Which Gold Carat Is Best For Your Jewellery? (Understanding 9ct, 14ct,

At Eterling, we believe your jewellery should adapt to your life — not the other way around.
Every alloy we use is chosen with intention: for its light, its strength, and the story it carries.
Because behind those small numbers — 9ct, 14ct, 18ct, or 24ct — lies more than just a measure of purity. It’s a balance between brilliance, durability, and emotion.

When you buy a piece of gold jewelry, it usually isn’t made out of pure gold. The reason for this is that pure gold is very soft. If engagement rings, earrings and other jewellery were made using pure gold, they’d scratch and warp extremely easily. Therefore all gold jewellery is made from an alloy combining pure gold with a variety of precious metals.

What does “carat” actually mean and what is the difference between 9ct, 14ct, 18ct OR 24ct ?
Pure gold is naturally soft and malleable, which makes it unsuitable for most jewellery pieces — they would scratch, bend, or lose their shape easily.
To make it wearable, gold is alloyed with other precious metals such as silver, copper or palladium.
The carat system indicates how much pure gold is contained in the mix.
The higher the carat, the purer (and softer) the metal; the lower the carat, the stronger and more resistant it becomes.

24ct - pure gold (100% purity)

24-carat gold has an inimitable colour and shine — rich, intense, and unmistakably warm.
But because of its softness, it’s rarely used in fine jewellery. It’s mostly reserved for coins, bars, or industrial and medical applications.

In jewellery, its beauty comes with fragility, making it more symbolic than practical.

Purest and most expensive gold.
Very soft, vulnerable to scratches, can easily be damaged.
Not suitable for jewellery.

18ct gold (75% purity)

The 18 Carat gold comprises of 75% gold mixed with 25% of other alloys. This is the purest and most expensive gold found in modern jewellery, and is usually reserved for high-end pieces. Its biggest advantage is also its biggest inconvenience, as due to its purity it’s noticeably softer and easier to scratch than 14ct gold.

Mostly used for high-end pieces.
Not for daily use, as it is quite soft.
Suitable for occasional coctail rings.

14ct gold (58.5% purity)

14ct gold is more affordable and durable than 18ct, making it the better choice if you has an active lifestyle or if you work with your hands, as it’s significantly more resistant to scratches. It’s by far the most popular type of gold for engagement rings, representing about 90% of all rings sold in the US, UK and other Western countries.

More affordable and durable than the 18ct gold.
Best choice for active lifestyle, and daily wear.
Popular choice for wedding bands and engagement rings.

14ct and 18ct gold can both be excellent choices for jewelleries, the decision should be made depending your lifestyle. For highly active persons, who works with their hands, and would like to wear the jewellery every day, a 14ct gold ring will be a better choice. It will it be more durable and practical for everyday use than an 18ct piece, while still looking absolutely stunning.

10ct gold (41.7% purity)

Everyday strength (41.7%) Durable, versatile, and subtly golden, 10ct gold is designed for real life. It’s less pure, but much stronger — perfect for travel jewellery or pieces you never take off. Its slightly softer hue adds to its understated charm. The gold that moves with you — resistant, real, and quietly beautiful.

9ct gold (37.5% purity)

9ct gold contains the least amount of gold, but what it lacks in purity it makes up for in toughness and affordability. It is commonly used for fine pieces of jewellery that are typically designed for casual wear, due to its relative low cost and high durability. As 9ct is more rigid its’s great for casual wear while its also brings everyday pieces to a more accessible price range. This type of gold looks slightly more pale than purer variants, but you’ll have to look hard to spot the difference (in fact, most people can’t distinguish between 9ct and 14ct gold at all).

High durability and lower cost.
Popular for everyday jewellery pieces and casual wear.

Choosing your gold — the Eterling way

At Eterling, we design our jewellery to be worn and loved every day — to become part of your story.
Each alloy serves a purpose:

9 or 10ct for accessibility and strength,
14ct for daily luxury and balance,
18ct for heritage and emotion.

All of our creations are made from solid gold, never gold-plated, gold-filled or vermeil — because quality and longevity are what make a jewel truly meaningful.

In the end, it’s not about how pure your gold is — it’s about choosing the one that matches your rhythm, your investment, and your care.