Everything you Need to Know About 14K Gold
The Bottom Line
We believe that 14K gold is an excellent choice for a ring or any other piece of jewelry. You get the best of both worlds: value, beauty and durability. That being said, the color of gold you choose should be based on personal preference and skin tone, rather than value for money.
What is 14K Gold?
Gold is a naturally occurring element and is listed in the Periodic Table under the symbol AU and with atomic number 79. It is the most malleable of all metals, making it an ideal choice for crafting into jewelry. 14K gold specifically, is a blend of gold and other metals such as zinc, copper and nickel. It also has rhodium plating. The gold is blended with other metals because it is soft on its own. In 14K gold, the blend is 58.3% gold. This is less than 18K gold, where the blend is 75% gold. 14K is an excellent balance between beauty and durability, making it great for everyday wear.You can instantly tell if a piece of jewelry is 14K gold. Simply look for the stamp that indicates the mix of metals. The lack of a stamp doesn’t mean that the jewelry isn’t gold, however. But speak to an expert if you are unsure.The stamps below will indicate 14K gold:
The Purity of 14K Gold
As we have said, pure gold is far too soft to be worn every day. That’s why gold is mixed with alloy metals to improve its strength and durability. 14K gold is a mix of gold and zinc, nickel, copper and rhodium plating. This makes the gold resistant to corrosion and rust.Karatage is used to denote how pure gold is. It is a measure split into 24ths, with 24K gold being pure gold. 14K gold is 58.3% pure gold, which is a great mix.
The Color of 14K Gold
You have three options when choosing 14K gold: rose gold, yellow gold and white gold. Composition of the gold is dependent on the color, with each using different metals as alloys. As we said earlier, your choice of color should depend on your personal preference and skin type.
14K White Gold
This is a mixture of pure gold and alloys such as silver, nickel and palladium.The advantages are that it:
The disadvantages are that it:
14K Yellow Gold
Yellow gold is combination of pure gold and alloys like zinc and copper.The advantages are that it:
The disadvantages are that it:
14K Rose Gold
Rose gold includes all red, pink and orange shades of gold. Gold is usually mixed with copper to produce the color. The more copper, the redder the gold. As such, pure rose gold can’t exist.The advantages are that it:
The disadvantages are that it:
The Price of 14K Gold
You should compare the price of 14K gold to other metal types such as platinum and 18K gold. 14K gold is less expensive than both of these options and much cheaper than platinum. The price also doesn’t change much when it comes to color. White gold, Rose gold and Yellow gold should all cost about the same.
Is 14K Gold the Right Choice?
We recommend choosing your metal based on appearance, preference and your skin tone. But you should also think about durability and cost.14K gold is more affordable compared to platinum and more pure golds so it is a great choice for most budgets.Matching the diamond and the gold is also very important, however. And you’ll want to make sure that your choice of colored gold suits your diamond.