However, it is not as susceptible to tarnishing as other metals with a lower carat weight, such as 14k. This is because it contains a higher percentage of pure gold (which never tarnishes, corrodes or rusts). Gold doesn't tarnish and lasts forever, but the other metals in the alloy will tarnish. However, 9-carat gold is vulnerable to serious tarnishing, especially if it is alloyed with copper, and sometimes turns green or black.
The other metals in 9-carat jewelry can also react with the wearer's skin (especially if nickel is present) and sometimes cause dermatitis. One of the most common questions we receive here at All In Faith is “Does gold jewelry tarnish? Gold in its purest form does not tarnish, however, the gold used for jewelry mixes with other metals, allowing it to tarnish. Let's take a closer look at what constitutes gold jewelry and how you can prevent or repair tarnished gold jewelry. After some time, the silver in Pachi gold jewelry can react with or with oxygen and cause the jewelry to turn black.
When base metals alloyed with gold react with oxygen or oxygen, they can discolor or tarnish your gold jewelry. But pure gold or 24-karat gold is too soft to be used in jewelry, so it is generally alloyed with other base metals. Perspiration, which is essentially rich in sodium chloride (common salt), can cause gold jewelry to tarnish. Only pure or 24-karat gold remains shiny and does not rust, discolor or tarnish, since pure gold is the least reactive chemical element.
This is the most popular carat for gold jewelry, as its strength is well suited to keeping gemstones such as diamonds and emeralds in place, without the tips weakening and the gems falling off. Rose gold is made up of 75% gold and 25% copper, and rose gold is 75% gold, 21% copper and 4% silver. It is this addition of metals that hardens the texture of gold and therefore makes the jewelry durable. Just because your 22-carat gold jewelry tarnishes doesn't mean it's not real gold; it just means that your gold jewelry isn't “pure” gold or 24-karat gold.
However, you should know that, although it can be used to make plain gold jewelry, 22-carat gold is not preferable for diamonds and jewelry with a lot of studs. If you're looking for gold jewelry that's less likely to lose its luster, you'll want to look for higher-carat gold. Since gold is more expensive than copper and silver, the higher the percentage of pure gold a jewel has, the more expensive it will be: 22-carat gold jewelry is the most expensive. European white gold is always made with 9-carat silver because it restricts the use of nickel in jewelry, as it causes skin problems.
