18k gold refers to an alloy with a gold content of 75%, and the basic gold price is also 75% of the price of pure gold. Because some other precious metals are added, the weakness of pure gold is changed, so it is more conducive to making more fashionable and novel 18k gold styles.
However, 18k gold does not meet the standard of 99% pure gold. This kind of gold content can only exist in the market as gold ornaments, and its value-keeping ability is average. Even in the easy-to-cash second-hand market, its recognition is very low, and it is difficult to extract gold from 18k gold, which is one of the reasons why many shops selling gold will not recycle 18k gold.
Compared with platinum, 18K is a hedge, but compared with gold, it is not a hedge. 18K gold can be recycled, but many small cities or shops don't recycle it, because there are no responsive facilities for testing in the shops, and the machines in the shops can't be recycled if they are not up to standard, which has nothing to do with the material of 18K.
The main reasons why few gold shops are willing to recycle 18k gold are:
18K gold extraction process is difficult, and the gold content is not as high as gold. Secondly, 18k gold is expensive, but its recycling value is low and its processing cost is high. Therefore, many gold shops do not provide 18k gold recycling service, but similar to pawn shops and precious metal recycling websites, 18k gold, platinum and palladium can be recycled.