916 VS 999 Gold

If you are a regular buyer of gold jewellery, there must plenty of phrases and numbers you frequently hear from the sellers. These include referring to jewellery as made out of 916 or 999 gold. While most people don’t delve that deeply into the terminology, but, if you are considering investing in gold jewellery, it is important to learn the different varieties of gold and how it can affect your jewellery.

916 and 999 gold are both gold with different compositions. While both types are used to make jewellery, once you explore their differences and special properties, you might develop a preference for one or the other. It is also important to know about these types since some people might be sensitive to some types of gold, thus, they might need to know about the compositions of different metals in the gold.

We have made an ultimate guide to 916 vs. 999 gold, outlining their properties, their differences, advantages, and disadvantages. Next time you are shopping for gold jewellery, you will be able to make more informed decisions equipped with this information.

What Are 916 and 999 Gold?

916 and 999 signify the purity of gold. Pure gold is mixed with different metals to form different hardness and colour. 916 gold signifies that the gold is 91.6 pure, while 999 gold signifies that the gold composition is 99.9% pure.

Pure gold is highly malleable. While one would think that 999 gold would be the best due to its higher percentage of gold,  gold mixed with other alloys is actually more durable and easier to use for making jewellery. Therefore, despite the purity, both types of gold have several advantages and a person can make their choice based on different factors.

916 gold has a gold purity of 22 karat and is an alloy of 91.6% gold mixed with other metals including copper and silver. These other metals increase the hardness of gold to keep the gold jewellery piece in shape much longer than 999 gold. The durability is a massive factor which might attract many people to 916 gold. 916 gold is suitable for daily wear because it is more resistant to scratches. Also, due to other metals in the alloy, 916 gold has a different colour from 999 gold.

On the other hand, 999 gold remains a symbol of wealth and prosperity and provides the classic yellow hue of gold jewellery that is hard to beat. As it is more malleable, 999 gold can be used to make intricate designs for occasional wear on rare occasions.  

Buy gold bar pamp suisse

There are plenty of reasons to pick either type of gold, but your choice should depend entirely on certain factors. Here are three factors that will help you choose between the two types:

1. Personal Style

The choice between the two depends entirely on your personal style. If you stick to classics, you could choose 999. For modern contemporary, 916 would be more suitable.

2. Allergic Reaction

Some people may have allergic reaction to mixed metal jewellery. In this case, it is best to stick to 999 gold since it is not mixed with any other metals and will not flare up any allergic reactions.

3. Type of Activity

These different types of gold are also suited to different kinds of activities. If you intend to do activities with physical exertion, 916 is then the better choice since it is more durable and resistant to scuffs and scratches.

Final Thoughts

916 and 999 gold are both types of gold but differ in cost, appearance, functionality, and durability.  When buying gold jewellery, it is important to keep different factors and both the gold’s properties in mind and then make an informed choice. ValueMax is a pawn shop that has an excellent range of both 916 and 999 gold jewellery pieces that you can browse and buy at reasonable prices.

Pawn shops are the future of sustainable jewellery consumption, visit our shops now to find our incredible collection of renewed 916 and 999 jewellery.

VISIT your nearest valuemax now