Michon Jewelry Blog

The simple answer is yes. 14k gold is real gold.

So what does 14k mean? How is it different from 22k or 18k?

Without going into mathematical ratios, the lower the karat number, the lower the percentage of gold in the alloy. In english: pure gold is very soft (like pure silver) and therefore not appropriate for many jewelry applications. So, gold is alloyed with other metals to make it harder, resulting in jewelry products that are more durable and longer lasting.

24k gold is pure, unalloyed gold.
18k gold, one of the most commonly used karat golds in the US, is gold alloyed with other metals. It generally has a good yellow color, but is much tougher than 24k gold.
14k gold, another very common karat gold in the US, has a higher percentage of alloy metals than 18k - in other words, the amount of pure gold in 14k is less than the amount of pure gold in 18k. 14k tends to be tougher even than 18k - to the point that some jewelers don’t like to work with it because it isn’t as malleable.
10k and 12k gold are also sold in the US - these are less than 50% pure gold, and more than 50% alloy metals, and tend to have a paler color compared with higher karat golds.

So, are karat golds solid gold? Yes. Solid gold refers to gold, in any karat, that is that karat gold all the way through the metal. This is in contrast to gold plated metal (another metal with gold molecules bonded to its outside surface through the plating process) or gold filled metal (brass bonded to a thin sheet of karat gold, usually 12k or 14k, where the layer of karat gold weighs at least 1/20th of the total weight of the metal).

Confused? I was too, when I started researching gold colored metals to use in my jewelry making! In practical terms, karat gold is solid gold. Gold plated metal is basically gold colored, although often the gold color is so thin that it can wear off quickly and need to be replated every so often. Gold filled metal gives the look of 14k or 12k gold, at a price not much higher than sterling silver, and the gold will not wear off in contact with skin.

So, which is the best option? It completely depends on a person’s budget and the reason they are purchasing jewelry.

Gold plated jewelry is inexpensive and perfect for trendy pieces that will only be worn a few times, or jewelry that will be worn rarely, or if you have access to plating services and don’t mind doing occasional upkeep on your jewelry.

Gold filled jewelry is a good option for people who want jewelry that will last, but aren’t looking to invest karat gold prices in a piece of jewelry. Gold filled generally costs a bit more than silver, but not as much as solid karat gold, and is a better quality than gold plated metal. In my experience wearing gold filled jewelry, it looks and feels like 14k - but, from a jewelry making point of view, the fact that gold filled metal is really a two-layered metal means that heat applications, such as soldering, can melt the two different metals together - resulting in a brass/gold alloy that is mostly brass and won’t look like karat gold.
Gold filled metal is further broken down into 14/20 GF (14k is at least 1/20th the total weight), 12/20 GF (12k is at least 1/20th the total weight) and 14/10 GF (14k is at least 1/10th the total weight). I haven’t seen 12/10 GF, but it probably exists. It is good to ask which kind of gold filled metal a piece of jewelry is made from, if you are concerned with how much actual gold is in the piece.

Solid 14k, 18k and higher karat golds are luxurious. They are expensive, but are the best choice for high-end jewelry, particularly jewelry that will have stones set in it (assuming a gold-toned look is desired; for white metals, platinum and palladium are excellent alternatives to white gold).

Now, for my personal preferences. I use 14/20 GF for a lot of jewelry making applications that do not involve the use of a torch. I do a lot of wirework, and 14/20 GF is perfect for that. I also use 14k and 18k gold in my work, primarily for custom pieces and pieces that use higher-quality pearls and stones. I don’t use karat golds lower than 14k - if I want the look of gold for a lower price than 14k, I switch to gold filled because I prefer the color of gold filled. I also don’t use gold plated metal (or silver plated) because I would worry that the process of making jewelry from the metal would remove the plating.