Purity and Integrity in Timio Investment Jewelry™

Purity and Integrity

When discussing jewelry purity, we must first outline the terms used to describe jewelry’s metal purity content. You’re likely familiar with gold being described in “karats” and silver being labeled “sterling silver”. Yet how do these terms help you understand and decide on what your next jewelry purchase will be?

Gold Purity Measurements

“Karat” units are used to describe how much gold is in a piece of jewelry. The base gold karat unit is 4.1667% gold in an alloy and pure gold is expressed as 24 karat gold. This means that a 10 karat gold chain actually contains only 41.70% gold, 14 karat equals 58.30% gold, and 18 karat is 75% gold. This can be misleading if you think you’re getting a “solid” gold necklace when in reality the construction is of solid links but the material is an alloy, aka mix, of metals.

Timio’s gold jewelry is made of 24 karat gold. We use 24 karat gold so that each piece retains the maximum purity and therefore the maximum value of gold. This ensures that not only do you get a great piece of jewelry, but you will always know it’s worth the same as gold market value. These pieces are still durable and wearable.

All gold jewelry is required to be marked with its karat grade. If you’re shopping elsewhere and see a “gold” piece that is not marked, we do not recommend you purchase it.

Silver Purity Measurements

Silver is typically found as “sterling sliver” or simply called “silver” whether it’s pure silver or not. Sterling silver is an alloy 92.5% silver and 7.5% other metals (usually copper although sometimes containing zinc or nickel). This 7.5% of other metals is typically what causes skin reactions for people with metal sensitivities. Fine silver does not tarnish as easily since there is no copper present to react with sulfur in the air and increase the tarnishing rate.

Most reputable jewelers mark their sterling silver pieces with 925 or .925. You may see pieces with lower purity markings such as 900 or 800 as well, indicating they contain even less silver. Fine silver, the name for pure silver, is typically marked .995, 995, up to .999 or 999. This is because even the purest metals may contain a miniscule amount trace material/minerals. This is also true for gold, platinum, and other pure metals.

Silver has incredible biocompatibility among other great qualities, which is why Timio chooses to use fine silver. Like our gold jewelry, you’ll always know what your piece is worth and it will not tarnish as easily as sterling silver jewelry.

We encourage all jewelry purchasers to stay informed on what jewelry stores, companies, and others in the jewelry industry are and aren’t allowed to say about their products. Click through to learn more about the USA Federal Trade Commission’s Guides for the Jewelry, Precious Metals, and Pewter Industries.