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9 Kt. Gold - Material Guide

You love the luxury feel of Gold Jewellery but your budget isn't big enough? Piercings made of 9 Kt. Gold might be the perfect alternative for you.

In this Material Guide we look closer into the specifics of this material. What is the difference with 14 Kt. Gold and how to take proper care of your 9 Kt. Gold Jewellery? Read on to find out.

Introduction to 9 Kt. Gold

Body Jewellery made of Gold is considered the 'holy grail'. With Gold prices hitting record highs in the last years, Jewelry made of 14 Kt. Gold is quite the investment. 9 Kt. Gold is a great alternative when your budget is limited, although you still want that gold look.

Pure Gold is way too soft to be used for Jewellery. By adding other metals, hardness increases and alteration of the colour becomes possible. Rose Gold is such a colour, created by adding copper to the mix.

Most of the Gold Body Jewellery is made of 14 Kt. Gold. We are always looking for stunning pieces made of 9 Kt. Gold to add to our ever-expanding collection.

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Pros and Cons

Nothing beats the luxurious look of Gold.
Gold will stay valuable.
9 Karat Gold is more affordable.
9 Kt. Gold Jewellery contains Nickel.
9 Kt. Gold is more sensitive for discoloration.
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9 Kt. Gold Explained

The fineness of Gold Jewellery is expressed in karats. Karats measure the parts of Gold per 24. Pure Gold is known as 24 Karat Gold. Alloy metals are added to increase hardness, improve durability, and alter colours. Metals such as Silver, Copper, Zinc, and Nickel are the most common additives for 9 Karat Gold. The purity of 9 Kt. Gold is 9/24, or 37.5%.

Some people believe 9 Karat Gold Jewellery should not be considered 'Gold' as it contains such a small percentage of actual Gold. While limited in choice, we believe 9 Kt. Gold Jewellery is a perfect alternative for Piercing Lovers with a smaller budget. If you are sensitive to Nickel, this material is not fit for purpose. 14 Kt. Yellow and Rose Gold is free of any Nickel. Piercings made of 14 Karat Gold consist of 58.5% pure gold, resulting in quite the price difference.

The difference between 9 Kt. and 14 Kt. is not necessarily visible. The yellow tone may be slightly different, yet most people won't see the difference. Despite being less valuable and the added Nickel, many can benefit from the steep price difference.

"9 Karat Gold contains Nickel and is not suited for Initial Piercing Jewellery."

Please be aware that 9 Kt. Gold jewellery is more sensitive to discoloration than 14 Kt. gold pieces. The higher percentage of copper and silver make the jewellery more perceptive to oxidation. The high copper content may even cause the jewellery to turn your skin green. If your budget allows for it, we recommend to choose 14 Karat instead.

Tip!

When you shop for new Piercing Jewellery, make use of the filters to find only Piercings made of the Material you are after.

Gold Stamps

When you hold a piece of Gold Jewelry, just by the looks of it, you cannot tell the purity. Gold Jewelry is stamped to inform you of the number of karats, such as 9 Karats. There is a difference between the stampings for Gold Jewelry manufactured for the U.S. and that manufactured for the UK. In the U.S. you will find a '9K' stamp, while '375' is used in the UK. As we source our Body Jewellery mostly from the U.S., you will find the 9K stamp on our Jewellery. Please note that Gold Jewellery weighing less than 1 gram is usually not stamped.

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White polishing cloth for piercings and jewellery
White polishing cloth for piercings and jewellery
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Maintenance Instructions

Gold is known for its beautiful shine. To keep your Gold Body Jewellery's shine, you should clean it regularly. For cleaning, use lukewarm water and a tiny bit of dish soap. You may want to disinfect your Piercing with alcohol, but bear in mind that this can damage the finish. To clean your Gold Body Jewellery, we recommend using our polishing cloth. If you wear Gold Jewellery to the beach or keep it in when cleaning your Piercing with a saline solution, remember to clean your Jewel afterwards.

Chlorine can do serious harm to your Gold Jewellery. Always make sure to remove any Gold Jewellery before swimming in a pool or visiting the spa. Do not expose Gold Jewellery to perfume, hairspray, makeup, and chemical cleaners. Put your Gold Piercing Jewellery in after getting ready to limit the exposure.
When you wear a Gold Tongue Barbell, keep in mind that acids can lead to discolouration and damage to the Jewellery's finish.

Other Material Guides

With Material Guides like this one, we want to help you make informed decisions when purchasing one of our Piercings online. We have written a Guide for most of the materials you will find in our webshop.

If you want to learn more about the differences between the materials used for Piercing Jewellery, read a bit more by browsing through all of our Material Guides. Our customer service can also assist you if you have any questions left before deciding what material best fits your needs.