Metal question: rose gold 14kt vs 18kt

[itzme]

Hi all,

I'm not sure if this is the proper place to ask this. If not, let me know and I'll ask the mods to move it.

I'm planning on getting a necklace for my best friend as a wedding gift. It's a long pendant that I'm asking the designer to custom make into rose gold because their regular stock is made with brass. My friend is my childhood friend, so I'd like to get something nicer for her with a budget of $600-$700. I would really like to try to not go pass that. The jeweler is willing to work with me and offered to have their casting guy make it in 14kt rose gold or 18kt rose gold.

However, the jeweler told me the casting guy told them the 18kt might be too soft however it will look more luxe. They quoted me approx $650 for 18kt and $370 for 14kt.

I always prefer 18kt gold and never thought it would be "too soft" for jewelry, however my pieces are usually mich smaller compared to this pendant. Should I listen to the casting guy's recommendation? What do you think about using 18kt?

I don't want to go "cheap" and get the 14kt. Would the 14kt end up looking "cheap"?

Please help, I need to respond by tomorrow!

 

[itzme]

Anyone? Any thoughts?

 

[ChristineRose]

It depends on the alloy and how hard the person is on their jewelry. Rose golds are designed for color as well as hardness, so maybe he works with a softer alloy. Ask the bench person if the alloy is softer than other 18K alloys.

Rose golds in general need to be lower karat because this makes them rosier. 10K is used for Black Hills Gold and the designs where maximum rosiness is desired. It won't look cheap, it will look like you chose it for it's rosiness.

 

[itzme]

Thanks ChristineRose for your input. I can ask how the alloys, but I thought rose gold is only a combination of yellow gold and copper. Didn't know there were other alloys involved.

I don't think she's hard on her jewelry, per se. But I'd like this to be a casual piece. The chain will be 26" long. The pendant will be about 7.7 grams in weight.

 

[WinkHPD]

Hi all,

I'm not sure if this is the proper place to ask this. If not, let me know and I'll ask the mods to move it.

I'm planning on getting a necklace for my best friend as a wedding gift. It's a long pendant that I'm asking the designer to custom make into rose gold because their regular stock is made with brass. My friend is my childhood friend, so I'd like to get something nicer for her with a budget of $600-$700. I would really like to try to not go pass that. The jeweler is willing to work with me and offered to have their casting guy make it in 14kt rose gold or 18kt rose gold.

However, the jeweler told me the casting guy told them the 18kt might be too soft however it will look more luxe. They quoted me approx $650 for 18kt and $370 for 14kt.

I always prefer 18kt gold and never thought it would be "too soft" for jewelry, however my pieces are usually mich smaller compared to this pendant. Should I listen to the casting guy's recommendation? What do you think about using 18kt?

I don't want to go "cheap" and get the 14kt. Would the 14kt end up looking "cheap"?

Please help, I need to respond by tomorrow!

I do not think that 14kt rose gold will look cheap, but I am having a hard time with the concept that 18kt is too soft for a pendant.I frequently use 18kt and even higher in pendants. When making rose gold we use 14kt more for the depth of the color than the strength of the metal.

Is this a particularly delicate mounting that the jeweler is worried about the strength?

Wink

 

[itzme]

Hi Wink! I, too, was very surprised by the jeweler telling me what her casting guy said. The design does not look delicate at all, especially not compared to what I'm used to seeing here on PS. There won't be any stones. Just solid gold. Maybe the bottom on the pendant is very heavy and the part that is holding the chain is considerably narrower and thin in relation to the body? I've almost always used 18kt and have never had issues of them warping or anything from being too soft. Then again, I'be never worn 7.6 grams of just solid gold. That's one of the reason I posted here to ask if anyone has heard of 18ky rose gold being "too soft", since I couldn't find it any where when I did a search.

My personal preference is a rosier look, which makes me want to go for 14kt, however I was worried it would look like I'm just being "cheap". But after hearing that 14kt won't come off as me being "cheap", I may go ahead and go for the 14kt for color depth. My friend actually dislikes yellow gold, so 14ky may be a good thing after all.

 

[WinkHPD]

Good. You will be going with 14kt for the right reason, the look.

Enjoy!

 

[ChristineRose]

Thanks ChristineRose for your input. I can ask how the alloys, but I thought rose gold is only a combination of yellow gold and copper. Didn't know there were other alloys involved.

I don't think she's hard on her jewelry, per se. But I'd like this to be a casual piece. The chain will be 26" long. The pendant will be about 7.7 grams in weight.

Gold + copper is the classic but actually modern alloys are carefully tuned for different uses and contain a variety of metals. Manufacturers guard their recipes carefully and compete on properties. There are also color variations like "red gold" and "peach gold" which are kind of meaningless because there's no standard. Generally the bench person should know their way around the alloys and pick an alloy that lets them implement the design. It's possible that the bench for some reason wants to use an exceptionally soft alloy for this piece. Not clear why this would be, but it's not impossible.

 

[distracts]

14 kt for rose gold. I don't think I've ever seen 18 kt that looked "rosy" enough for me.

 

[liaerfbv]

I would never in a million years receive a 14kt gold necklace from a friend and think it was a cheap gift. I would be thrilled someone thought enough of me to have a piece custom made for me and would cherish it.

 

[itzme]

Thank you for the support! I think it's a cultural thing for Asians, or at least Chinese to prefer 18kt. My friend is not critical nor materialistic like that. Still just wanted others' opinions to see how you all feel about it. I also prefer "rosier" rose gold and I guess this preference helps me save some money as well.

 

[WinkHPD]

Thank you for the support! I think it's a cultural thing for Asians, or at least Chinese to prefer 18kt. My friend is not critical nor materialistic like that. Still just wanted others' opinions to see how you all feel about it. I also prefer "rosier" rose gold and I guess this preference helps me save some money as well.

I think, with all respect, that in this instance, if you go with the cultural choice of 18kt you will NOT GET the deeper rose color that you are seeking. In this instance, saving a little money is a pleasant unintended consequence of having made the correct decision based on your desires to get the best gift for your friend.

Wink

 

[movie zombie]

18k will look richer and be strong enough........it is 22k that is too soft for many settings.
I can't imagine anyone saying that 18k wouldn't be strong enough..........
yes, I do prefer the look of 18k over 14k pink gold any and every day....