Buying gold, plainly
Which gold?
Fineness, hallmarks, and what the metal is worth today. No sales pitch — just the numbers and the marks you can check yourself.
Fineness, compared
The karats, side by side
A karat is 1/24 of pure gold by weight. The rest of the alloy is copper and silver — the metals that give gold its hardness and its colour.
| Fineness | Gold | Silver | Copper | French hallmark | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 ct · 999‰ | 100% | — | — | Seahorse | Bullion, coins, ceremonial pieces — too soft for a worn ring. |
| 18 ct · 750‰ | 75% | 5% | 20% | Eagle's head | Daily-wear fine jewellery — the French standard. |
| 14 ct · 585‰ | 58.5% | ≈ 16.5% | ≈ 25% | Scallop shell | Hard-wearing jewellery, common in North America. |
| 9 ct · 375‰ | 37.5% | ≈ 20% | ≈ 42.5% | Clover | Budget solid gold, common in the UK. |
The 14k and 9k figures are typical proportions for a yellow alloy — makers vary the balance. One number does not vary: in France, 750‰ is the legal minimum title for gold. The 585 and 375 titles were only introduced in 1994.
The punch, not the promise
Reading a French hallmark
Hallmarked French jewellery carries two punches. The maker's responsibility punch is a lozenge holding the maker's initials and a symbol — it says who made the piece. The state guarantee punch certifies the fineness; it is the one that tells you what the metal is.
18k gold is the eagle's head, struck inside a hexagon. 24k is a seahorse, 14k a scallop shell, 9k a clover. Sterling silver carries the head of Minerva.
One exception: pieces weighing less than three grams of gold are exempt from the fineness punch. A tiny pair of earrings without an eagle is not automatically suspect — read the maker's mark instead.
The system was founded by the law of 19 Brumaire, Year VI — 9 November 1797. The current marks date from 10 May 1838.
22 October 2026
What gold costs today
On 22 October 2026, an ounce of gold closed at 4,085.40 dollars. The record stands at 5,594.82 dollars, set on 29 January 2026; the first crossing of $4,000 came in October 2025.
In euros, that is roughly 116.90 € per gram of pure gold — which makes 18k gold worth about 87.70 € per gram.
Worked example: take a 4.5 g ring, the weight of the Emily Rose Signet. The metal in it is 4.5 × 87.70 ≈ 395 €. That is what the gold is worth before drawing, casting, setting, hallmarking, overhead and margin — and it is why a 4.5 g ring can be priced honestly at 520 €.
Four very different products
Solid gold vs vermeil vs gold-filled vs plated
Vermeil
Sterling silver covered in a layer of gold of at least 10 carats, at least 2.5 microns thick — the American legal definition, 16 CFR § 23.4. It is a plated product, but a durable one.
Gold-filled
A sheet of gold bonded to a brass core under heat and pressure. The term is regulated: the gold must be at least 1/20 of the total weight. Pieces hold up for 10 to 30 years of regular wear.
Plated
An electroplated film, usually well under a micron, made to look like gold. It wears through where it rubs — clasps, edges, rings — often within a couple of years.
How to tell them apart
Check the punch or the hang tag. Hallmarked 750‰ gold is solid. The words "vermeil", "gold-filled" or "plated" on a tag say exactly what you are buying — they are legal definitions, not marketing.
Chemistry, not marketing
What gold does not do
Gold is chemically inert. It does not tarnish, it does not rust, it does not oxidize in air or water. A 24k coin from a century ago looks as it did the day it was struck.
What dulls an 18k piece over time is the copper and the silver in the alloy, reacting at the surface with air, sweat, soap and cosmetics. That reaction is surface-deep and reversible — warm water and a soft brush bring the shine back.
Questions, answered
The short version
Is 18k the "best" gold?
There is no best — there is what fits the piece. 750‰ is the French legal minimum for gold and the house standard here: rich colour, fair hardness. 585 and 375 are harder and cheaper; 999 is pure but too soft for a worn ring.
What is the eagle's head?
It is the French state guarantee punch for 18k gold, struck inside a hexagon, alongside the maker's responsibility lozenge. Below three grams of gold, the fineness punch is not required.
Why does my old French ring show different marks?
If the piece predates 1994, it can only legally be 750‰ — the 585 and 375 titles did not exist in France before then. Older marks follow earlier regulations, back to the law of 1797.
Does vermeil count as gold jewellery?
Vermeil is sterling silver with a gold coat of at least 2.5 microns (16 CFR § 23.4). It is beautiful and affordable; it is not solid gold, and it will need re-plating one day.
How much is my ring worth in metal?
Weigh it and multiply by the day's 750‰ rate — about 87.70 € per gram on 22 October 2026. A 4.5 g ring holds roughly 395 € of gold.
Now that the numbers are clear
Buy the punch, not the story
Every Emily Rose piece is 750‰, hallmarked in France, and priced as metal plus work — the two figures are on every page.