14K Gold Chains

14K gold contains 14 parts gold out of 24, approximately 58.3% by weight. Karat describes gold purity; compare the specific chain's construction, dimensions and care guidance separately.

No. Karat records the proportion of gold in the metal and nothing more. Link style, width, length, construction, clasp type and gram weight are separate attributes.

Two 14K chains can differ greatly in all of those while sharing the same karat, so compare them on the listing rather than on the karat figure.

The gold content is the same at 58.3%. What differs is the remaining 41.7%: copper-weighted alloys read yellow or rose, while alloys using white metals read white and are commonly finished with rhodium plating.

Where a mark is present, 14 karat gold is commonly marked 14K or 585, usually on or near the clasp. Whether a specific piece carries a mark, and which one, is a question for that listing.

Karat tells you purity, not quantity. Compare construction, which is whether the link is solid or hollow, and gram weight, which is the figure that price broadly follows.

Where gram weight is not shown, ask for it before comparing prices.

10K, 14K and 18K describe different gold proportions: approximately 41.7%, 58.3% and 75%. Compare the specific pieces for color, construction, weight and care requirements rather than choosing by karat alone.

Colour generally deepens as the proportion of gold rises, but everything else about how a chain looks and wears comes from the piece rather than the karat figure.