Choosing a gold piece of jewellery also means choosing its composition. Behind the word "caratage" lies a simple, essential reality: the proportion of pure gold in the alloy. Understanding this measure means understanding what one wears, what one gives, what one passes on.
Understanding caratage: measuring the purity of gold
In jewellery, carat is a unit for measuring the purity of gold. It indicates what fraction of the metal is pure gold. 24-carat gold is 99.9% pure: the rawest, most precious form, yet unusable as it stands.
One important distinction: gold caratage should not be confused with diamond carat weight, which measures the weight of a stone.
Pure gold and the need for alloys in jewellery
24-carat gold is too malleable to be worked in fine jewellery. It scratches, deforms, and does not hold its shape. This is why the jeweller combines it with other metals (copper, silver, zinc) to give it body, strength and colour.
It is this alloy that makes a piece of jewellery. It is what allows a piece to be worn every day, through every season.
At PIAPARIS, this composition work sits at the heart of 30 years of craftsmanship in our workshops. Finding the right balance between the purity of the gold and the strength of the alloy is a requirement that cannot be seen, but can be felt.
9, 14 and 18 carat gold: telling the different fineness levels apart
18-carat gold: the classic tradition
18-carat gold contains 750 parts per thousand of pure gold, or 75% of its composition. It is the traditional fineness of French fine jewellery, identifiable by its official hallmark: the eagle's head.
Its high gold content gives it a warm, deep tone. It is undeniably precious. But its relative softness makes it more prone to everyday micro-scratches. A ring worn daily will show marks on its surface faster than one in 9-carat gold.
14-carat gold: the international compromise
14-carat gold is 585 parts per thousand pure gold. A common standard in Northern Europe and the United States, it strikes an intermediate balance between gold content and mechanical strength. Less common in French fine jewellery, it remains a solid option for pieces worn every day.
9-carat gold: resilient modernity
9-carat gold contains 375 parts per thousand of pure gold, completed with silver and copper. Its official French hallmark is the clover, a state certification guaranteeing the purity of the alloy, in accordance with the Precious Metals Guarantee regulations.
Its higher content of alloy metals gives it greater hardness. It resists scratches better. It keeps its shape. It goes through daily life without wearing down.
PIAPARIS expertise: working with 9-carat gold
A composition designed for everyday life
At PIAPARIS, 9-carat gold creations are 37.5% pure gold, completed with silver and copper. The alloy is formulated without nickel, guaranteeing hypoallergenic pieces, safe for every skin, worn without concern.
This choice is not a compromise. It is a requirement.
The rigour of fine jewellery, contemporary precision
For 30 years, the PIAPARIS workshops have mastered this alloy in all its shades: yellow gold, white gold, rose gold. Each tone is considered, measured, controlled.
9-carat gold offers greater scratch resistance than higher fineness levels. It allows for earrings, bracelets, necklaces and rings with precise lines, that stay crisp over time.
Choosing a 9-carat gold creation means choosing a piece of jewellery that will accompany every everyday gesture without wearing down. Its resistance to scratches means it can be worn every day. This choice, perfectly mastered by our workshops for three decades, reflects a wish to offer the rigour of fine jewellery through creations that are true and accessible.
It is this resilience that allows it to pass through generations. From mother to daughter. From one occasion to the next. From one life to the next.
How to identify the quality of your pieces?
The hallmark is the signature of the metal.
In France, it certifies a piece's fineness and attests to its authenticity. The clover identifies 9-carat gold. The eagle's head, 18-carat gold.
Learning to read a piece of jewellery is learning to read a story. That of the metal, of the workshop, of the House that imagined it. At PIAPARIS, every creation carries this discreet mark of a promise kept.
Would you like to discover PIAPARIS creations in 9-carat gold? Explore our collections.
