What Is the Difference Between 22K and 24K Gold?

In India, people purchase gold either for investment purposes or as jewellery. While purchasing gold, there are different karats of gold available in the market. Do you know the difference between 24k vs 22k gold? Among 24k vs 22k which is better for investment option? If you have these questions, read our complete guide on 24k vs 22k gold.

What Does Karat Mean?

Karat or k is the term used for measuring the purity of gold. The higher the karat value, the higher is the purity of gold. The measurement for gold purity is done on a scale from 0-24, where 24k gold is the purest you can buy. 

Gold is a very soft metal in its pure state. It is mixed with other metals like copper, nickel, silver or palladium to strengthen its composition and make jewellery. In other words, karat can also be a measure of the ratio of gold to other metals. 

What is 22K Gold?

22 karat gold contains 22 parts of gold mixed with two parts of other metals/alloys such as copper, silver, nickel and zinc. 22 karat gold is also known as 916 gold because it contains 91.67% pure gold. The texture of this gold is harder and more durable than 24k gold due to the traces of metal composition. As a result, 22k is used to make appropriate jewellery. 

Check Out What is 916 Gold?

What is 24K Gold?

24 karat gold is also called pure gold as it contains 99.99% of pure gold. You should know that there is no higher form of gold other than 24k. Despite being the purest form of gold, why is it not 100% pure? This is because 100% gold is too delicate to maintain its shape or form at room temperature. Hence, the ore is extracted and processed until it reaches a purity level of 99.99%.

The 24k gold price in India fluctuates every day. Since 24k is the purest form of gold, it is more expensive than 22k or 18k gold. Therefore, 24k is suitable for investment purposes and not for making jewellery as it is too delicate. 

Difference between 22k and 24k Gold Purity

The following table shows the differences between 24k and 22k gold – 

Parameter	22K gold	24K gold
Purity	91.67% gold	99.9% gold
Purpose	Suitable for making jewellery due to other metals present in it, which makes it harder	Suitable for investment purposes as the gold is very soft
Usage	It is used in making jewellery and coins	It is used in medical and electrical devices application of pure gold 24k
Price	It is less expensive than 22k gold	The price of 24k gold is the highest
Durability	22k gold is more durable for making jewellery because of the presence of other metals, which makes jewellery more durable.	24k gold is brilliant in color but won’t be durable for making jewellery. It is too soft to resist wear and tear.

22K vs 24K – Which is Better Investment Option?

In India, people buy gold for investment purposes, emergency funds (or portfolio diversification) or jewellery. However, 24k gold will be the best option for investment because it is 99.9% pure gold. Even though 24k gold is not durable and scratches easily, it carries a bigger inherent value than 22k gold (only 91.67% gold). Therefore, while purchasing a 24k gold coin/bar, always check for hallmark certification to ensure its purity. Also, it is advisable to buy gold from BIS hallmarked jewellers to get the relevant value of gold when you sell it. 

24K vs 22K – Which Karat Gold is best for Jewellery?

For making jewellery, 22k gold is more suitable. The reason is, 24k is in a pure state, and it is malleable. The jewellery made with 24k is so soft that it can be broken easily. Therefore, 22k gold is a better investment for jewellery as it is mixed with other metals like zinc, copper, silver, making it harder than 24k. Also, preferring jewellery in 22k helps to get a better value at the time of selling.

Furthermore, it also depends on the type of jewellery you want and how intricate the piece is. For such purposes, people prefer 14k or 18k gold when they want to wear jewellery every day or an intricate design. Sometimes, even 22k gold can be too soft to hold gems. 

To Summarize

Buying gold depends on the purpose of investment. If you are buying gold for ornaments and investment, then 22k is more suitable. Consequently, if the investment is made in the form of jewellery or ornaments, it incurs making charges and wastage which will be deducted from the item. Thus, making jewellery or ornaments can cost you more. 

On the other hand, those who sell only gold biscuits look for gross profit and prevailing gold prices. Therefore, if you are purchasing gold only for investment purposes, then 24k gold is suitable. Gold bars or gold coins are available in the purest form of gold. Also, it is advisable to purchase gold from BIS hallmarked jewellery to get its resale value in future.

Read More on Gold