14k, 18k and 24k gold jewelry; rings, earrings, bracelets, gold charms, pendants; solid gold wedding bands and engagement rings; antique gold jewelry with gemstones; plated gold rings and inlaid gold in titanium bands; two-tone and tricolor gold bracelets; white gold bridal jewelry with diamonds and affordable gold cubic zirconia bridal sets – at Jewelry & Accessories we know about gold – where to buy it, how much to pay and who sells the best gold jewelry creations online.

Yellow Gold – 18k & 14k Gold Jewelry Versus 24k

The most common and popular gold jewelry is 14k, partly because it’s more affordable than 18k and partly because it’s often alloyed with stronger or harder metals so it’s not so easy to scratch or dent like the softer 18k and pure 24k pieces, especially when it comes to gold rings that are worn daily, like wedding bands.

Many people are unaware that 24k gold is pure and that all other numbers are only a portion of pure gold blended with alloys like silver or nickel or copper. 24k jewelry is always yellow, since it’s pure.

White Gold Jewelry Versus 24K Pure Gold

White gold cannot be pure and therefore you’ll find never 24k gold jewelry in white. It’s usually 18k which means 6 parts of the metal in the jewelry will be something other than gold to give it the white appearance, usually silver, often nickel. However, white gold is not really white until it has been coated or electroplated and polished to give it that shiny white appearance. In fact white gold is quite dirty looking in it’s natural state.

The best white gold will not contain nickel as an alloy, since nickel often produces allergic reactions. That is one reason why advertisers will use terms like “nickel free” to promote their gold jewelry. This is important to know because anything other than 24k gold rings and other creations will all have a metal alloy and will not be pure and therefore may have potential adverse effects, like tarnishing, turning your finger green or causing itchy red rashes and even infection. That is why some gold jewelry earrings use surgical steel posts or have nickel free wires that pass through a piercing because 14k and 18k isn’t pure and may make your ears red and itchy much the same as cheap costume jewelry sometimes does.

Is 24k Gold Jewelry a Good Choice? And What About Antique Pure Gold Pieces

Antique jewelry is often 24k, which accounts for it being very expensive, but it doesn’t always mean it is the best choice. Why? Because pure gold is one of the softest metals, in fact one of the tests to see if gold is genuine is to bite it and see if it leaves a mark. This softness causes two important things to happen: rings will actually wear out and become thin over time, and pure gold jewelry, especially rings, scratch, dent and can get bent out of shape very easily.

This accounts for the popularity of jewelry that has less pure gold and for the trend toward harder and more resistant metals like titanium. Titanium wedding rings with 18k gold inlays are a fantastic alternative to solid gold because you can have a splash of yellow and still have the almost eternal strength, durability, lightweight, none corrosive and hypoallergenic properties of titanium.

Two-Tone, Tricolor and Rose Gold Jewelry

Tricolor and two tone gold jewelry is very popular and once again there is a lot of misconception about colored gold. Gold is naturally yellow, as we have already stated, so to achieve, white or pink the metal used in NOT gold, but silver or copper. The amount of copper will dictate how pink the gold will appear, and the amount of silver will decide how white. That is why some people have problems with two tone and pink gold jewelry, because it’s not always hypoallergenic and is never pure and therefore not exactly what people think they are buying.

How much Gold is in 14k Gold Jewelry?

Here’s an interesting fact: 14k gold jewelry, whether it’s white or pink contains exactly the same amount of pure gold as 14k yellow gold, and the same applies to 18k. It doesn’t matter what metal it’s alloyed with, if the number 14 or 18 appear, it tells us that the amount of gold in that piece is 14/24 or 18/24 regardless of the final color. There are also 9k and 10k gold rings and earrings that are affordably priced, which is natural since the gold content is less than half of the total metal used. It will still be more expensive than silver, but not by much.

Where to Buy Gold Jewelry

If you’re wondering where are the best online shops that sell gold jewelry that’s of good quality, 14k and 18k gold jewelry, then here are a few tips for buying online. If you need wedding bands go to Goldenmine and Jewelry Vortex. A plus about shopping for mens wedding rings at Jewelry Vortex is that you can compare prices of gold rings with titanium bands and also choose titanium designs that have gold inlays as an option.

Oh, by the way, 14k yellow gold and 14k white gold are the same price since they have exactly the same amount of pure gold. The same applies to 18k white and yellow gold designs, the cost will be the same, so it is up to you to select what color is best for your skin tone and to match your wardrobe and other jewelry you may own.

If you’re looking for gold earrings, hoop earrings with diamonds, cubic zirconia and gemstones and Stud earrings, then we recommend shopping at JewelBasket as well as Goldenmine. JewelBasket has children’s gold jewelry, including the Disney charms, bracelets and pendants that are gold plated.

International Retail and Wholesale Gold Jewelry Suppliers

If you want rich yellow Indian gold jewelry you can order directly from Indian wholesale gold jewelry exporters who are listed on India Mart, a B2B marketplace that connects those who are selling gold jewelry in Asia with International buyers around the world.

Chinese gold jewelry is often deep yellow as well and often includes jade and other Asian specific gemstones. These can be bought in small shops in China Towns in most major centers in North America and Europe, but for wholesale buying we recommend going to TradeKey and Global Sources and often you will find the best products come through gold jewelers and traders who are based in Hong Kong and Taiwan and are listed with Alibaba Trading.

For Italian gold jewelry at retail the best place is Goldenmine and JewelBasket, but for wholesale you can still use the trade directories. These are not sponsored or private directories that earn money off you, but real sources for international sellers and buyers to meet. TradeKey and Alibaba offer real products for good prices and allow you to connect with suppliers from East to West.

The best handmade silver and gold jewelry will probably come from Thailand. There are many wholesalers in Bangkok who have good trade relations with the US. Try places like Tanai.

For gold body jewelry at retail and wholesale prices try Body Candy, Hollywood Body Jewelry and Painful Pleasures. For antique gold jewelry that’s genuine try a European source that operates internationally online called Adin. They specialize in antique, retro and vintage gold jewelry as well as high-end costume and plated gold and platinum pieces that are one of a kind and unique. They have lots of French, Belgian, Portuguese, Spanish and old Victorian and Edwardian pieces.

For information on specific items like gents watches, gold ruby rings, vintage jewelry, wholesale jewelry and even gold jewellery UK retailers and wholesalers, please read related topics from Jewelry & Accessories’ vast array of articles.

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