Heidi Bell, age 11, of Hopkinsville, Ky., for her question:

WHAT IS 14 CARAT GOLD?

Gold is so very valuable today because it is scarce. It is extremely popular because of its beauty, softness, resistance to chemicals and density.

Gold is a yellow element that has a soft, metallic glow. Its softness makes it easy to work with. It can be drawn out into a fine wire or shaped into any form that is desired. It is resistant to rust and other chemical changes.

When used to make an item of jewelry, gold must be combined with some other metal since it is too soft to be used alone for this purpose. Such a substance is called an alloy.

Gold alloys are measured by carats. A carat is equal to one twenty fourth part. Therefore, 24 carat (24K) gold is pure gold. Eighteen carot gold is 18 parts pure  gold to six parts of alloy and 14 carot gold is 14 parts of pure gold to 10 parts of alloy.