Hong Kong/Chinese gold is better? Really?

[zdrastvootya]

I''m Chinese-Canadian and have been hearing this from a couple of Chinese people. I assume it''s something that HK jewellers like to tell their customers.

I can believe gold might be cheaper there, but better? They imply that western gold is less pure, or inferior. This strikes me as a deceit (or is it not a deceit, if you actually believe it). Is 18k not 18k everywhere? and the same for 14k and 24k? The percentage of pure gold should be the same, right? I''m thinking the other metal(s) you mix with the gold, could vary, but the amount of gold is the same. 18k = 75% gold, 14k 50% gold, I thought?

A girl showed me her wedding band and said she supplied the gold from China to the jeweller. She stated the gold was 99% pure? Does that mean 99% pure gold, or 99% pure 18k gold? The ring didn''t look really yellow like I know 24k or pure gold jewelry normally looks like. I would think that 24k would be considered to soft for a wedding ring. When I asked her whether the jeweller mixed/alloyed her gold with something (because it wasn''t really really yellow), she was a little taken aback and stated, no, it''s 99% gold. The ring didn''t seem soft enough or yellow enough for "pure" gold. I''m surprised she didn''t understand this concept, but I guess this lack of knowledge is what some are trying to take advantage of.

I''m thinking this "our gold is more pure" is a line that asian jewellers are using, and the Chinese people I know just keep passing this story along. The passers of this story seem to get offended if you show some skepticism.

Z.

 

[Hest88]

Here''s our last thread on the subject:
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/indian-yellow-gold.23872/

I don''t think they meant that American/Canadian 18K gold is superior to HK 18K, but that traditional 24K is the accepted standard and the 18K gold we use is just not pure enough to be considered "real" gold.

 

[tomatoe]

I personally feel that is just marketing speak for "buy my stuff". And young people dont WANT or care for 24k yellow gold anyways, a nice 18k maybe, if it wasn''t for weddings and oldies, this will most prolly be a dying market. Just mho

 

[dobie]

24K gold is 99.99% pure the world over so it is the same. In Canada, you can easily get 24K jewellery in any Chinatown or Asian mall. Maybe your friend has 22K gold which is popular in India. 22K is also available in Canada if you really want it. Personally, I never buy anything less than 18K.

 

[dobie]

Since you live in Toronto, you will find lots of 24K jewellery in Chinatown there. Gold price is the same everywhere and is priced in USD. You must have seen the finanical reports during the evening news where they report the latest gold price. In the stores they usually price the items using the latest gold price plus the labour and design cost.

 

[codex57]

No, they''re just saying that cuz most "American" or "Canadian" stores (basically the ones not catering specifically to asians) tend to sell gold that''s 14K or 18K whereas "Chinese gold" is 24K gold and thus "better."

 

[dobie]

Date: 2/15/2005 5:46:27 PM
Author: codex57
No, they''re just saying that cuz most ''American'' or ''Canadian'' stores (basically the ones not catering specifically to asians) tend to sell gold that''s 14K or 18K whereas ''Chinese gold'' is 24K gold and thus ''better.''

Most of the stores seem to carry only 10K junk. I only find the better stores carrying 18K for the better stuff in Canada and the US. 14K seems to be popular.

 

[zdrastvootya]

Thanks for the responses.

I didn''t realize the jewelry prices align so closely to the commodity price. I''m assuming 24k is available in Chinatown here. (The gold jewelry looks very yellow, when I look in the display windows there.)

When I looked at this girl''s ring, it just didn''t look that yellow to me. (Not yellow and soft like my mom''s pure gold bracelet, which has a very bendable clasp - so bendable, we''re afraid it''s going to break the few times she wears it.) The ring has 8 small little diamonds embedded. Didn''t think you would put diamonds into 24k.

Maybe I''m mistaken. I''ll check my friend''s wife''s ring when she comes from China, but I wasn''t under the impression he was buying 24k. He had the same line. "Chinese gold is better - the jeweller told me."

I don''t think it''s just the 24k issue. I''m under the impression that the HK jewellers are saying that ALL their gold is better - 14k, 18k, 24k and everything in between. I guess the "don''t buy from those other guys" isn''t exactly a new sales tactic

G.

 

[Sparkster]

A lot of Chinese people (especially the older generation) were brought up to believe that gold jewellery should be 24 k gold and anything less isn''t real gold - I was brought up in the same way. I guess that I''m a bit of a snob and anything I wear has to be at least 18 k. No one in my family wears costume jewelly, we were brought up to believe that if it''s not real, why bother wearing it (very snobby indeed!!!) and a lot of chinese families are this way as well.

I''ve got a ''glory box'' filled with 24 k gold jewellery as gifts from relatives for when I get married. It''s full of the most hideous pieces of jewellery I''ve ever seen - large chunky bracelets made out of 24k gold coins and massive necklaces. I swear, it looks like something a pimp would wear!! I guess I could always have it melted down and turned into something more elegant.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 2/15/2005 6:19:10 PM
Author: zdrastvootya
Thanks for the responses.

I didn't realize the jewelry prices align so closely to the commodity price. I'm assuming 24k is available in Chinatown here. (The gold jewelry looks very yellow, when I look in the display windows there.)

When I looked at this girl's ring, it just didn't look that yellow to me. (Not yellow and soft like my mom's pure gold bracelet, which has a very bendable clasp - so bendable, we're afraid it's going to break the few times she wears it.) The ring has 8 small little diamonds embedded. Didn't think you would put diamonds into 24k.

Maybe I'm mistaken. I'll check my friend's wife's ring when she comes from China, but I wasn't under the impression he was buying 24k. He had the same line. 'Chinese gold is better - the jeweller told me.'

I don't think it's just the 24k issue. I'm under the impression that the HK jewellers are saying that ALL their gold is better - 14k, 18k, 24k and everything in between. I guess the 'don't buy from those other guys' isn't exactly a new sales tactic

G.

thats a bunch of B.S.;all gold worth the same per troy oz worldwide (within a couple of dollars) no matter if i dig it up in my backyard or from the mines of Canada as long as it assay test the same fine.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 2/15/2005 6:49:11 PM
Author: Sparkster
A lot of Chinese people (especially the older generation) were brought up to believe that gold jewellery should be 24 k gold and anything less isn''t real gold - I was brought up in the same way. I guess that I''m a bit of a snob and anything I wear has to be at least 18 k. No one in my family wears costume jewelly, we were brought up to believe that if it''s not real, why bother wearing it (very snobby indeed!!!) and a lot of chinese families are this way as well.

I''ve got a ''glory box'' filled with 24 k gold jewellery as gifts from relatives for when I get married. It''s full of the most hideous pieces of jewellery I''ve ever seen - large chunky bracelets made out of 24k gold coins and massive necklaces. I swear, it looks like something a pimp would wear!! I guess I could always have it melted down and turned into something more elegant.

i''am chinese ,so i understand what you''re saying.i wear a 24k gold necklace that i bought in S.F. chinatown.the reason i don''t buy 14k or 18k necklaces because they cost more than 24k.

 

[codex57]

Date: 2/15/2005 6:19:10 PM
Author: zdrastvootya

I didn''t realize the jewelry prices align so closely to the commodity price. I''m assuming 24k is available in Chinatown here. (The gold jewelry looks very yellow, when I look in the display windows there.)

I don''t think it''s just the 24k issue. I''m under the impression that the HK jewellers are saying that ALL their gold is better - 14k, 18k, 24k and everything in between. I guess the ''don''t buy from those other guys'' isn''t exactly a new sales tactic

Yes, if you have a Chinatown, a good portion of the gold sold there should be 24K. It''s just the Chinese attitude towards gold. If it''s not 24K, it''s crappy stuff. The problem is, it''s not the best for jewelry cuz it''s so soft.

If the jeweler is saying even the 14K and 18K stuff is better, that''s just BS. I''ve been to jewelry stores in Hong Kong and I don''t remember them saying that. Course, I also speak Cantonese so they assume I know the culture well. I''m guessing it''s just salesmanship. I have had them say, "our gold is better than their gold", but that was in regards to the quality of workmanship. That their designs had more detail and were more intricate cuz of superior craftsmanship. Not that the gold itself was any better, just the design and craftsmanship.

 

[suchard]

In many ways, the "yellow" colour of the gold used in the Far East seems to suit the skin tone of Orientals/Asians - so hence possibly "better?". At the end of the day, kt is kt all over the world. Over 20 ys ago, in Brunei, I bought 22kt gold jewellery which was just weighed and the price calculated on that day''s gold price. Nothing was charged for workmanship, so don''t ask me how they made a profit! Probably just from a rising market. I have seen "red" Venezuelan gold and it looks "cheap", Italian gold, and lots of different shades of yellow gold but my personal preference (as a half Chinese) is for what is sold in the Far East. I have two bracelets in 22kt gold with the bendy clasps and they haven''t broken off yet. I don''t go for less than 18kt, but I think 24kt is too soft for daily wear.
ann

 

[AGBF]

I just posted a link to this site in another thread. The selection is not large, but there are some attractive bracelets and necklaces for men and women in 22K gold. The jewelry was crafted in Italy.

22K Gold Italian Jewelry