Make it 14K if you wear it daily. Beside 10K it carries more gold, and beside 18K it takes knocks better. Before you pay, read the grams, since on plain gold they tell you how much gold you get. The men's pieces bought most here are thin chains and gold bead bracelets, and either makes a safe first piece.
14K gold: what 14 karat gold means, and is 14K real gold
Yes. By weight, 58.3 percent of the metal in a 14K piece is pure gold. Pure gold is 24K, and the karat counts gold in 24ths. Copper and silver fill out most of the balance, and they give the metal its strength and each color its tint. Its mark is 14K, or 585 in thousandths, and the desk will tell you whether a piece you like carries one. Almost every title here names 14K, and plated or gold filled appears in none of them. About seven listings in ten let you choose yellow, white or rose, while most chains come in yellow only.
Karats: 14K vs 10K vs 18K gold jewelry for men
For a piece you wear every day, 14K is the one to pick. Next to 10K, which is 41.7 percent gold, it has more gold and a warmer yellow, and gives up only a little hardness. Next to 18K, which is three quarters gold, it trades a little color for a tougher surface, so it scratches less and keeps a stone's prongs tight longer. To compare, open men's 10K gold or men's 18K gold.
What to buy: popular 14K gold jewelry for men
Buy what gets worn. Among the men's pieces sold in the year, chains, bracelets and earrings each took about a quarter. Pendants took about a sixth. Go thin on a first chain, since under 6 mm is where nearly all the chain sales fell. Gold bead bracelets made up nearly two thirds of the bracelets sold. Diamond studs led the earrings, and most of those were lab-grown. Among pendants, a cross was the choice nearly half the time. The table below gives each kind and what a typical piece weighs.
By kind: 14K gold chains, rings, pendants, bracelets and earrings
Each kind has its own case and its own guide. Open 14K gold chains for links, weights and lengths. Ring sizes are on men's gold rings. The chain a pendant hangs on is covered at gold pendants for men. Wrist length sits with men's gold bracelets, and backs and carats with gold diamond earrings for men. Type any question a listing leaves open into the live chat; by text, 212-872-9692 is answered by a person from 10 AM ET.
Questions we get in the store
Is 14K gold real gold?
Yes, all the way through. The metal is 58.3 percent pure gold, with copper and silver for strength. Plating is a skin of gold over a base metal, and no title here uses the word. Ask us if a piece is marked 14K or 585.
Should a man buy 10K, 14K or 18K gold?
14K, for anything worn every day. It keeps its polish and grips a stone longer than 18K, and it is richer in gold and color than 10K. Reach for 18K only when its deeper yellow matters more to you than easy wear.
Which chain should I hang my pendant on?
Let the pendant's weight decide. A small cross like the Grace Light suits a very fine chain, while a pendant past 30 grams, like the Trinity Knot, wants a medium or heavy chain. Before you pay, check that the chain's clasp end fits through the bail.
More questions we get
Does 14K gold tarnish or turn skin green?
Seldom. Gold itself never tarnishes, and the copper and silver in 14K film over only a little, faster with sweat or pool water. A green mark on the skin is rare at this karat. Mild soap and water clear it.
Can I wear 14K gold every day, even in the shower?
Yes. Water will not hurt 14K. Take it off for the pool, where chlorine dulls the shine, and for the gym or heavy work, where a weight or a tool can dent a link or loosen a set stone.
Yellow, white or rose 14K gold?
Match the metal you already wear, such as your watch. Most pieces here come in all three, chosen on the listing, though chains are usually yellow only. White gold is often given a bright rhodium finish, so ask us how a white piece is finished.
What 14K gold jewelry sells most here?
Among the men's pieces, thin chains and gold bead bracelets sold most in the year, with diamond studs next. The bracelet bought most is gold beads on a black cord, and the earrings bought most are lab-grown studs of one carat a side.
Can I return 14K gold jewelry?
Yes, unworn, unaltered and boxed, for fourteen calendar days after it arrives. Customer service, at service@traxnyc.com or 212-391-3832, sends the return label it rides back on. Five percent restocking and that label leave the refund, under our refund policy. Custom or made-to-order work is final.