Why Your 22 Karat Gold Looks 18

We supply master alloys to jewellery manufacturers across India. So we hear things sometimes directly over chai at IIJS, sometimes passed along through our technical team after a factory visit.

Lately, a pattern has emerged. And honestly, it doesn't start on the production floor. It starts in the showroom.

"Yeh gold pale lag raha hai."

Thrissur mentioned it. Rajkot said the same thing. A buyer from Kolkata told us his customers keep comparing pieces side by side and choosing the deeper yellow every time.

Different people, different cities, same complaint.

So what's actually happening?

Here's what we've learned from years of these conversations: the problem usually isn't the goldsmith. It's the alloy.

Most master alloys in the market are multi-karat. They're formulated to work at 14KT, 18KT, 22KT supposedly all of them. Sounds flexible. Sounds efficient.

But here's the maths nobody mentions.

At 18KT, your alloy makes up 25% of the final metal. At 22KT, it's only 8.3%. That means every active ingredient, deoxidisers, grain refiners, colour modifiers is diluted by three times.

A formulation designed for 25% concentration doesn't magically work at 8.3%. The deoxidisers can't keep up. The colour doesn't develop. You get gas porosity. You get pale yellow instead of deep Indian yellow.

Aur phir showroom mein complaint aati hai: "Yeh 24 karat jaisa nahi lag raha."

Formulating for the showroom, not just the crucible

BH202YC is a 22KT-only yellow gold master alloy from Legor. Not a compromise formulation trying to cover multiple karats.

Dedicated means every component is calculated for 8.3% alloy content. The deoxidiser levels are three times higher than what you'd find in a multi-karat alloy. Because they need to be.

The result? Colour coordinates fixed at b* 24.2 that deep Indian yellow that buyers expect from 22 karat. Wahi colour jo 24 karat mein hona chahiye.

And because the deoxidation is properly concentrated, porosity drops. Fewer pinholes. Less rework. Pieces that actually look like they're worth what you're charging.

The stone-in-place question

One more thing we keep hearing: "Can I do stone-in-place with 22KT?"

With multi-karat alloys? Risky. The solidification behaviour isn't optimised for the narrow temperature window you're working with.

BH202YC is formulated for controlled cooling 30-45 minutes to room temperature. Stones stay put. No thermal shock. No cracking.

What this won't fix

We supply this product. So let me be honest about what it won't solve.

If your flask temperature is wrong, better alloy won't save the cast. If your investment is contaminated, you'll still get surface issues. If your gold purity is inconsistent, colour will be inconsistent too.

Par agar aapka process already solid hai if your melt temperatures are consistent, your investment is fresh, your gold is what you think it is then dedicated 22KT formulation removes one more variable from the equation.

Hearing similar things?

If your buyers are commenting on colour, or you're fighting porosity in 22KT work, it might be worth a conversation.

We can walk through your current process, compare notes, see if the math adds up for your production. No pressure, no pitch just comparing what we're each seeing in the market.

Reach out: help@preciousalloy.com | +91 22 6101 4444‍