Why do so many jadeites choose to be inlaid with "K gold"? Is it to save money?

Natural jadeite rough stones are already very beautiful, but they can be even more beautiful when inlaid with jadeite. Have you noticed that most inlaid jadeite on the market uses K-gold as the inlay material? Why is that?

First, let us understand what "K gold" is. K gold refers to an alloy made of gold and other metals. It is the most widely circulated material for jade inlay. According to the gold content, K gold can be divided into 24K gold, 22K gold, 18K gold, 14K gold, etc. As a material for jade inlay, the most common is 18K gold, so we will see "18K" or "750" marks on the bottom of some jewelry.

Logically speaking, the value of pure gold is higher than that of K gold. Wouldn't it make jade more exquisite and gorgeous if it is used as an inlay material for jade? Is the use of K gold intended to save costs?

Of course not. The reason why K gold is chosen as the inlay material is that, if we only look at the gold content, 24K gold (pure gold) is definitely more expensive than 18K gold. However, pure gold has a big disadvantage, which is that it is easy to deform, which is not conducive to inlay and protection of jade. However, 18K gold is more difficult to process due to its high hardness. It has to go through more than ten processes (block pressing, wire drawing, heat treatment, electroplating, etc.), so the processing fee is naturally higher.

In terms of the cost of inlay, it is not enough to prove that pure gold is definitely more suitable than K gold as an inlay material. The reason why K gold has become the most widely circulated jade inlay material in the market is mainly based on its unique advantages:

1. Various styles and high safety

Pure gold is easy to deform, while K gold has good ductility, relatively high hardness, stronger adaptability to craftsmanship, greater room for development, and is easier to make into a variety of complex and diverse styles.

Moreover, K gold has great toughness and good wear resistance, so it can inlay jade and diamonds more firmly and protect the inlaid loose stones from wear.

2. Various colors

The color of K gold varies greatly. It can produce different colors such as white, yellow, and rose gold according to the different content of precious metals. It can meet the personalized needs of different consumers and conform to the pursuit of fashion by modern people. In addition, the color of jade is also rich and colorful. The two can be matched to create harmonious colors.

But it should be noted that white K gold looks very similar to another white precious metal - platinum, so be sure to distinguish them.

Therefore, when setting jadeite, the choice of K gold as the inlay material is not simply based on cost considerations, but more on its craftsmanship, safety, diversified demands, fashion, etc.

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