Is 24K gold ever used for wedding/engagement rings?
Q.I'm about to purchase an engagement ring for my girlfriend and I was wondering if it is unheard of to have the ring made of 24K gold. I've only just begun shopping, and not very seriously yet, but so far all the rings that I've seen have been either 10, 14 or 18K. Of course, I know that pure gold rings must be available, but has anyone considered just how pure the gold should be? I've heard that gold-alloys are used instead of pure gold because of the soft nature of the metal, but how much of a problem is this really? Would a 24K gold ring wear out much faster than an alloy? Is it likely to break? What if I just got a thicker 24K ring and, to compensate, bought a cheaper stone? Any suggestions? My girlfriend happens to be East Indian, and she tells me that in India rings and other jewelry are made of pure gold. This apparently comes from the idea that gold is precious and should not be polluted with other metals. However, I've heard from other sources that the gold most popular in India is actually 22K. Does anyone know for sure?
A.I'm no expert, but my engagement ring is 18 k. I think that the reasoning is that 24 k would be much too soft for a ring. If she plans to do things with her hands, like wash dishes, drive a car, simple everyday things, then you should probably get only 18 k (here the gem is more important than the band usually). I think that a very thick band would still be too soft. Do you know any other East Indian people? If you wish to respect the customs of her culture, ask someone from there who knows. If you're comfortable with it, ask one of her brothers, sisters, or some other relative for advice in this area. It would be a good way to help you get closer to her by making friends with her family and letting them know that you respect their culture. The gold in India would have to be 22K. 24K is too soft, that's why they add alloys. Why, BTW, would you want to buy an inferior stone when the stone, unless it's a rock from your driveway, is what makes the ring valuable? Have you asked any jewelers about this? My brothers are both jewelers and just by knowing them I know that the gold is much less valuable than you think it is. The stone is what's important, whatever type you choose. Just to lend you more opinions, first, I've had three 24K rings in my life. I agree that 24K is too soft for traditional diamond mountings, daily/rough usage such as yardwork, sports activity, hiking, etc. The first ring I actually lost because my finger size became smaller, the ring eventually bent into a non-circular shape, and fell off somewhere in the girl's locker room in high school. Sigh. I've been much more careful with my second ring, which DOES successfully hold a beautiful opal stone. However, opal is too delicate a stone for daily wearing, in my opinion--I've had this ring for about 15 years and it is in nearly perfect shape, but ONLY because I wear for short periods, in fact, hours at a time, and keep it correctly sized. (Your finger keeps the ring from bending out of shape.) My third ring I wore daily for three years, but now I'm not wearing it because it clashes with my engagement ring. Otherwise, it was fairly thick, durable, but again, it is not indestructable, shows minor nicks and will age over time.
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