What is 375 gold and how much does it cost: pros and cons, does it darken over time + quality reviews

Almost every one of us wears jewelry. The cost of the product also plays a decisive role in the choice of metal, inserts and design. Today we’ll figure it out: 375 gold – what it is and why customer reviews are often full of unflattering comments, although it is the most inexpensive alloy. Is a cheap precious metal really that bad or can it quite successfully replace more expensive “trinkets”? Let's figure it out together.

What kind of test is this?

The markings indicated on jewelry indicate the gold content of the composition. The mark “375” suggests that this alloy contains 37.5% noble metal. This is one of the lowest indicators. The rest of the alloy consists of silver, palladium or copper.

Composition and properties

The properties and characteristics of the product are affected by the impurities it contains. For 375 sample, 3 main options for the composition of the ligature are popular:

• 52.5% copper and 10% silver create a red tint;
• 46.5% copper and 16% silver give a dark yellow tint;
• an equal ratio of silver and copper (31% each) guarantees a yellow-pink color;
• in alloys in which silver predominates (up to 65% of the total mass), the color is white.

Strength

The strength of alloy 375 is its advantage. The product is weakly susceptible to destruction due to mechanical load. Due to this, gold is often used to make everyday items (engagement rings).

Among the variations of alloys, the most durable is the one with the highest palladium or silver content.

Alloy shades

As mentioned above, 375 sample can have different shades from dark yellow and pink to rich red. The color and its saturation depend entirely on the amount of impurities contained in the ligature.

Brand

Each piece of jewelry of appropriate quality must have a manufacturer’s mark indicating the sample number, the State Inspectorate code and an image of a woman’s head in a kokoshnik. Designations can be located separately along the perimeter of the decoration. Sometimes they are combined under a single frame.

Alloy characteristics

Jewelry gold 385 contains 38.5% solar metal. In the international carat system, the composition corresponds to 9 carats. Jewelry from the composition is popular among certain groups of the population.

To manufacture the alloy, which corresponds to 385 gold, palladium, copper and silver are used as alloying components. Their proportional ratio determines the color of the composition.

If more copper is present, the composition becomes hard and red in color. If the material contains 17.5-23% silver, the products become yellow. The addition of palladium gives the material a creamy color.

The main differences between jewelry 385 and 585 samples:

• fractional content of the noble component;
• strength;
• price;
• appearance.

The pure noble chemical element No. 79 is soft, so alloys with other metals significantly change the parameters and technical characteristics of the material.

There is an opinion that products made from low-grade noble material lose their appearance over time and oxidize in air. If an oxide film or dark plaque forms, the surface can be easily cleaned with toothpaste or powder.

All jewelry products undergo quality control by:

• external inspection, which establishes the correctness and compliance of the labels;
• checking the availability of accompanying documents;
• presence of the stamp of the state assay control inspection.

To purchase a quality product made from 9 carat material, you need to contact specialized jewelry stores. Thanks to the low price, you can part with jewelry without regret after use and take it to a pawnshop, receiving your capital investment back.

Today it is recommended to purchase large products of 385 standard. Souvenirs, figurines, brooches made from 385-karat alloy look aesthetically pleasing. Jewelry companies offer products made from 9-carat composition in combination with stones and additional materials at an affordable price.

Alloy Application

Several decades ago, 375 alloy was used everywhere in the manufacture of gold jewelry. Due to the high ductility and strength of the material, even men's and women's wristwatches were made from it. Over time, the popularity of 375 sample fell, giving way to a higher quality alloy - 585.

Today, sample 375 is again coming into use in Russia. It is used primarily for making wedding rings, earrings, bracelets, chains and pendants.

Products are often complemented with semi-precious stones. With proper care, they are visually virtually indistinguishable from jewelry with a higher gold content.

Advantages and disadvantages

Purchasing gold jewelry marked 375 is usually based on the advantages of this alloy:

• high strength and therefore wear resistance;
• affordable cost compared to higher quality metals.

However, we should not forget about its shortcomings. First of all, this relates to the high susceptibility of the precious metal to an aggressive environment. Even air easily affects its appearance and properties. The negative impact can only be reduced through regular cleaning and careful care of the product.

How much does a gram of 375 gold cost?

Below is an online chart of the current price per gram.

The cost of a product with a gold content of 37.5% is influenced by several factors. However, the main thing is the percentage of impurities and their composition. Thus, jewelry that contains palladium along with pure precious metal is significantly more expensive than similar products based on copper or even silver.

When establishing the cost of an item made of 375 gold, the seller operates:

• the price of a gram of pure gold at the international rate;
• the price of the precious metal set by the Central Bank;
• manufacturer's and distributor's premium.

The approximate cost of a gram of 375 gold can be found using an approximate formula. To do this, you need to multiply the price of 1 gram of pure metal by a factor of 0.375. Today it is approximately:

If you take old jewelry with the “375” stamp to a pawnshop, its value drops even more. As a rule, such products are accepted at the price of scrap.

Exceptions include original jewelry in excellent condition. That is why, before visiting a pawnshop, it is recommended to clean the product from plaque if possible.

For what purpose was the sampling system introduced?

Gold in its pure form is characterized by softness and a dull color of an indefinite shade. It is easily bent, deformed, and loses its shine. Jewelry made from such metal will have an unpresentable appearance.

To give it a certain density and shade, various alloys are used in the jewelry industry. Control and regulation of this process is entrusted to government agencies. To determine the amount of precious metal in alloys, a sampling system was introduced.

In Russia there is a law according to which if products produced in industry contain 30% gold, they must be branded. The most famous gold samples are 375.585, 750.958.

These numbers determine the measure of gold included in 1 kg of the alloy. If there is no mark on this product, this may indicate that the item was made illegally. It is impossible to be sure that it is of high quality and purity.

Recommendations for care and cleaning

Any decoration needs proper care and periodic cleaning. 375 alloys are no exception. To ensure that jewelry made from them does not lose its physical properties and attractiveness, you must adhere to a few simple rules.

1. Any contact of gold with acids and alkalis is unacceptable. This rule applies to both pure substances and their derivatives: cleaning agents and detergents, nail polish removers, washing powders, solvents, etc.
2. Paintwork and abrasive materials also negatively affect the quality of jewelry.
3. It is recommended to remove 375 gold jewelry before taking water procedures.
4. Cardboard boxes are not suitable for storing gold, since their surface is treated with a special compound that necessarily contains sulfur. This, in turn, causes 375 gold to turn black.
5. It is necessary to periodically clean the jewelry from dirt deposits. Cleaning is carried out according to the same rules and tips that are developed for the 585 alloy.

Does gold darken?

One of the main complaints about 375 gold concerns its appearance. Beautiful and shiny when purchased, it can soon darken and even leave marks on the owner’s body. This process is influenced by the use of cosmetics, wearing conditions and, of course, the composition of the ligature.

Why do gold items turn my fingers black?

1. These are the characteristics of the impurities contained in the alloy.
2. Reaction of gold to components of decorative cosmetics, detergents and cleaning products, etc.
3. Increased sweating, which causes the skin to release nitrogen compounds. These react with the copper and cause black ring marks to appear.

Appearance of gold streaks

The presence of a large number of impurities in 375 gold makes products made from it susceptible to chemical reactions when exposed to an aggressive environment. Acids, alkalis, high humidity - these are just the main factors affecting the condition of the product, its appearance and the possibility of darkening.

When interacting with a harmful environment, gold begins to oxidize and leaves black marks when it comes into contact with the skin. As a rule, they take the form of stripes.

Let's choose 375! Jewelry with benefits: all the pros and cons of 375 gold products

The new collection of products features a lower gold content in the alloy. If earlier such alloys acquired a dark red hue, now, thanks to modern manufacturing technologies, jewelry retains the noble color of gold. In addition, the strength of the new alloy is much higher, which means that the products will wear out and scratch less. Moreover, strong metal will allow you to create even more elegant models, which will especially please lovers of openwork jewelry. The development of production using 375-grade standard entails the emergence of many new collections, among which everyone will find a suitable model. Products made from the new alloy are twice as affordable in price and at the same time retain all the best qualities of 585-carat jewelry.

The modern competitive market does not stand still. Currently, almost every industry is looking for less expensive production methods, which, unfortunately, very often affects the quality of the product. However, sometimes manufacturers make truly significant breakthroughs in their craft and reach a whole new level, achieving more economical production of a product while maintaining the same, and sometimes even improving, its quality. This is exactly the situation that has developed in the jewelry market today. If earlier manufacturers of gold jewelry used 585-carat metal, now some of them prefer 375-carat. The content of precious metal in jewelry is reduced, but this fact, paradoxically, has a positive effect on the quality of the product in several respects. What does the buyer get when purchasing jewelry made from 375-carat?! As you know, gold is a soft metal. Consequently, the higher the standard, the more susceptible the jewelry becomes to mechanical damage. Until recently, 585 standard was considered the “golden mean”, when the jewelry retained its original smoothness and well-groomed appearance for quite a long time, and also, which is not unimportant, had the color of the most precious metal. But, despite the high content of durable impurities, any blow could cause the item to acquire a significant scratch, which became especially noticeable on larger jewelry. When using the new, 375th standard, the gold content in the jewelry decreases, which indicates a greater content of durable materials in it. This sample was used before, but the jewelry lost its noble golden hue, for which this precious metal is usually valued. However, recently a new durable alloy has been developed with a composition that allows not only making the jewelry more wear-resistant, but also preserving the noble color of gold, which was not possible before. The color of the product can vary from bright yellow to deep red, depending on the copper content of the alloy.

It is also worth noting that, thanks to the increased strength and ductility of the material, jewelers can carry out truly delicate work with the future product. Small and delicate details that give the decoration a unique elegance will now be more technically accessible. In addition, the risk of damage to such work when worn is significantly reduced.

As is known, gold does not react with oxygen and, therefore, is not subject to oxidation. But due to the reduction in its content in the alloy, owners of jewelry of the 375th standard, some time after purchase, may notice a slight plaque formed on the product. It appears due to a higher content of impurities in the metal that react to the external environment. However, careful treatment and periodic cleaning of jewelry allows it to maintain its shine, brightness and beauty, which will delight the owner of the product for many years.

The percentage of precious metal in a piece of jewelry certainly affects its value. Now, for those who like to treat themselves to a new gold item, such a purchase becomes almost twice as affordable. Choosing 375 will be especially beneficial now, while such products have not yet taken a wide position in the modern jewelry market. Moreover, a large number of new models are appearing, among which even a sophisticated jewelry connoisseur will find a piece of jewelry that suits his needs and tastes.

Anastasia Sarapulova

Tips for choosing gold jewelry

When purchasing gold items made from low-grade precious metals, you must use the same rules as when choosing more expensive alloys. The color of the product, its design and appearance are the key parameters of jewelry. And, of course, do not forget to check the presence of markings on the product, which will confirm the quality of the sample.

Reviews

Marina:

“Unknowingly, I bought a pendant and chain a couple of years ago. At first it looked normal, after a month the color became darker. And after 2-3 months, black stains appeared on the body. Now they are in the box.”

Sveta:

“Gold is not bad for its price. If you clean it and don’t get into water with it, the shine will last for a long time.”

Luda:

“My husband gave me an engagement ring, but I rarely wear it so as not to spoil it. Too much hassle with cleaning"