Questions To Ask When Buying A Gold Chain

It wasn’t too long ago that I decided to add a gold chain to my jewelry collection. I wasn’t one for gold chains, but there were a couple that I thought would look good on me. The only thing was that I didn’t know the first thing about gold chains or how to spot a good one from a bad one. 

You should ask about the durability of the chain, what designs are available, how often the chain can be worn, price, and length. However, depending on what exactly you’re looking for, the questions may be a little different. 

If you’re in the market for a new gold chain, then keep on reading. I’ve got all the questions and answers you’re seeking when it comes to finding the best gold chain on the market. It’s important to remember that not all gold chains are suitable for all people. 

Tips For Buying Gold

Where Buy A Gold Chain?

You can buy a gold chain at just about any jewelry store on the planet. You can also buy them online at places such as Amazon, Etsy, Frost NYC, Blue Nile, Littman Jewelers, and more. I highly recommend purchasing your gold chain from a physical store as opposed to an online one because you can feel and examine the chain better than you would be able to over the internet. 

How Often Will I Wear The Chain?

How often you wear the chain will determine how durable it should be. If you’re looking to wear a gold chain regularly, then you should look at a stronger and more durable design. Stay away from the hollow chain designs since they tend to break easier than the solid ones. If you’re only looking for a gold chain to wear on occasion, you can get away with a more delicate design. 

What Different Designs Are Available?

There are a couple of different designs of gold chains available. Here they are: 

Curb: The links of a curb chain interlock with each other when you lay the chain down flat. This design has the most widths available. 

Figaro: This design usually has three links that preced an elongated link completely through.

Rope: Rope chains have an intertwining feature that resembles a rope. There are two main designs including a delicate version called a straight rope and a stronger design called a twisted rope

Rolo: The links of a Rolo chain are identical and round. It’s more of a unique gold chain that isn’t seen very often.

Wheat: A wheat chain is thinner and consists of oval and twisted oval links that are connected and intertwined together. The result is an intricate chain with a lot of visual texture. It may also be called a Spiga chain.

Snake: Snake chains are tightly-linked chinas that have a round or square cross-section with links that create a zigzag look. Even though the look is smooth and unique, they’re prone to catching on clothing and twisting or even kinking.

Box: Box chains are popular to wear with pendants. It’s made up of square links that are connected to create a smooth chain.

What Length Of A Chain Should I Get?

What part of your chest do you want to emphasize? The answer to that question will determine the length of the chain you should get. A 16-inch chain will lie above the collarbone. The most common length of the chain will be 18-inches and will lie over the collar bones. Anything over 18-inches will lie on the skin but also on clothing, possibly adding a dramatic effect. 

Is The Gold Chain Solid, Plated, or Hollow?

Solid gold chains are by far the most durable and expensive. But these are going to last you much longer than any of the other ones. 

Hollow chains are less expensive, but they are easy to break and bend. If they’re bent or broken, they’re very difficult to repair. 

Lastly, plated gold chains are cheaper, but the plating will wear over time. This will expose the metal underneath and you will need the chain replated if you want to keep or restore its color. 

Choosing The Karat

Gold chains contain different purities of gold. The best you can get is 24K, which is pure gold. This is much too soft to withstand its form in jewelry, so it’s usually mixed with alloy to give it strength. The karat number is representative of the percentage of gold used in the alloy. 

10K gold consists of 46.6% pure gold, 14K contains 58.3% pure gold, 18K is a little over 75% pure gold, and 24K is 10% pure gold. Because pure gold is soft, the higher the karat, the less tough the chain is. The lower the karat, the harder the chain. However, the higher karat gold means the chain is more hypoallergenic and is more durable in terms of maintenance. 

I recommend a 14-18K gold chain for everyday wear. These are easier to keep looking brand new and they have a higher resale value. The 10K option is a good budget pick. They’re also great for everyday wear. You’ll need to know how to take care of it. If a 19K chain begins to lose its luster, it won’t look as good as a 14K gold chain or higher. 

The link type is the same as the type of chain, it’s just a different word. However, here are some more types of link chains that may prove useful in your hunt for a new gold chain: 

  • Cable Chain: This is the most common classic anchor cable link chain with oval or round links. The links interconnect horizontally and vertically. A fine anchor chain with smaller links is called a trace chain. 
  • Round Link Chain: This is a simple chain with connecting soldering round links. 
  • Flat Link Chain: The flat link chain is a basic chain link with connecting soldering flat round links. 
  • Twisted Curb Chain: This is a more elegant necklace with twisted gourmet links. 
  • Figure of Eight: Also known as the infinity chain, this chain has flat oval links combined with smaller infinity/8-shaped links. 
  • Cuban Link: Cuban link chains are similar to the normal basic link chain, but the round or oval links are twisted with a diamond cut. The links overflow into each other. This type of chain has the most variations of widths, varying from a few millimeters to a few centimeters. This is the most popular chain in mens jewelry. 
  • Foxtail: The foxtail link uses a loop link chain that consists of two rows of oblique oval links. These are all connected by a series of flat rings in the middle of the chain. Each row is opposite of each other at a 45-degree angle. It creates a look similar to that of the hair or tail of a fox. 
  • Ball Chain: The ball chain consists of balls instead of links. These are solid or hollowed out to reduce weight. 
  • Saturn Chain: the Saturn chain consists of a row of round links interspersed with beads. It’s often used for rosary bracelets or necklaces. 
  • Bamboo Chain: This type of chain has a row of cylindrical links interspersed with round beads. 
  • Herringbone: Herringbone chains have several rows of V-shaped flat links. The direction of the links alternate with each new row that creates the herringbone pattern. 

Inspect The Clasp

The clasp of a chain isn’t the most exciting part of it, it’s the most important. It’s the piece of the chain that holds it on your body. There are several styles of clasps, some being more functional than others while others are for style. 

It’s simple to replace a gold chain necklace’s clasp, but you should always start by choosing a gold chain with a good clasp. The lobster clasp is the best option. It’s the most secure and easy enough to open for daily wear. Cheaper clasps may not open or close as reliably. When the clasp breaks, you risk losing the whole necklace or damaging the chain.

Check If The Chain Is Smooth

One of the most overlooked characteristics of a gold chain is its surface. You should always ensure it’s smooth. If the chain is rough and you wear it for a few hours on your bare skin, it can irritate it. 

To check for smoothness, simply run your fingers over the chain to make sure there are no jagged pieces that could rub on your skin or catch on your clothes. If there’s a chain you really like but it has jagged edges, you can ask the jeweler to buff out the rough spots. 

What Is The Average Price Of A Gold Chain?

It’s difficult to determine the average price of a gold chain since there are various styles, purities, and conditions. You would have to look at the different purities separately. For instance, the average price of a 14K gold chain is between $1,000 and $2,000 depending on quality and size. The average price of a 10K gold chain is below $1,000. The average price of an 18K gold chain is roughly $2,000 or more and the average price of a 24K gold can cost over $3,000. 

How To Customize Your Gold Chain?

The most popular chain styles will often have diamonds or gemstones in them. It’s also the most popular way to customize your gold chain. These can add a lot of sparkly to a chain necklace or show off your personal style. 

Gold chains that are covered in diamonds are called iced-out chains. They’re extravagant and luxurious. You see a lot of hip-hop artists wearing these. They’re the perfect chain for making a statement and telling a story of how successful you are. 

If you want something more subtle, consider a simpler style of the diamond chain such as the black diamond chain, eternity diamond chain, fancy blue chain, and luxuriant tennis chain. 

What Skin Color Goes Best With Gold?

A warm undertone is the best for gold jewelry. If you don’t know whether or not you have a warm undertone, here’s how to find out. 


First, shine a light over the veins in your wrist. If they’re blue or purple, then you have a cool undertone. If they’re yellow or green, then you have a warm undertone. If you can’t see them at all, then you have a natural undertone. 

If the light trick doesn’t work, throw on a white blouse or t-shirt. If you look washed out in white, then you have a cool undertone. If your skin looks tanned and healthy against the stark white, then you have a warm tone. 

Additionally, look at your natural hair color. If you have icy blonde or light brown hair, then you have a cool skin undertone, Those with dark brown, black, and caramel blonde hair has a warm undertone. Red hair can either accompany cool or warm skin tones. If you dye your hair, it won’t affect your skin’s natural undertone. 

What Colors To Wear With Gold?

If you don’t worry about matching colors, you can wear gold with any color, but certain colors make the gold pop even more. 

Black:  It’s common knowledge that anything matches with black. This is because it’s a simple way of dressing up. The gold will stand out wonderfully against the black. It’s effortless and a powerful duo.

Red: Red is the next best choice if you don’t want to wear black. A red dress can make a fierce statement in combination with gold.

Emerald Green: Emerald green is a gorgeous color that looks stunning as long as you can accessorize it well. Since it’s a warm color, it makes gold the perfect color to compliment it.

Gold on Gold: This may sound strange, but monochromatic colors can balance out perfectly, giving you a clean and well-out-together look. It’s a luxurious style.

Yellow: It’s in the same color family as gold and you can accessorize well with gold jewelry.

White: It takes zero effort to wear gold jewelry with white outfits. If you aren’t sure what to wear with white, always go with gold.

Purple: Purple is another color that goes well with gold jewelry. 

Silver: Lastly, if you love to mix metals, you may be surprised by how well gold and silver look together.

Conclusion

I hope that you were able to get some useful information out of this article. It’s not hard to find a gold chain that can last you a long time. You have to remember to take karat, clasp, and link type into consideration. If you choose the wrong one, you may end up paying more for repairs than what the chain is worth. 

Gold is a great color to pair with just about anything. The only color it doesn’t seem to pair well with is blue and I’m not quite sure why. You can customize your gold chain to make it more personal as well. I’m more of a plain Jane type of person. Anyway, I want to wish you luck on your gold chain-buying journey.