Gold Investment - Gold Purity and Weight 

Gold bullion coins never consist 100% of pure gold. The reason for this, is because gold alone is too soft to use in jewellery or to hold a form. It is therefore necessary to alloy gold with other metals such as copper, silver, nickel, zinc, etc. to make it harder and more durable. This combination of gold with other metals is called "gold alloying" and the final compound is called "gold alloy" if it contains more than 50% gold.

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The Purity of Gold

The modern way of denoting the purity of gold, platinum and silver alloys are through a system called Millesimal fineness. This system denotes fineness which is a measure of the weight of pure gold per 1000 parts. The millesimal fineness system has not replaced the older carat system yet, but steps are being taken in that direction. The main reason for this, is because the millesimal fineness system is more accurate in denoting the purity of gold alloy.

For example, a gold alloy that's denoted as "750," using one of the percentage hallmark stamps used in many European countries, contains 75% gold. This is equal to the "18K" used in the United States, which is an extension of the older carat system of denoting the purity of gold by fractions of 24. "18K" is therefore in reference to 18 carat or karat in North American spelling. "18K" or "18 carat" means that there are 18 parts pure gold and 6 parts other metal in the relevant gold alloy.

The purest form of gold,  according to the millesimal fineness system, is denoted as "999.99"  and as "24K" or "24 carat" according to the older carat system.

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