24ct gold is marked with 999, which indicates a gold content of 999.9 parts per thousand – the purest form of gold that you can get. It is regarded as impossible to obtain 100% pure gold with no impurities. Extremely pure gold can, in fact, be classified as up to 999.999 gold (but this is very rare indeed!).
In the simplest of terms, 999 Gold refers to the purest form of gold (24K), with a gold content of 99.9%. (Try the formula above and we're sure you'd arrive at this percentage!) This means that it is not mixed with any other metal. As such, it is extremely soft, so it is more likely to bend and warp easily.
Under this, 999 means that your 24K gold is 99.90% pure and other metal constitutes only 0.1%. Similarly, 999.9 means your gold is 99.99% pure, which means only 0.01% is other metal. Before buying, it is always better to ask your jeweller, bank, or digital platform about the purity of gold.
999 gold is considered the best purity of gold readily available, and is described as being 24 carat. This refers to purity in parts per 1,000 – known as fineness – meaning 999 parts are gold. Pure gold is soft and malleable, making it impractical for many applications.
Gold fineness
In this system, 999.9 is pure gold, equivalent to 24 carat as mentioned above.
Inspect the piece for official markings.
A stamp will indicate either fineness (1-999 or . 1-. 999) or karat (10K, 14K, 18K, 22K or 24K). Anything less than 10K is not considered to be real gold.
24 Karat or . 9999 gold is theoretically pure gold. Pure gold is element atomic number 79 in the periodic table of elements. The element “Gold” was discovered at least 5000 years ago.
However, as pure gold is simply too soft to be made into everyday wear jewellery, gold is blended with other alloys like zinc, copper, palladium, and silver to make it more durable and scratch-proof. 24K gold, otherwise known as 999 gold, refers to pure gold which is not usually used in jewellery.
Pure gold is a noble precious metal, and the least reactive of all metals. Simply put, pure gold does not rust, nor will it tarnish.
Yellow gold is described as such because of its yellow colour which is a result of it being alloyed with silver and copper.
Wearing solid gold jewelry, white gold or yellow gold, in the shower will not harm the metal itself, however it can reduce the shine therefore it is not recommended. Showering with gold plated jewelry can eventually cause the gold layer to wear off completely, therefore you should definitely refrain from doing so.
'999' gold is just one of many different types of hallmarks. If a gold product bears the hallmark '999', then your gold has been tested and classed as 24 carat or 99.9 per cent pure. The remaining 0.1 per cent of the item may be composed of a different metal such as nickel, copper, or in some cases silver.
Silver tarnishes due to a chemical reaction that occurs when it enters in contact with sulfur compounds in the air and on the skin. When exposed to air, silver reacts with hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas to form silver sulfide (Ag2S) on the surface of the piece.
To signify everlasting love, 99, 999, or 9999 roses are usually sent to present the eternal love. The number 9 is also traditionally associated with the Chinese emperor.
999 silver is a specific type of silver where there are very few impurities and no other metals are part of it. The number 999 is a reference to the fact that the silver is 99.9% pure. Other names for this kind of silver include fine silver, pure silver, and 9999 silver.
In their pure, natural forms, gold, silver, aluminum, copper, brass, and lead are not magnetic. This is because they are all weak metals. Adding iron or steel to these metals can make them stronger and magnetic.
22K gold is preferred in case of jewellery. It is because 24K gold is malleable in its pure state and jewellery made with this kind of gold will break easily.
Gold does tarnish and scratch over time. To preserve the luster of your gold jewelry, avoid exposure to household bleach and other cleaning products, which will quickly cause gold to discolor and possibly disintegrate.
Pure gold is notated as 24K – this is the highest karat level for gold meaning it is 100% pure gold. 18K gold is 75% purity level, 14K is 58.3% purity level, and 10K is 41.7% purity level. As you can see, the higher the karat number, the more pure gold comprises the metal.
Chinese gold is generally pure 24 karat and is characterized by its bright yellowish color and soft, malleable texture. Another important feature is that this type of pure gold will never tarnish or rust.
The price of gold depends on its purity, measured in karats or KT. The highest karat gold is 24K or pure gold. As pure gold is the highest quality, 24K gold is generally more expensive than 18K gold.