24K or 22K gold for jewellery? Why pure gold isn’t always the smartest choice

Best Gold for Jewellery: While 24-carat gold is considered to be of the purest form of gold, it may not be the best option when one plans to use gold to make jewellery. While one may think that the higher purity of gold will always translate to better value, this may not always be the case when one plans to use gold for making jewellery.

Why 24K gold isn’t ideal for jewellery?

24K gold consists of 99.9 per cent pure gold. This makes 24K gold extremely valuable. However, there exists a drawback in terms of its extremely soft nature. 24K gold can be bent by hand. This makes 24K gold unsuitable for making jewellery.

Jewellery made from such a soft gold has a tendency to:

• Lose shape easily
• Getting scratched quickly
• Be damaged easily from use

Due to such weakness, 24K gold is not used in making jewellery pieces meant for daily use.

Why are 22K and 18K gold used?

For making jewellery pieces, 22K and 18K gold are more practical choices.

• 22K gold contains 91.6 per cent pure gold
• 18K gold contains 75 per cent pure gold

The rest of the composition consists of metals like copper, silver, and zinc. This combination gives more strength to the gold.

This increased strength ensures:

• Jewellery remains in shape over time
• Designs are intact over a long period
• Jewellery withstands daily wear and tear

18K gold for diamond jewellery

When considering 18K gold for diamond or gemstone-studded jewellery, 18K gold is always a popular choice. This is because 18K gold contains a higher alloy composition, which gives the required firmness to hold the gemstones in place.

24K vs 22K vs 18K gold: What experts say

Explaining the limitations of pure gold, Surendra Mehta, National Secretary at India Bullion and Jewellers Association Ltd (IBJA), said, "Jewellery is rarely made from 24-karat (99.9 per cent pure) gold because it is extremely soft, pliable, and prone to bending, scratching, or deforming under daily wear. It lacks the durability and strength required for functional items like rings or stone-set jewellery. Hence, traditionally, gold jewellery has always been made with 22K or below that. However, with the improved technology, some jewellers are experimenting with 24K jewellery, but customer acceptability is still low for 24K jewellery."

"24-karat gold, with 99.9 per cent purity, undoubtedly holds strong investment appeal; however, its application in jewellery remains highly impractical due to its inherent physical properties. Pure gold is extremely malleable and soft, making it highly susceptible to scratches, bending, and deformation," said Sugandha Sachdeva, Founder, SS WealthStreet.

"This lack of structural strength renders it unsuitable for daily wear or for crafting intricate jewellery pieces. In fact, 24K gold is unable to support complex designs or securely hold diamonds and other gemstones, limiting both craftsmanship and aesthetic versatility," noted the analyst.

Consumer's standpoint:

From a consumer standpoint, Sachdeva said that this creates a clear mismatch, while one pays a premium for purity, the usability and durability of the product remain compromised. "This is precisely why 22K and 18K gold dominate the jewellery segment. The presence of alloyed metals enhances strength, allowing jewellers to create intricate designs, improve stone-setting durability, and ensure longer-lasting wear. These variants also offer greater flexibility for both everyday and occasion-based jewellery, including weddings," said Sachdeva.

Additionally, given the sharp rise in gold prices, lower karat gold becomes relatively more cost-efficient, as it incorporates other metals that reduce the overall price per gram. This makes 22K and 18K jewellery not only more durable but also more practical from a cost and usage perspective, she added.

Jeweller's standpoint:

From a jeweller’s standpoint, Sachdeva said that 24K gold presents multiple operational and commercial challenges. "Its softness makes it difficult to handle, increases the risk of damage during manufacturing and storage, and significantly limits design innovation. Moreover, the higher price of 24K gold elevates the overall cost of jewellery, making it less accessible for consumers. In contrast, 22K and 18K jewellery is more affordable and aligns better with current consumer preferences, especially in an environment of elevated gold prices."

"This has also led to a structural shift within the jewellery industry toward lightweight and design-focused jewellery, which helps maintain affordability and sustain demand. Reverting to 24K jewellery would act as a deterrent to sales growth, as it would push product prices higher without offering proportional usability or design benefits—something jewellers are unlikely to favour," she added.

24K Gold: Best for investment, not wear

While 24K gold may not be suitable for jewellery, it remains the best option when considering investment. This is because 24K gold contains a higher purity composition, which makes it suitable for investment but not for wear.

"As a result, 24-karat gold is far better suited for investment purposes, such as bars and coins, where purity is paramount, and wearability is not a concern. Increasingly, investors are also shifting toward financial gold instruments like Gold ETFs, mutual funds, and digital gold, which eliminate concerns around storage, theft, and making charges while ensuring purity.

In essence, while 24K gold excels as a store of value, its structural and economic limitations make it unsuitable for jewellery. For consumers seeking durability, design flexibility, and affordability, 22K and 18K gold remain the preferred choices, offering a better balance between cost, usability, and aesthetics, while also supporting stronger sales dynamics for jewellers," Sachdeva explained.

Key takeaways for gold buyers

When you are considering buying gold, you should not just look at purity. You need to ensure you are considering the strength of gold, too. This is particularly relevant when you are planning to use gold jewellery.