What is the highest standard of gold: how is it designated and how much does it cost + how to distinguish it from a fake

Post updated: May 26, 2020

Many people, especially fans (and admirers) of jewelry, want to purchase the most expensive and high-quality jewelry and they are interested in the highest standard of gold, however, it is not used for “jewelry,” but first things first.

The highest standard is 999 gold. It contains 99.9% pure precious metal. In addition, it is often called “chervonny”.

• A short excursion into the history of the formation of the trial system
• 999.9 – maximum quality indicator
• Use in decorations
• Application in surface decoration

What is a sample

The fineness of a noble metal is an indicator of the amount of its content in an alloy. In Russia, any alloy containing 30 percent or more of the base metal is subject to testing. By law, each product must have a brand indicating the sample. Thus, the numbers “375” mean that the product consists of 37.5% chemically pure gold.

Testing systems

There are several marking systems for precious metals. They depend on the country in which the product is manufactured. Before the transition to the metric system, which brought almost all of Europe to a common denominator, different countries (Germany, Spain, Great Britain) labeled precious metals in their own way.

There are two main testing systems:

• Metric is used in Russia, the CIS and in European countries that have signed the Convention on the Control and Marking of Products Made of Precious Metals. It indicates the content of the base metal per gram of alloy, expressed in ppm - thousandths. The 750 marking indicates 75%, that is, 750 ‰ (ppm) gold and 250 ‰ alloying components (impurities).
• The carat system is used in the USA, Switzerland and Canada, and was used in Europe (Great Britain, Ireland) before the general introduction of the metric system. Carat is a unit of measurement equal to 1/24 of the mass of the alloy. Pure metal has a carat value of 24, an alloy with 95.8% gold has a carat value of 23 carats, and an alloy with 50% gold has a carat value of 12 carats.

To make it easier to understand, look at the comparison table of systems:

There is a spool system based on the Russian pound, equal to 96 spools (used in the Russian Empire and the USSR until 1927). This is rare now.

Which sample is the highest

The highest standard is marked with the number 999.9. In this case, we have the purest gold without impurities. It is not found in jewelry due to its low resistance to deformation, but is highly valued and suitable for investment.

Honorable third place

750 standard is two-thirds pure gold. The ligature is represented by the same metals as in the 585 sample. This gold corresponds to eighteen carats. It lends itself well to jewelry processing, as it has good malleability. The products are durable, but their price is quite high. Not every buyer can afford high-status jewelry. Global jewelry brands choose gold of the highest 750 standard for the production of their products. When asked what exactly is the best standard of gold, many jewelers will name this specimen.

This is interesting! The core inside our planet contains a huge amount of gold. It is believed that they can cover the entire Earth, with a layer of one and a half meters.

Characteristics

Gold is not attracted by a magnet, is not afraid of corrosion, weighs a lot and shines brightly. What other physical properties does it differ from?

Composition and properties

“Four nines,” as the highest sample is also called, also contains impurities, but in trace quantities. Per kilogram of precious metal, 0.1 grams of alloy are allowed, which allows such gold to be considered pure. The maximum sample gives the following qualities:

1. High ductility and malleability. The metal can easily be rolled into thin gold sheets or drawn into wire.
2. Softness. Fine gold scores 2.5 on the Mohs scale, which is just above the hardness of plaster (2), which can be scratched with a fingernail.
3. Density 19,321 kg/m³. There are only five denser metals in the world: platinum, osmium, iridium, rhenium, plutonium.
4. High thermal conductivity.
5. Low electrical resistance.

Gold is neither a fusible nor a refractory metal. The melting point of 1063 °C is average.

Strength

Products created for household use must be wear-resistant. The item can easily be dropped or scratched, and in the case of pure gold, such an impact will be fatal. The high softness of 999 is what makes it unsuitable as a material for jewelry or cutlery. Their service life would be too short.

Alloy shade chart

The color of pure metal of the highest standard is yellow, it is not for nothing that in ancient cultures it was compared to the sun. There are a variety of shades on the market: white, red and even greenish gold. A wide choice is achieved by supplementing pure metal with an alloy: copper, silver, palladium, nickel, cadmium, platinum, zinc.

Impurities not only change color, but also impart the desired properties - mainly increase hardness. It is especially important for jewelry that involves attaching stones, but a pure sample is not suitable for a simple ring either, precisely because it is unstable to damage.

There are alloys where platinum is involved. It, like palladium, provides gold with its white color.

Brand

The practice of putting a brand on precious bars originated in Europe in the 13th century, and in Russia in the 17th century. The silhouettes changed along with the power: the double-headed eagle was replaced by a lady’s profile, which was replaced by a hammer and sickle. Today in the Russian Federation, jewelry is again branded with a woman’s head.

On jewelry produced in Russia, stamps were introduced indicating the fineness according to the metric system (585, 750), and in North America and Switzerland - according to the carat system (18 K, 14 K).

How many carats are in this sample?

The highest purity of the metal implies maximum purity in all testing systems. A metric fineness of 999.9 equals 24 carats.

Marking 900

The highest standard of gold that is put on jewelry is 900. It says that the alloy contains 90% Au. But 10% are other metals that are added to the alloy in order to dilute the gold and give the product the desired characteristics.

Why dilute Au:

1. To reduce the proportion of gold in the product.
2. Change the properties of a precious metal.

Gold in its pure form weighs quite a lot - it is one of the heaviest metals. For this reason, other elements are added to the ligature. But even a small product marked “900” will weigh at least 8 grams. Accordingly, the price of such decoration will be higher.

Since Au is a ductile element, a gold bar can be turned into a sheet using a hammer. For this reason, other metals are often added to the alloy. They are able to change the properties of an element and make it more resistant to external influences.

Most often added to the alloy:

• copper;
• silver;
• platinum;
• base metals.

Copper and silver will help give jewelry the desired shade, lighten the weight of items and make jewelry more durable.

Correspondence of different types of samples

Platinum is not added everywhere; the element is used only when creating white gold, and is also applied to the surface of finished products in the form of a coating.

Base metals: nickel, zinc, brass and others. These elements affect the quality of the alloy, make the products lighter and help create exquisitely designed jewelry.

It will not be possible to forge leaves, flowers, or create openwork weaving from gold due to the fact that the material easily changes shape.

In general, the ligature helps to make the decoration more sophisticated and beautiful. But at the same time, the anti-corrosion properties of the product suffer.

Au is an inert element; it is not affected by acids, alkalis and other substances. Otherwise, prospectors would not find nuggets in the bowels of the earth. But this cannot be said about metals that have nothing to do with noble ones; platinum can be considered an exception.

When using a ligature, the properties of gold are partially transferred to the jewelry, but if there are too many impurities in the alloy, the product will quickly darken and become coated. This is a completely understandable phenomenon, because elements oxidize when interacting with air and water, not to mention reagents.

Despite all the pros and cons, gold marked 900 is used to make:

1. Wedding rings.
2. Gold leaf.

In the Soviet Union, wedding rings of this type were sometimes found. It was believed that the ring symbolizes the strength and durability of marriage, its inviolability and the ability to withstand all adversity. The decorations had a special shade - red. Color was considered the main sign of quality, along with sample and mark.

Gold leaf is a sheet of pure metal that is either 900 or the highest 999.9 fine. This material is used as a coating. Apply to surfaces made of various materials. Also, tinsel can act as a decorative element. The most striking example of the use of tinsel as a covering is the domes of churches.

Leaf helps to protect objects or parts of buildings and structures from environmental factors and their aggressive effects. A product coated with gold leaf will last longer, but should not be considered eternal. There are substances that can also affect Au.

In our country today, it is not very common to see the marking 900 on gold jewelry, since the properties of the metal do not allow it to be used everywhere. Wedding rings are made from precious metals with this hallmark. They are very massive, but at the same time they are durable. Such rings cost a lot, and sometimes the purchase of jewelry can account for half of the wedding budget.

Jewelers do not say that it is impossible to make a chain, bracelet or pendant from 900-carat gold - this is quite feasible, but such a product will not be distinguished by elegance. And the weight of the chain can plunge the owner into shock.

Today, Au marked 900 is used primarily for coinage. Your teeth will help you check the authenticity of a coin. If you try to bite a coin, traces will remain on its surface - this is evidence that high-grade gold was used during minting.

Advantages and disadvantages

Choosing gold as an asset for saving money has a long tradition. How profitable is such an investment?

The advantage of such an investment is reliability. Precious metals have always had a high value and there is no risk that the price of gold will collapse and the investor will be left with nothing. Saving money using gold is a good solution.

Expert opinion

Lyudmila Pestereva

Our most experienced gold investor

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The disadvantage of buying bullion is that it takes a long time to pay for itself. You will not receive regular dividends, and you can wait for income for years.

Recommendations for care and cleaning

Gold bars of the highest standard are very vulnerable to mechanical stress, so they should be stored carefully, separately, avoiding contact with each other.

It is best to choose cases lined with soft fabric, such as velvet, on the inside. You should not take the ingot with your bare hands - buy gloves for this.

Sample 999.9 is not suitable for abrasive cleaning; it must be protected from interaction with aggressive substances (paints, solvents, acids). There are ways to wash the item with ammonia solution or shampoo, but the best option is special jewelry pastes. Polish using a small piece of cloth or suede.

Does real gold darken?

999.9 and other samples with a low content of impurities do not darken or fade over time (if stored carefully). An alloy with a large number of alloying components can oxidize - this is especially true for copper, and it is present in abundance in red gold and 375-carat gold.

Tips for choosing gold jewelry

Expert opinion

Vsevolod Kozlovsky

6 years in jewelry making. Knows everything about samples and can identify a fake in 12 seconds

It is not recommended to buy jewelry made of 375-carat gold, despite its attractive price. They are equated to costume jewelry: they are half made of copper, therefore, they are duller and will definitely oxidize over time.

How to protect yourself from counterfeiting

When purchasing, ask the seller to give you a magnifying glass to examine the sample, especially if you are not buying from a reputable company, but from hand. On Russian stamps, the lady in the kokoshnik faces to the right - sometimes a fake can be identified by this feature. If everything looks good, but doubts remain, you can use other tips:

1. Try to attract a ring or pendant with a powerful magnet (for example, neodymium): if the product is magnetic, then the seller is a deceiver.
2. Run a lapis pencil (sold in pharmacies) over the surface of the item: a stain will appear on the fake jewelry.
3. Drop a drop of nitric acid onto the metal: gold will not react, other metals will take on a tint.
4. Drop the jewelry on the table surface - a genuine jewelry should make a ringing sound, a fake one should make a dull sound.

I hope that with our help you will be able to choose jewelry made of high quality real gold for yourself. If the article was useful, subscribe to social networks and share the information with your friends!

Cost of gold per 1 gram. Fixing gold prices

The calculation of current prices is carried out by the Central Bank of Russia, based on the prices of the main UK exchange. The current quote for other alloys will depend on the cost of the purest 999 purity. On the stock exchange, the symbol for gold looks like this: “ХАУ”.

To determine the current cost of any sample, multiply the current price of the highest alloy by the required coefficient (for example, by 0.375). In this way, you can get the price per gram of precious metal of the required marking.

If you look at the stock exchange, then in 2022 the prices for one gram of the purest precious metal vary around 4,256 rubles. Based on this value, the following figures will be relevant:

• 375 sample - 1596 rubles per gram;
• 500 - 2128 rubles;
• 585 - 2489 rubles;
• 750 - 3192 rubles;
• 875 - 3724 rubles;
• 958 - 4077 rubles;
• 999 - 4251 rubles.

Jewelry stores are based on exchange prices, but set their own prices for the goods. The markup can be minimal or 100%; it entirely depends on the company’s policy.

Pawnshops always accept items many times lower than the market price. Moscow pawnshops will buy the most expensive jewelry works.

Jewelry pawnshop