How To Select The Best Gold Alloys For Your Gold Chain?

Gold chains are accessories that are popular among both mens and women. They are made from precious gold and can be easily hung around the neck. There may be sentiment attached to them by being received as gifts or used as a fashion or status symbol. Additionally, there can be all sorts of designs that jewelers can weave gold chains into. They are also among the typical requests for custom jewelry designs and can be incorporated into many different designs and hues. However, this challenges customers as they cannot decide which gold alloy would best suit their gold chain. Most of these customers may be investing quite a bit into these chains as they want their loved ones to have a precious gift. This makes this decision all the more critical for them. This brings up the question, what is the best gold alloy for your gold chain? Keep reading to find out. 

Why not pure gold?

Pure gold, also known as 24K (karats) gold, is the purest form of gold that you can get. This makes it quite precious and expensive. Therefore, you would think that everyone would want to get this one. Right? In reality, this is not the case because pure gold is too soft to be made in the form of jewelry. This is why it needs to be mixed with other metals to improve its strength and durability to be made into jewelry. This is why the highest purity of gold alloy you will see is 18K, which is soft and expensive. On the other hand, 10K gold is a lot more affordable and durable as well. 14K gold offers an excellent middle-ground option. Hence, pure gold is not an option when it comes to a gold chain. 

Yellow Gold

Yellow gold is the most common type of gold alloy used for jewelry. It is an alloy that you will be pretty familiar with and something you associate with gold jewelry. It is not pure gold and is, in fact, an alloy. Gold is mixed with silver and copper to make it more resilient. Adding additional copper to it can change the level of ‘yellowness’ in the gold. If you want your chain to look as closest to pure gold as possible, consider selecting this alloy. 

White Gold

White gold is another popular gold alloy that is sought after for its classy white hue. It consists of gold mixed with platinum, palladium, or nickel and was created in the early 20th century. It is a lot more durable and resistant to scratches than standard yellow gold. In some cases, it can be cheaper as well. It is generally plated with rhodium nowadays to give it a white hue and to increase its strength. Consider these properties and the color when selecting it for a gold chain. 

Rose Gold

Rose gold is another gold alloy that has become quite popular in recent years. You may be familiar with the color being sought after for a smartphone’s exterior. This gold alloy is also mixed with silver and copper but in different proportions. The more amount of copper added to the alloy, the redder the hue is. Sometimes it may not even contain any silver. This gold alloy is a lot more affordable than other alloys and is more durable than yellow and white gold.

Green Gold

Green gold is a less known gold alloy that can be used for jewelry. The greenish tone of the alloy is achieved by mixing yellow gold with silver. Sometimes zinc or copper may be added to the mix to strengthen it. It is important to note that the higher the purity of gold in this alloy, the greener the alloy will be. Generally, the highest form of green gold is 18K. Consider choosing this alloy for your gold chain if you want something a lot more different than standard gold chains. However, if you buy this as a gift, keep in mind that the receiver may not be the biggest fan of green gold.

The bottom line

Gold chains are pretty popular fashion accessories and gifts that can exist in several forms. If you are getting one custom-made or just getting one, you may be wondering which alloy to choose. In this article, we have highlighted the common ones and listed their pros and cons so that you can select the best one for you. We hope this has been helpful and you get a gold chain that makes you happy!