What is the difference between 10k and 14k gold?

Getting gold is often a tough decision, especially with the number of options that you have to choose from. While shopping for jewellery, you might have noticed various types of golds that are available. All of them differ in some ways and thus have different pricing.

Most stuff you will find will be a 14k gold, however some cheaper jewelleries are made of 10k gold.

Let us take a look at the difference between a 10k and a 14k gold to know which one is more suitable according to your needs.

Difference between 10k and 14k Gold

The gold that is used to make jewelleries isn’t pure gold as gold in its pure form is extremely malleable and soft. You can break it in two pieces with hand and using such material solely is not a wise solution. The product will be easy to scratch, dent, or break. Because it is not strong and thus breaks easily, pure gold is often mixed with other compounds to give the jewellery certain features it needs.

Pure gold is also remarkably bright with the orangish touch rather than bright golden colour that people often associate with any jewellery.

To improve durability, gold is mixed with other metals before being crafted into jewellery. The purity of the gold is measured in karats. Karat is the ratio of pure gold to the secondary metals mixed in it for making a piece of jewellery.

The standard system is of 24. Thus, a 24-karat gold is pure gold with all 24 parts to be of gold. This gold is never used in jewellery. They can be used for investment and in handlooms. 14k gold is when 14 parts of gold is mixed with 10 parts of other metals. The specific metals mixed depend on the type and colour of gold to give it a smoother texture. Thus, any ring that is of 14 karats contains 58.3% of gold in it.

10K gold, on the other hand, is 10 parts of gold mixed with 14 parts of other metal. Any ring you get that is of 10K is made of approximately 41.7% gold.

Advantages of 10k gold

One of the most significant advantages of 10k gold is the price tag at which it is available in the market. If you need cheap jewellery, you should go with this option. Apart from the price, this gold is slightly more durable than the 14k one.

Advantages of 14k gold

14k gold is a great combination of durability and purity. The percent of gold in 14 karats is enough to give it a warm and rich appearance along with the durability it needs. Many people may dislike a 10k gold due to the dull colour.

Higher purity means that it is also less likely to trigger allergies and skin infections, so while 14k gold is slightly costlier, it is certainly an affordable option compared to other karats available.

There is no set recommendation. If your budget is low and you feel your skin is not sensitive go for a 10k gold although it may have a shorter life. If you can invest a little, go for 14k as it is a more sensible option.