Materials Guide

Gold Karat Guide

What 10K, 14K and 18K actually mean — and which to buy.

A karat measures how much of a metal is actually gold. Pure gold is 24 karats — and too soft to hold a stone securely or stand up to daily wear, which is why it is rarely used for fine jewelry. Everything else is gold mixed with harder metals. The karat number tells you the ratio, and the ratio is a trade-off: more gold means richer color and a higher price, less gold means a tougher piece. Our gold comes in 10K, 14K, and 18K.

Karat	Gold Purity	Character
10K	41.7% gold	The hardest wearing, palest in color
14K	58.3% gold	The everyday standard — most of our gold pieces
18K	75% gold	Deepest color, softer, priced accordingly
24K	99.9% gold	Pure gold — too soft for everyday wear

Gold Colors

Yellow Gold

The closest to gold's natural color, warmed by copper and silver in the alloy. The traditional choice, and the one that suits the widest range of skin tones.

White Gold

Gold alloyed with white metals, then rhodium-plated for a bright finish. The plating is a surface layer and thins with wear — a jeweler can renew it.

Rose Gold

Copper in the alloy gives it the blush tone. The same copper makes rose gold slightly harder than yellow at the same karat.

Which Should You Buy?

For something worn daily — a wedding band, a chain you never take off — 14K is the sensible answer, and it is what most of our gold pieces are. It holds color well, resists scratching better than 18K, and is the standard for fine everyday jewelry. Choose 18K when the color matters more than the durability, typically for pieces worn occasionally. Choose 10K when you want genuine gold at the lowest price and expect hard wear. All three are real gold, stamped with their karat, and stated plainly on every listing.

Solid gold