What is the highest standard of gold in Russia and in the world

999 sample

It is known that natural gold is not used in jewelry production: it is too unreliable a material for creating truly durable things and jewelry. To enhance the beneficial properties of the metal and consolidate the strength characteristics, natural precious metal is subjected to the process of alloying, that is, adding other metals to it, which together will have the desired effect on the quality of the finished product. Depending on the percentage of gold in the composition, a special jewelry mark is affixed to the finished alloy. In Russia, there is a metric hallmark system, according to which gold can have the following markings: 333, 375, 500, 583, 585,750, 958 and 999. The 999 jewelry mark is considered the highest hallmark of the precious metal both in Russia and in the world, since it contains 99 .9% of the drag base.

Main characteristics of gold

1. Gold, which is used in jewelry, is distinguished by its durability and wear resistance. After all, everyone knows that various rings and earrings can be passed on from mother to daughter, thus passing through entire generations.
2. Over the years, the color of the noble metal does not change or fade. At the same time, it absolutely does not lose its beauty. But this characteristic applies only to those jewelry that have a high quality alloy. The rest fade a little over the years.
3. It should be noted: products made from the highest standard of gold are practically not produced due to the fact that they are susceptible to deformation. In addition, they can be easily scratched. They do not serve their owners for long, so to improve the quality of gold, various alloys are added to it. They are platinum, palladium, silver and others.

Added metals significantly extend the life of rings and chains, and the price of the product is significantly reduced. As for the color of the alloy, it can be different: white, yellow, red and even green.

Another advantage of gold is that it does not oxidize and also does not react with air. Therefore, if you purchase a quality product, it will last longer and will not corrode.

About the formation of a sampling system

During the times of Ancient Rus', they began to brand gold items later, compared to Europe. Initially, the stamp looked like a double-headed eagle and a date. If this sign was there, it confirmed that this gold was no worse than the royal silver. The test we know best was legalized in 1613 on silver objects, and on gold objects in 1700. Other metals at that time were not yet included in the category of precious metals, and therefore no mark was placed on them.

For quite a long time, the mark had to contain the name of the craftsman or manufacturer who made the product.

Then the appearance of the brand changes - the profile of a woman in a kokoshnik appears. In addition, there should have been a Greek letter indicating the standard of the gold product.

In 1927 they began to stamp metals such as platinum, and in 1956 palladium was branded. Since 1927, the sample with a female profile was changed; a worker with a hammer was now depicted.

At the same time, the metric system replaced the sample system that existed at that time. Now the sample showed a number that meant thousandths of gold in the product.

In 1958, changes were made again: new samples depicted Soviet symbols, including a sickle, a hammer and a five-pointed star. Already in 1994, the marks that are most familiar to us were put on.

Gold items of high standard can be passed on by inheritance. Their peculiarity is that they retain their color without fading over time. Such gold will be stable to chemical influences, does not come into contact with air, and therefore does not undergo oxidation.

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However, gold of the highest standard is not used in jewelry. It was only about a century ago that it was used to make wedding rings.

Objects made from it cannot have strength and durability. They wear out quite easily and can break.

In addition, these products are easily scratched and subject to deformation, for this reason they may lose their noble appearance. All these reasons are quite enough not to use gold of the highest standard in jewelry. In order for the product to be more durable and last a long time, another metal (ligature) is added to high-grade gold. Thus, gold is replenished with missing qualities. Platinum, silver, copper or nickel compounds are used as alloys.

Therefore, it is important to understand what is the highest standard of gold used in jewelry. Usually now the highest standard of “jewelry” is 750.

The shade of the resulting alloy will depend on the impurity content in it. Overall there may be a reddish tint, light yellow, greenish or pink. Although the product is not made of pure gold, it will now be more durable.

The alloy of metals with gold will not tarnish over time, become corroded and will not change under the influence of chemical irritants.

Each gold product certainly comes with its own hallmark - metric or carat.

This value will indicate the presence of pure gold in the alloy. And the higher the standard, the more pure valuable metal in the product.

Sample 999.9 is an indicator of the highest quality. In other words, they also call it four nines. It is the most expensive in the world, because per 1 kg of the product there is only 0.1 grams of other metals.

In some countries, carat assessment of the quality of precious metals is used. By meeting these criteria, the highest purity can be applied to those items that contain 24 karat gold. Europeans prefer products of 14 or 18 carats.

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UK residents choose 9 carat gold. In the USA, 10 karat gold is popular.

In Asian countries, they usually choose those gold products that have a 22-karat mark. The Chinese use 24 carat gold, which is practically the purest.

In most countries, such gold replenishes the gold and foreign exchange reserves of their country. High-grade gold is stored in bullion in central state banks.

This gold is also expensive because it requires a complex and expensive purification process.

Existing gold samples

When purchasing a gold product, you can see that each sample is stamped with a square hallmark. Based on this, you can find out how much precious metal is in the alloy. The question often arises: what is the highest standard? There are samples such as 500, 585, 750 and 958. Accordingly, the higher the number, the better the quality of the product. Therefore, we can conclude that the price of such samples is very impressive.

If you see items on sale that contain an alloy of less than 333 purity, then you need to remember that they are not jewelry. This is costume jewelry and, accordingly, the price of such products is quite low.

In bank vaults you can find the highest quality gold, found in bullion and bearing a high quality mark.

They contain only 0.1 grams of impurity. Such bars are carefully protected. It is interesting that in many countries bars of this kind are stored in order to form the gold reserves of the entire state.

But it should also be noted that in order to achieve such a cleaning result, specialists must go through a difficult process, during which the metal undergoes more than one stage of both chemical and physical cleaning.

When purchasing a product made from a precious metal, you need to remember that its weight should not exceed 10 grams, since only in this case the gold cannot be deformed.

Where is .999 gold used?

Since gold of such a high standard is very soft, it is almost never used to create jewelry. A rare exception is the manufacture of gold inserts in jewelry, but in such cases the edging of the products should be made of more durable gold, most often 585 gold.

Banking bars are mainly cast from red gold, so the 999 standard has received another unofficial name “banking standard”. Investments in such bars have been popular for many years - this is a good way to increase your capital. True, you need to be prepared for the fact that the investment will not pay off immediately, but in about 4-5 years.

Another area of ​​application for red gold is coating various surfaces, in particular, the domes of temples and churches. This kind of gold is called “leaf” and is the thinnest sheets of the noble metal. The reason for this choice is not only aesthetic qualities - bright shine and beauty, but also practical ones - gold leaf protects the surface of base metals from corrosion.

Popular types of gold

Nowadays, white gold has gained extraordinary popularity.
The fact is that its alloy contains impurities of palladium, manganese and nickel. In addition, there are quite a few shades of white gold, which cannot but please fashionistas. It is important that specialists obtain the white tint of the product because radium is added to the alloy. This metal, like gold, belongs to the list of precious metals, so its price is quite high. But it is absolutely justified. As practice shows, white gold jewelry is scratch-resistant and has an unlimited service life.

Palladium gives steely shades to gold. If you add platinum to the alloy, it will acquire a rich white color.

In jewelry stores, 750 is considered the highest standard. It acts as a kind of “gold” quality standard. Products with this hallmark are sold throughout Europe; it is indispensable in the manufacture of earrings, bracelets and rings.

It is worth noting that famous jewelry brands also use this test. In order for the material to be strong and durable, manufacturers often add palladium and nickel to the alloys. Since nickel is not classified as precious, products made from it are affordable for everyone. But it is important to remember that nickel is not suitable for those who suffer from allergies: it can cause skin irritation.

As for palladium, it is a very valuable metal. Jewelry with gold and palladium as its main components is simply incredibly beautiful. Their shade can captivate anyone who appreciates beauty.

Application in jewelry

Jewelry made from such high-grade gold simply cannot be found on sale. Due to its great fragility and to prevent deformation of the product, the weight of the smallest ring made of pure gold should be from 10 grams, and this is completely impractical.

As for “white gold”, it must be said that it is not of high quality, this is a common misconception about this type of gold. In fact, white gold is considered to be high-grade gold with impurities of nickel, manganese and palladium.

The color can be pinkish or pure white.

Sometimes a metal such as radium is added to give the product an exceptionally white tint. Its value is much higher than the value of gold. At the same time, it’s all gold itself, which is used in jewelry made of white gold of a maximum of 750 samples.

Typically, the highest standard of gold used in jewelry is 750. This is also relevant in European countries. The alloy is quite flexible to create thin and graceful shapes. At the same time, such gold is practical, durable, perfectly retains its original shape and, being passed on by inheritance, can retain its beauty.

World-famous jewelers create branded jewelry from just this type of gold.

Nickel added to the alloy for strength can reduce the cost of the product. And it is this metal that can cause an allergic reaction.

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On the price tag of a product with nickel you can often find the symbols Ni. The ancient stories of German philosophers speak of an evil spirit who was so called. Legends say that he followed those who were looking for copper and could plant a substance that was considered copper ore.

During its smelting, arsenic gases were released, and copper ore was not produced. That’s why she was also called the “copper devil.” Later, specialists took up this issue and a metal such as nickel appeared.

In 2008, the American Meeting of the Dermatological Society named nickel "Allergen of the Year." And today in Europe they are trying to avoid this metal in all compositions if it is expected that it may touch the skin.

An element such as palladium belongs to the platinum group. This metal has a beautiful silvery-white color.

It is obtained from the processing of metals such as platinum, nickel, copper, and silver. Palladium is valuable on a par with gold.

At the same time, its cost is considerable and we can certainly say that only the highest 999 standard of gold can compare with it in value. Being a component of the alloy, it will give a special shade to the gold product.

An enamel pattern will fit well on such gold.

Gold of the highest standard is used in surface coating. For example, covering the domes of churches. It's called gold leaf.

In addition to its beautiful and majestic appearance, this gold can protect against corrosive processes.

Artists use 958 gold in painting due to its plastic qualities.

In what areas is gold used?

The highest grade of this metal is often used to coat surfaces. Most often it is used to decorate churches. There is no doubt that the dome will look impeccable, sparkling brightly in the sun. As a result, the metal surface does not oxidize or deform.

Several years ago, 999 gold began to be applied to various objects of decorative art and everyday life. These include phones and old things. They take on a completely new and beautiful shape.

As for the art industry, the main thing here is the 958 alloy. It contains about 96% of the noble precious metal.

In conclusion, it is worth adding that gold bars and jewelry can be stored in banks and receive income from them. This system operates like a deposit: the longer the storage period, the more money. Therefore, given the fact that gold is constantly in price, this move could be a good start for business.

World gold prices 999

A general description of the price of yellow precious metal may sound like this: the cost of this natural resource is increasing more and more every year. The central banks of all European countries, including Russia, receive the discount price of 1 gram of gold from the daily fixings of the world metal exchange in London. Then the main bank of the country forms its own price for the product, relying in this process on many factors: the political situation in society and the country, imports, taxes, the world level of gold production, and so on.

The discount price, already issued by the Central Bank, is a standard for commercial banks, which, based on the received figures, will form their selling and purchasing prices.

Reliability of investments

Product made of gold
We have already said that metal with a high content of precious base is an investment item. However, why is investing in gold so profitable? Let's take a closer look.

Firstly, gold has almost stable demand and does not lose its price even during the years of severe financial crises. Secondly, gold is a kind of universal means of payment that can be used in any country in the world.

However, you need to understand that investing in metals does not pay off immediately, that is, it is a long-term investment, from which it will be possible to receive tangible profits only after a few years. The ideal “investment” period for obtaining maximum benefits from the sale of gold is considered to be a time period of 10 years.

Many people who are just planning to make “gold investments” are interested in the question: is it profitable to buy jewelry or is it better to use free funds to buy bars and coins?

It is profitable to sell jewelry only in one case: when the product has high artistic or antique value. Then it can be sold profitably at auction or to a private collector. Otherwise, the product is sold to a buyer or pawn shop, and these institutions tend to buy gold as scrap, without taking into account the cost of work and precious inserts.

Bank bullion is considered the most convenient means of investment: the buyer can store them in a bank for the required period, and then sell them at a profit to the same or another banking institution. Bank bullion can be transferred to an unallocated metal account, which is very convenient if you don’t want to pay money for a room to store gold.

There is also a drawback to purchasing bullion: you will have to pay value added tax, which in the Russian Federation is 18% of the total price of the product. However, in the case of an unallocated account, no tax is paid. Having chosen to purchase bank bullion as a means of investing money, it is important to understand that their purchase and sale have a number of characteristic features, which it would be better to learn about in advance by familiarizing yourself with the rules and concepts of investing in precious metals.

The purchase of bullion coins can also be considered a profitable investment, however, handling them requires special knowledge and skills, in addition, the buyer will need a wealth of information about the merits and advantages of purchasing each type of coin.

Sample selection

Which standard of gold is better is the most common question from buyers who want not only to purchase a valuable product, but also to make a profitable investment. For investment purposes, material with a jewelry mark of three nines is definitely suitable - this standard of gold is the highest in Russia and in the world, and accordingly has the highest selling price.

If your purchasing goals are more related to the desire to purchase an exclusive piece of jewelry or decorative item of high value, then the sample will not be so significant. However, the most sophisticated and elegant products are usually made from 750 grade precious metal, which has the necessary elasticity for creating filigree crafts. In addition, high-grade material often serves as a more worthy frame for the most beautiful stones in the world: diamond, diamond, emerald, sapphire.

What is a sample

The fineness of a noble metal is an indicator of the amount of its content in an alloy. In Russia, any alloy containing 30 percent or more of the base metal is subject to testing. By law, each product must have a brand indicating the sample. Thus, the numbers “375” mean that the product consists of 37.5% chemically pure gold.

Testing systems

There are several marking systems for precious metals. They depend on the country in which the product is manufactured. Before the transition to the metric system, which brought almost all of Europe to a common denominator, different countries (Germany, Spain, Great Britain) labeled precious metals in their own way.

There are two main testing systems:

• Metric is used in Russia, the CIS and in European countries that have signed the Convention on the Control and Marking of Products Made of Precious Metals. It indicates the content of the base metal per gram of alloy, expressed in ppm - thousandths. The 750 marking indicates 75%, that is, 750 ‰ (ppm) gold and 250 ‰ alloying components (impurities).
• The carat system is used in the USA, Switzerland and Canada, and was used in Europe (Great Britain, Ireland) before the general introduction of the metric system. Carat is a unit of measurement equal to 1/24 of the mass of the alloy. Pure metal has a carat value of 24, an alloy with 95.8% gold has a carat value of 23 carats, and an alloy with 50% gold has a carat value of 12 carats.

To make it easier to understand, look at the comparison table of systems:

There is a spool system based on the Russian pound, equal to 96 spools (used in the Russian Empire and the USSR until 1927). This is rare now.

Which sample is the highest

The highest standard is marked with the number 999.9. In this case, we have the purest gold without impurities. It is not found in jewelry due to its low resistance to deformation, but is highly valued and suitable for investment.