What karat measures
Karat is the proportion of pure gold in the alloy, out of 24 parts. 24K is pure gold. 18K is 18 parts gold to 6 parts other metals — 75% gold. 14K is 58.3% gold. 10K is 41.7% gold. Pure gold is too soft to hold a stone securely, which is why fine jewellery is alloyed.
Colour
More gold means a deeper, warmer yellow. 18K reads rich and buttery; 14K is a clear classic yellow; 10K is paler. For white gold the difference is smaller because the alloy and the rhodium finish do most of the work. For rose gold, the copper content drives the colour — 14K rose tends to read slightly pinker than 18K rose.
Durability
Counter-intuitively, lower karat is harder. 14K resists scratching and bending better than 18K because it contains more of the stronger alloy metals. For a ring worn every day, especially one with a wide band or a raised setting, 14K is the practical default. 18K is better suited to pieces worn less roughly — earrings, pendants, occasion rings.
Price
18K costs meaningfully more than 14K for the same design, because it contains more gold by weight. 10K is the least expensive.
Skin sensitivity
Higher karat means less alloy, and alloy metals are usually what causes a reaction. If you react to costume jewellery, 18K is the safer choice, though 14K is tolerated by most people. All of our gold is solid throughout — never plated over brass or silver — so there is no base metal to wear through and touch skin.
How to tell what you have
Look for the stamp inside the band or on the clasp: 10K, 14K or 18K, sometimes written as 417, 585 or 750. Every piece we make is stamped accordingly.
Our default
Most of our catalogue is 14K solid gold, which we think is the right balance of colour, hardness and price for jewellery meant to be worn rather than kept in a box. Selected pieces are made in 18K and 10K.