They consist of many colors. Turkey is ranked 6th of the countries that buy the most gold, so most of the jewelry you find in Turkey will be gold. Turkey's jewelry is good, although Turkish jewelry isn't the best.
Is 10k/14k gold a good investment? Gold, no matter what its purity, is a good investment for different reasons. If you're looking for something long-lasting, then you'd consider 10k gold to be a great investment because its high durability factor will likely last you a lifetime.
In the US, 10 carat is the legal minimum accepted standard of gold caratage, 14 carat being the most popular. In France, the UK, Austria, Portugal and Ireland, 9 carat is the lowest caratage permitted to be called gold.
10k, 14k, and 18k Breakdown
Because pure gold is naturally yellow in color, the higher the karat, the more yellow the metal will appear.
The name is derived from the english word potash. The chemical symbol K comes from kalium, the Mediaeval Latin for potash, which may have derived from the arabic word qali, meaning alkali. Potassium is a soft, silvery-white metal, member of the alkali group of the periodic chart.
What Does 925 Mean For Jewelry? The 925 hallmark is actually used primarily on sterling silver jewelry. It indicates that the material's composition is 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper.
K is for karat, which is gold purity. 24k is pure gold, 18k is 18 parts out of 24 gold (75%), etc. When K is followed by y or w it just means yellow gold or white gold. 14ky means 14 karat yellow gold. Sometimes you will see k followed by a “p”.
The initials AK represent Avtomat Kalashnikova, Russian for “automatic Kalashnikov,” for its designer, Mikhail Timofeyevich Kalashnikov, who designed the accepted version of the weapon in 1947.
In baseball terms, a “K” is a strike out.
10k is indicating that the composition of the ring will be 41% Gold, and 59% other metal(s) such as copper, Nickel, etc. The “ask” is a manufacturing mark, identifying who has made the ring.
Look for a Letter Mark
If the item of jewelry has the letters GP, GF, or GEP stamped on it, these indicate that it is not made of real gold. GP means it is gold plated, GF means it is gold filled, and GEP means it is gold electroplate. That is, the jewelry is made of some other metal with a thin layer of gold on top.
Because pure gold is denser than other metals, a gold item will sink quickly and directly to the bottom of a tub or bottle of water. Fake gold can float or fall more slowly. Real gold also won't rust or tarnish when exposed to water, while gold plated items can show discoloration.