Gold is a classic. From your grandmother’s engagement ring to yours today, gold is one of the most popular choices because it is timeless. It can also suit any skin colour, as you can choose from yellow, white, or rose gold.
The gold in your engagement ring is not pure gold. It is mixed with other metals (also known as alloys) like copper, silver, zinc, and nickel to make your ring more durable. This is because pure gold is too malleable to be worn every day.
The "k," also known as karats, determines the percentage of pure gold used to make your ring. 14k gold has 58.3% pure gold, while 18k gold has 75% pure gold in its mix.
Now that you have the basics down, let's find out which ring you will say yes to!
What Is 14K Gold?
14K Yellow GoldYellow gold is a mixture of pure gold and other alloy metals like copper and zinc. It's the most commonly preferred gold internationally for jewelry settings. It comprises 58.3% gold and 41.7% alloy.
Pros:
- Can be more durable than 18k gold when mixed with harder alloys
- Most popular metal used for engagement rings and wedding bands
- Has the purest sparkling color of all gold types
- Easy to maintain
- Complements darker and olive skin tones
- Good for sensitive skin, as gold has hypoallergenic properties
- Wears beautifully with moissanite and diamonds
Cons:
- As with all fine jewelry, still needs to be handled with care
- To maintain that sparkling look and beauty, it’s best to clean and polish it regularly.
14K Rose Gold
The term "rose gold" refers to and includes the whole spectrum of rose, red, and pink gold hues. These hues are created by alloying pure gold with copper to get the rose color. The redder it appears, the more copper it contains. There is no such thing as "pure rose gold"—it is always an alloy, like white gold.
Pros:
- Slightly tougher and more durable than yellow or white gold because it contains more copper
- Their pinkish-red hue dazzles and sparkles under every light
- It’s a little different from the norm
Cons:
- Rose gold can be less hypoallergenic for sensitive skin
What Is 18K Gold?
18K Yellow Gold
With the addition of metals, such as silver and copper, pure 24K gold is used to make 18K yellow gold. Most 18K yellow gold is composed of 75% pure gold, 12.5% copper, and 12.5% fine silver. 18k yellow gold provides a brighter yellow gold color due to the higher gold content.
Pros:
- Easy to maintain
- Best for olive or deeper complexion tones
- A brighter yellow gold color for fine jewelry
Cons:
- It is more prone to dents and scratches compared to 14k gold
- Needs to be cleaned and polished regularly to maintain the shine
18K Rose Gold
18K rose gold is made by mixing 24K pure gold with copper. This mixture contains 75% pure gold and 25% copper.
Pros:
- More scratch-resistant and durable than yellow and white gold because of copper.
- Cheaper than yellow and white gold as copper is less expensive.
- Complements all skin tones.
- Appreciates more in value than 14K rose gold.
Cons:
- Not hypoallergenic.
Conclusion
Now that you know all about 14K and 18K gold, have a look below at the different options of engagement rings that we offer. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about creating the perfect custom-made ring for you!