10K or 14K - trying to choose

SouthernGent · Mar 28, 2019

I'm trying to choose between 10K and 14K yellow gold for the everyday-wear ring that David Klass has designed for me and is going to set my stone in - see the pictures. The price difference is $150 between the two, so although that's one consideration, it's not a deal-breaker. However, this stone is already a synthetic stone (YAG) and I hate to keep throwing gobs of money into a setting for a synthetic.
I'm actually thinking that the less yellow color of 10K gold may play better with the color of my stone. I had even considered platinum, but that is getting expensive. The costs of the various options are:
10K - $1,000
14K - $1,150
Plat. - $1,650 (his white gold/palladium mixture is even more!)

Also, how much of a risk with a nickel allergy is 10K gold?

bludiva · Mar 28, 2019

Do you know what DKs 10k gold looks like? I have one 10k yg ring and it is slightly pink/peachish compared to my other yg stuff. I dont think there should be any mickel in the mix but he would know.

Hard call! If it were me I'd be tempted to go with 14k b/c it is not much more and 14k makes it feel more like a fine jewelry puece to me. But that's just a mental hangup in my part. Did the grey gold not look good?

SouthernGent · Mar 28, 2019

bludiva said:
Do you know what DKs 10k gold looks like? I have one 10k yg ring and it is slightly pink/peachish compared to my other yg stuff. I dont think there should be any mickel in the mix but he would know.

Hard call! If it were me I'd be tempted to go with 14k b/c it is not much more and 14k makes it feel more like a fine jewelry puece to me. But that's just a mental hangup in my part. Did the grey gold not look good?

I have no idea what his 10K gold looks like, but I don't particularly like the sounds of "pink/peachish".

I'll check out his website to see if I can find some examples of his 10K.
The grey gold is kinda cost-prohibitive - an extra $500 over 14K.
Thanks for that info. and for your recommendations.

SouthernGent · Mar 31, 2019

bludiva said:
Do you know what DKs 10k gold looks like? I have one 10k yg ring and it is slightly pink/peachish compared to my other yg stuff. I dont think there should be any mickel in the mix but he would know.

Hard call! If it were me I'd be tempted to go with 14k b/c it is not much more and 14k makes it feel more like a fine jewelry puece to me. But that's just a mental hangup in my part. Did the grey gold not look good?

@bludiva, could you post a picture or two of your 10K yg ring next to some 14K so I can see what it looks like, please? Thanks.

bludiva · Mar 31, 2019

Here is a photo if the 10k ring (bottom) compared to 18k rose (top left) and 18k yellow (top right) I'll look for 14k in the am. These were not by dkj though so the alloys may be different than what he uses.

Here's a photo of my pendant by dkj it is unplated white gold with a thin insert of 18k yellow around the stone.