24k
twen·ty four kar·at | ˈtwen-tē fȯr ker-ət
adjective
A gold or gold alloy that is over 99.95% pure gold
24k applies to the amount of pure gold in a particular piece. 24 refers to parts of 24, or karats, meaning, all 24 parts in the gold are pure gold - sans any other metals. 24k gold jewelry is not common because pure gold is compressible, bendable, and scratch-able. The 24k gold jewelry pieces that exist often serve as ceremonial purposes; or, in China and other Eastern markets, it’s used in traditional wedding jewelry such as bangles. Hence, it is not suited for regular forms of jewelry. 24k is a distinguishable, sharp yellow color - its elegance is unmistakable. These karat standards could be at variance from other countries. To illustrate, in Italy and France, the minimum standard is 1BK, however, in the United Kingdom, the minimum is 9K.