18KT, 22KT or 14KT: how to choose your gold
Karat is the single biggest choice you make with a gold jewel. Here is how 22KT, 18KT and 14KT differ in colour, strength, price and everyday wear, and which one suits which piece.
Maison Shifora · · 3 min read
When clients ask us which gold to choose, we answer with another question: how will you wear it? The karat of gold changes its colour, its strength and its price, and the right choice for a bridal choker is rarely the right choice for an everyday solitaire. Here is how we think about it at the bench.
What karat actually means
Karat measures purity in twenty-fourths. Pure gold is 24 karat. Everything below that is an alloy: gold mixed with other metals such as silver, copper and zinc to change its hardness and colour.
- 24KT is 99.9% gold. Beautiful, but too soft for most jewellery.
- 22KT is 91.6% gold, the traditional standard for Indian jewellery.
- 18KT is 75% gold, the standard of fine jewellery houses around the world.
- 14KT is 58.5% gold, popular in North America for daily wear.
Because the metal portion of our prices follows the live market, purity also sets the rate per gram. On our rates page you will see 22KT priced well above 14KT on the same day, for the simple reason that it contains more gold.
22KT: rich colour, traditional craft
22KT gold has a deep, warm yellow that you recognise immediately in Indian bridal jewellery. It is the natural home of kundan, polki and meenakari work, where the gold itself is part of the design rather than just a setting for stones.
The trade-off is softness. 22KT bends and scratches more easily than lower karats and is not ideal for holding small diamonds in claw settings that take daily knocks. We recommend it for:
- Bridal sets, chokers and statement necklaces
- Chains and bangles worn for occasions
- Pieces you may one day want to pass down
18KT: the balance of beauty and strength
18KT is the karat we use most for diamond jewellery. Three quarters gold, it keeps a rich colour while being hard enough to hold stones securely for decades. It is also the karat that takes alloy colours best:
- 18KT yellow gold, warm and classic
- 18KT white gold, alloyed and finished to a bright, cool tone that flatters diamonds
- 18KT rose gold, with copper giving it a soft blush
For engagement rings, diamond studs, tennis bracelets and anything worn every day, 18KT is our default recommendation.
14KT: everyday durability at a lighter price
With more alloy in the mix, 14KT is the hardest of the three and the most resistant to scratches. Its colour is a little paler, and its price per gram is lower. It is a sensible choice for pieces that live on your hand, such as bands worn alongside a solitaire, or for gifts where budget matters as much as beauty.
Colour and skin tone
There is no rule, only preference. Warmer skin tones often glow beside yellow and rose gold; cooler tones can look especially fresh with white gold or platinum. The best test is your own wardrobe: if you already wear more silver-toned jewellery, white metals will sit naturally alongside it.
Allergies and sensitivity
Reactions to gold jewellery are usually reactions to the alloy, most often nickel. Higher karats contain less alloy. If you have sensitive skin, consider 18KT or 22KT, or platinum, and write to us before ordering so we can advise on the specific piece.
Weight follows the karat
Gold of different karats has a different density, so the same design weighs slightly differently in each. On a Shifora product page, choose a purity and the net weight, the gross weight and the price recalculate at once. You see exactly how much gold you are buying in each version.
Our recommendation in one line
Choose 22KT for heritage and occasion pieces, 18KT for diamonds and daily luxury, and 14KT for hard-wearing bands and gifts. Most of our designs are offered in more than one, so you can compare them side by side on the same page.
If you are torn between two, send us the piece you are considering at info@shifora.in. We are happy to talk it through, or to show you both on a video call.
