The pendant alone or on its chain first, then the length, the grams and yellow, white or rose
A 14K gold necklace is 58.3 percent gold, hard enough to wear every day. Most pieces here are pendants: 370 of the 607 are the pendant alone, so plan a chain, and 237 come on theirs. Crosses led the year, with more than half of the pieces sold. Then pick the length, about 18 inches for most pendants, and yellow, white or rose.
14K gold: what a 14k gold necklace is made of, and why it is the everyday gold
14K is 14 parts pure gold in every 24, so 58.3 percent of the metal is gold. Some pieces carry a 14K or 585 mark and some do not; 585 counts the gold in thousandths. The remaining 41.7 percent is alloy, and the alloy is what gives it strength: a bail, a jump ring and a clasp hold their shape through years of daily wear.
At 75 percent gold, 18K has a deeper yellow and a softer surface that scratches sooner, while 10K is harder and paler. Every piece on this page is 14K by its listing's metal field, and no title here calls one plated or filled, but the black diamond cross set hangs its 14K cross on a steel chain. Shipped inside the US, each comes with our appraisal of its gram weight. Compare the karats in 10K, 14K or 18K gold, or see 18K gold necklaces.
Chain or pendant: a 14k gold pendant necklace, a pendant on its own, or a necklace on its chain
Read the title and the menu before you order. Of the 607 pieces, 370 are the pendant alone: the title says pendant or names only the piece, there is no chain length to pick, and no description says a chain comes with it. The other 237 hang on their chain, 119 necklaces and 118 pendant sets, and 59 of the sets let you pick the length.
The pendant alone is what people bought most, 66 percent of the pieces sold, and crosses lead it: the 0.6 gram mini diamond cross sold 208 in the year, more than any piece here. The black diamond cross set came next with 123: its cross is 14K white gold, and its chain is steel wire strung with black diamond beads, closed with a gold clasp.
For a pendant on its own, plan the chain. Of the necklaces and sets that print a chain width, 53 of 97 hang on a fine 1 mm chain. Size a chain to the pendant's grams with which chain for a pendant, then shop 14K gold chains or more 14K gold pendants.
Length: 16, 18, 20 or 22 inch 14k gold necklace, and where each one sits
Where a listing lets you choose, the menu runs 18, 20, 22 and 24 inches on 55 of the 59 that have one, and 16 is offered on four. A necklace with one fixed length is most often 18 inches, on 31, or 16, on 25. Of the necklaces and sets, 107 print no length, so ask the desk before you order.
- 16 inches: close around the base of the neck.
- 18 inches: on the collarbone, where most pendants are meant to hang.
- 20 inches: just under the collarbone, so a pendant shows above a crew neck.
- 22 inches: above the bust line, for layering or a high neckline.
- 24 inches: at the bust line, worn over a sweater.
A pendant drops below the chain by its own height, and the middle pendant here is 1.2 inches tall. The full chart is in necklace lengths from 14 to 36 inches, and gift picks by kind are in the women's gold necklaces guide.
Weight and width: how many grams a 14k gold necklace weighs, and how wide it is
Every listing but two prints its grams, and the middle piece here weighs 5.7 grams. What people bought ran lighter: the middle piece sold weighed 3 grams, and 73 percent of the pieces sold were under 5 grams. Pieces under 2 grams, mostly small crosses, were 36 percent of the pieces sold.
From 5 to 10 grams a pendant has more presence, and that band took 23 percent of the pieces. The 176 listings of 10 grams and up, most of them set with diamonds, sold 4 percent. On a necklace or a set, ask whether the grams count the chain.
The middle pendant is 0.75 inches wide, and the middle cross is 1.25 inches tall on 4.5 grams.
Color: 14k yellow gold, white gold or rose gold necklace
The color is a choice on the listing: yellow on 558 of the 607 pieces, white on 524, rose on 498, and all three on 494, while 38 are made in yellow only. All three colors hold 58.3 percent gold, and the metals mixed in change the shade. The black diamond cross set's cross comes in white gold only. Browse white gold necklaces; how each color wears over time is in white, yellow or rose gold.