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News India Live, Digital Desk: Gold Price Today: In India, gold is not just a metal but a symbol of our tradition, culture and prosperity. Buying gold is considered auspicious especially on festivals, marriages or any auspicious occasion. But this time before Diwali and Dhanteras, gold prices have broken all records, due to which buying pure gold has become a big challenge for the common man. On Wednesday, October 15, 2025, the price of 24 carat gold has crossed Rs 1,27,000 per 10 grams, which is a worrying situation. In such a situation, the question arising in the minds of many people is whether it would be wise to invest in low purity gold jewellery, especially 9 carat (9K) gold or buy only traditional 22 carat (22K) and 24 carat (24K) gold? Come, today let us understand this entire game of gold purity in simple language so that you can take the right decision.
What is Gold Purity Game: Meaning of Karats (Gold Purity in Karats)?
Whenever you go to buy gold, you hear the word ‘Karat’ again and again. Karat is a scale for measuring the purity of gold:
- 24 Karat (24K) Gold: This is the purest gold, which contains 99.9% gold. It is very soft and making jewelery from it is difficult. That is why it is mostly used for coins and gold bars or for investment. It is considered the safest way to invest.
- 22 Karat (22K) Gold: Also called ‘jewellery gold’, it consists of 91.6% pure gold and the rest (about 8.4%) is mixed with other metals like copper or silver. By mixing these metals gold becomes stronger and it becomes easier to make jewellery. It is the most popular choice for both buying and investing jewelry.
- 18 Karat (18K) Gold: It contains 75% pure gold and 25% other metals. It is stronger than 22K and makes for intricately designed jewelery or strong everyday jewellery. It is also a little cheaper due to its low purity.
- 14 Karat (14K) Gold: It contains 58.5% pure gold and the rest is alloy. Its strength is also very high.
- 9 Karat (9K) Gold: It contains at least 37.5% pure gold and 62.5% other metals (such as silver, nickel, copper or zinc). This gold is very strong and cheap. Nowadays, its demand for low budget and fashionable jewelery is gradually increasing.
What to buy 9K jewelery or 22K/24K? (Gold Investment Advice)
Experts advise that while investing in gold or purchasing jewellery, you have to understand its real purpose:
- For Investment Purpose:
If your aim is to invest in gold and you want to get good returns, then Buy only 22K or 24K gold. 24K gold is the best in purity, while 22K is considered good for jewellery, which has more gold content.
Avoid 9K gold: 9 carat gold is not at all beneficial for investment. It contains only 37.5% pure gold. This means that when you go to sell it, you will get only 37.5% of the original price of gold. Additionally, despite the quantity of gold being less, the making charges are often high, making it a loss-making investment. The main reason for this is that ‘other metals have a higher proportion in it than gold’. - For Fashion & Daily Wear:
If you just want to wear fashionable jewelery that is affordable and also strong (so it doesn’t break easily), then 9K or 18K gold may be an option. Due to the high adulteration of other metals in it, these ornaments are durable, suitable for everyday use and have less risk of breakage or damage. Since their prices are low, they come within everyone’s budget and are suitable for ‘modern jewelery designs’.
Before buying gold, keep these things in mind (Tips for Buying Gold):
- Hallmarking: Hallmarking of gold is now mandatory in India. Hallmark guarantees the purity of gold. Hallmarked gold has the BIS logo, purity mark (like ‘916’ for 22K or ‘375’ for 9K), assessing office mark, jeweler’s identification mark and date letter. You can also check HUID (Hallmark Unique Identification) number from BIS Care App.
- Making Charges: Apart from the base price of gold, there are also making charges on jewelery which depend on the design, craftsmanship and the jeweller. While buying these, definitely ask and compare them.
- Bills and Certificates: Always remember to take a valid bill and certificate of purity. The weight, purity and making charges of the gold should be clearly recorded in it.
- Buyback Policy: If you are thinking of selling or exchanging gold in future, then definitely ask about the jeweller’s buyback policy and what percentage of the value will be returned.
In this festive season, when gold is expensive at record levels, buy gold only after understanding your needs and investment objective. If you want to ‘invest in gold’ then consider 22K or 24K, if you want to buy ‘fashion jewellery’ then consider 9K. In view of the rising prices of gold, it is very important to take a wise decision.
