10k vs 14k Rose Gold - Color Difference??

[mcb345]

I am considering a wedding band from Novell and and have seen their 14k rose gold in person but was curious if anyone knows whether or not there would be a difference in coloring between 14k and 10k? I know it all depends on the quantity of copper and other metals mixed in but if anyone can shed some light on how drastic (or lack there of) the difference can be I'd really appreciate it. I'm leaning towards ordering the 10k to save money. In general I personally like 14k rose gold more than 18k rose since it really shows off the red color but am afraid the 10k might look like copper and not rose gold. Link below to the exact band I am looking at shown in 14k rose. Any input or pictures would be much appreciated. Thank you!!! - Matt

http://novelldesignstudio.com/products_info.php?product=1577

 

[diamondseeker2006]

That ring is silver with rose gold overlay. That will not be a very durable ring, in my opinion, for an everyday man's wedding band. I'd get the 14k since there shouldn't be that much of a price difference. But if you get it, I would only wear it for special occasions when you aren't using your hands and get a tungsten band which is extremely durable and scratch resistant for everyday wear. My son-in-law has one and it still looks new after 2 years. And they are relatively inexpensive, too.

http://www.tungstenworld.com/

 

[yssie]

The issue is that as alloy/gold content (karat) changes the colour of the metal changes, and metal colour can also change visibly depending on alloy composition given the same alloy/gold content. I think rose gold and white gold are generally more "volatile" than yellow gold - more given to slight colour differences in the real world w/ vendors using different mixtures...

On the plus side you aren't looking to match the new piece to an existing piece, you're just looking for confirmation that the colour won't be drastically different from what you see online, am I correct? If so a couple of thoughts:
- At the end of the day my understanding is that it's all gold + copper + silver in different quantities, w/ traces of other elements. Silver tends to add a greenish colour and it *seems* like it would counter the reddish brown somewhat in lower karats, but I wouldn't dare say anything as fact without seeing a sample, or at least knowing that that's actually what's being used!
- Photographs lie. You really need to see the piece in-person before you decide it's your ideal colour and start worrying about trying to match metals. Honestly, odds are very good that unless you've seen it in-person and fallen in love with Exactly. That. Exact. Colour.. if you want rose gold you'll be just fine with the 10k in terms of colour.
- I would still recommend the 14k, both copper and silver are reactive and prone to tarnishing and you can expect a 10k rg piece to behave the same way.


ETA: I can't open the link, but if it's plated or something as DS says then I'd say skip it entirely as well.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Yssie:

"Novell's In Union wedding bands are made by pairing 14KT Gold and Argentium Silver with a very unique bonding technology. A light-weight gold band is designed, finished, and carefully fused to a strong Argentium Silver liner."

 

[yssie]

Thanks DS, I couldn't open the site.

So... last I checked plating, bonding, and fusing have been around for centuries, so I'm quite sure there's nothing truly unique about it... Matt, please reconsider and go for a solid band, silver is soft and you want your wedding band to last a long time.

 

[mcb345]

I appreciate the input. I won't be able to see any examples of Novell's 10k rose gold before purchasing unfortunately so I think I am going to go with the 14k so that I don't have any surprises. As for the durability, I'm hoping the 14k "overlay" will provide more durability than just a simple plating. The ring also have a lifetime warrantly so I assume if I'm very dissatisfied in the future with the durability I can complain and have them make a new one.

I have been looking for a band for quite some time and unfortunately never came across any quality tungeston bands that featured any rose gold overlay like this band that I found. Most of them might have a small 2-3mm inlay but nothing that makes the ring look as if it's pretty much entirely a rose gold ring. I was considering tungeston and titanium primarily but this ring in person has a high quality fit/finish to it.

 

[yssie]

Going by the description DS posted I strongly suspect "light-weight" translates into "as thin as humanly possible" - that'll be to keep costs down. I also suspect the terminology is to differentiate the method of producing the overlay (making it first and fusing it on vs. plating it on directly) rather than to assert that it is durable, or more durable, though it's cleverly worded to make you believe that's exactly what they're implying. If it actually made the piece stronger they would spell it out and probably give you a 15% or something to go with it!

There's nothing wrong with the ring, and an educated decision is never the wrong one, but please make sure that you understand and accept what you are and are not purchasing - assuming it will wear like a different type of piece is a recipe for disappointment.

Also - make sure you read the fine print of the warranty before purchase and confirm that it's what you're expecting. Some warranties are fantastic, some will require regular inspections and have all sorts of exclusion clauses for user damage/normal wear and tear that render it useless in all but the most unusual circumstances.

 

[mcb345]

Unfortunately, having not ever worn a ring my entire life I'm not really sure what to expect in terms of durability with any ring. Novell does include lifetime repolishing and resizing along with covering all manufacturers defects. Would repolishing (or in my case also rebrushing the satin finish) help to fix any of the possible drawbacks of this kind of ring? I assume scratches / dents would be the typical worries of this type of ring? Would many of these be fixed when sent back to the factory to be "repolished"?

 

[yssie]

That's one worry - the gold layer will eventually wear away, how long "eventually" is will depend on how thick it is, how rough you are on your ring, how often you get it polished...

The other worry is the ring warping out of shape entirely with regular wear - silver is a soft and pliable metal. Rose gold is brittle and difficult to bend but I have to be honest, I have zero confidence that the "layer" is thick enough to lend anything in the way of actual strength, given the wording and how layers/overlays/plating usually work.

Can you write out the full text of the warrany here? And what is the cost of this ring?

 

[mcb345]

Can you write out the full text of the warrany here? And what is the cost of this ring?

I've been quoted anywhere from $400-$650 from various authorized jewelers for the 14k rose gold & Argentium sterling silver at 6mm wide in size 8. 10k rose gold was a bit cheaper but that was for a quote from the most expensive jeweler so even then they still weren't the cheapest.

Novell Design Studios Lifetime Warranty

All Novell rings are warranted from defect through normal usage. Your Novell wedding ring comes with lifetime repolishing and lifetime resizing. If any product is worked on by any source - outside of Novell's factory experts - warranty is immediately forfeited. Engraving does not void the warranty, but when a ring is replaced the warranty does not cover re-engraving.

- Ring must be registered through Novell's website (www.novelldesignstudio.com) to qualify for warranty service.
- 3rd party alterations to ring will void the warranty.
- Postage to send the ring back ring for warranty work is customer's responsibility.

 

[SB621]

Just some experience from my past with vendors....there are different definitions of what "normal wear" is. In other words if you are doing dishes and something happens, they did not consider that under normal wear.

 

[distracts]

I really think the relative weakness/pliability of silver is over-exaggerated - my father has worn a silver wedding band for 30 years, never takes it off for outdoor work or anything, and it is fine. He actually has probably worn it for about 50 years because he wore it on his right hand before he got married. It has a lot of fine detailing on it that is still in good condition (though no plating). It has never warped or anything. So my worry is not about the silver but just about the durability of the plating and how long it would take to wear off. But if you like it and the warranty is good, go for it.

 

[mcb345]

Went ahead and placed the order. Haven't found a ring I liked better in terms of looks than this one so I figured even if it doesn't last me as long as other materials could last at least I get the looks I wanted for a price that doesn't break the bank like pure gold and other precious metals.