How much does a gold ring, necklace or bracelet cost? How to read the price

Why does one gold ring cost more than another?

Because there's more gold in it, or more work. Put two gold rings side by side and almost every price difference comes down to one of these seven things.

Watch out: karat and carat sound the same but mean different things. Karat tells you how much gold is in the metal (14 or 18). Carat (ct) is the weight of a diamond. So an 18 karat ring with a 0.10 carat diamond is no contradiction.

See it live below: the same band in 14 and in 18 karat, and a ring with natural diamonds.

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3 mm Curve Band Ring €319,00 3 mm Curve Band Ring €479,00 Pavé Four Prong Diamond Halo Ring (0.13 ct) €679,00

How do you compare prices fairly?

Don't compare price with price. Compare what you get for it. Four questions, and you can read any price tag:

1. How much does the gold weigh? At TOV, the gold weight is in the specifications on every product page, for an average size. Can't find it anywhere? Ask. A good seller knows.
2. Which karat? Work out how much fine gold you get: gold weight times 0.585 for 14 karat, times 0.75 for 18 karat. A 2 gram ring in 14 karat holds 1.17 grams of fine gold. The same 2 grams in 18 karat: 1.5 grams. The full difference is in 14k vs 18k gold.
3. Real gold or a layer? "Gold" or "gold-tone" without a hallmark is often gold-plated. That's a different product, at a different price.
4. Which stones? Diamond or cubic zirconia, and with diamonds, how many ct.

Two pieces with the same gold weight, the same karat and the same stones? Then the difference is in the making, and in whatever sits between the maker and you.

How much does a gold necklace or bracelet cost?

With a necklace, three things matter: how thick the link is, how long the chain is and how it's made. A fine chain holds little gold. A wide herringbone or figaro holds a lot more, even if the difference looks small in a photo.

• Thickness: a link a few millimetres wider can double the gold weight.
• Length: a 45 cm necklace holds more gold than the same necklace at 42 cm.
• Pendant and stones: a pendant is extra gold, a diamond is an extra stone.
• Clasp: all our necklaces and bracelets have a heavier lobster clasp, with more gold than a spring ring.

Every TOV gold necklace shows its gold weight in the specifications too. So you can see straight away why one gold bracelet costs more than another. Below: a fine bracelet, a herringbone in 14 karat and the same herringbone in 18 karat.

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Stationed Spheres Bracelet €279,00 Herringbone Chain Bracelet €409,00 Herringbone Chain Bracelet €759,00

Why is a gold wedding ring often more expensive?

Because there's more gold in it. You wear a wedding ring every day, for years, so it's often wider and thicker than a fine stacking ring. At the same thickness, a 4 mm band holds roughly twice as much gold as a 2 mm band. Choose 18 karat and every gram holds more gold on top of that.

So compare gold wedding rings on gold weight too. A slim band and a wide band aren't the same product in a different size.

Why is gold-plated so much cheaper?

Because there's hardly any gold in it. Gold-plated means a wafer-thin layer of gold on brass, copper or silver, often around a thousandth of a millimetre. You mostly pay for the metal underneath and the making. That layer wears off as you wear it. Real gold you simply polish up again after years. The full story is in real gold vs gold-plated.

What do you pay for at TOV?

For gold and craft, not for the detour. Our chain is short: from the maker via TOV to you. No shop, no agent and no wholesaler in between, and we only sell online. How that works is in why real gold can be affordable.

What you always get: real 14 or 18 karat gold hallmarked 585 or 750, a personal digital certificate of authenticity and a two-year warranty. The current price and the gold weight are on every product page.

Gold Jewellery Real 14 and 18 karat gold, never gold-plated. Shop Gold Jewellery