Which is better, 14K gold or 18K gold? When trying to answer this question with regard to your custom jewelry, it is important to put different perspectives in context as buyers and sellers have different motives for choosing or suggesting one over the other respectively. Buyers, naturally, look at their budget and might prefer lower karatage. Sellers look at the ease of crafting a piece of jewelry and yielding greater profit. Thus, sellers will prefer higher gold karatage for the two-fold reason of handling the material which is 1) easier to manipulate and 2) will give them a wider profit margin. However, there are times when 14K gold is more ideal for ideal than 18K gold for a number of reasons pertaining to the type of jewelry and the nature or frequency of its intended use. This is irrespective of the buyer's budget and the fact that the seller will get a narrower profit margin and will have to work a bit harder to manipulate the gold.
Type of Jewelry
If you intend to have a piece of custom jewelry made with mounted gemstones, it makes more logical sense to opt for 14K gold over 18K gold for the simple reason that it's more durable due to the greater proportion of harder alloys, thereby making it less likely that the setting of your stone(s) will loosen over time. As mentioned in an earlier post on gold purity, the purer the gold, the softer it is, thus making gold of higher karatage less ideal than its lower karatage counterparts as a durable medium on which to mount gemstones firmly. The strength of 14K gold will ensure that the gemstones remain firmly set.
Nature of Use
Do you plan to use this piece of jewelry everyday or only occasionally? Again, relative hardness plays an important role in determining which gold karatage is right for your piece of jewelry depending on the nature and frequency of use. Thus, 14K gold is more ideal for everyday use since it's more resistant to both scratching and tarnishing. If the jewelry in question is for special occasions, then 18K gold is will do just fine. Aesthetically speaking, 18K gold has more vivid color and will showcase the beauty of your stones very nicely, even if it does require greater care and less frequent or more deliberate use.
Regardless of what gold karatage you choose, it is important to bear in mind that quality of craftsmanship is paramount. Never settle for jewelry that is poorly constructed or made.
Type of Jewelry
If you intend to have a piece of custom jewelry made with mounted gemstones, it makes more logical sense to opt for 14K gold over 18K gold for the simple reason that it's more durable due to the greater proportion of harder alloys, thereby making it less likely that the setting of your stone(s) will loosen over time. As mentioned in an earlier post on gold purity, the purer the gold, the softer it is, thus making gold of higher karatage less ideal than its lower karatage counterparts as a durable medium on which to mount gemstones firmly. The strength of 14K gold will ensure that the gemstones remain firmly set.
Nature of Use
Do you plan to use this piece of jewelry everyday or only occasionally? Again, relative hardness plays an important role in determining which gold karatage is right for your piece of jewelry depending on the nature and frequency of use. Thus, 14K gold is more ideal for everyday use since it's more resistant to both scratching and tarnishing. If the jewelry in question is for special occasions, then 18K gold is will do just fine. Aesthetically speaking, 18K gold has more vivid color and will showcase the beauty of your stones very nicely, even if it does require greater care and less frequent or more deliberate use.
Regardless of what gold karatage you choose, it is important to bear in mind that quality of craftsmanship is paramount. Never settle for jewelry that is poorly constructed or made.