Here we go! The Top Ten things to consider before purchasing your next Gold Chain:
1. What type of Karat will it be? 10kt, 14kt, 18? 14kt is the most common type of Gold in the US. That's because it's a good combination of durability and Beautiful Luster. 14kt Gold is 14 parts Gold and 10 Parts Alloy. The Alloy is what makes the Gold durable enough to wear everyday. 10kt Gold is actually MORE durable. But, 10kt Gold is only 10 parts Gold and 14 Parts Alloy. Which means it has more alloy in it than Gold. I would skip 10kt. Stick with 14kt and you'll be fine. Here's a Buyer Beware tip: Any Gold sold in the US MUST have a KT stamp on it some where. It'll simply say 10kt (or 417), 14kt (585), 18kt (750), or 925 for SS, Sterling Silver.
2. What length are you looking for? Do you want it collar length? Do you want it to come to a nice v above your chest? Or do you want it to hang longer, near your stomach? The most common length for a chain is 18". It's not too short. (like a 16" choker) It's the perfect length to be visible. Plus it doesn't get caught on everything because it hangs too low like a 24" Chain.
3. Are you going to be wearing a pendant or charm on it? This is an important concern, because it can drastically change the type of chain you purchase. For you to be able to wear a pendant or charm, you will need a chain that can withstand the weight of the charm, but not over-power the charm at the same time. Box Chains or Wheat Chains make the perfect type of Pendant Chains. They are durable, can hold the weight of the item hanging and will look good with just about anything. A Wheat Chain is my favorite type of Chain. It's the 4th chain down in the picture. Wheat Chains are smooth and strong and can be worn everyday!
4. Will it kink? Here's the biggest question of all time. If you get it caught on your sweater and pull it off, is it going to tangle up and kink? There are a couple chains out there that are notorious for kinking. I'll name them. You have the Herringbone Chain in the lead. This is a very flat chain that looks beautiful. It used to sell like hot cakes, but the chains would kink so quickly that customers were always mad. These are the worst type of chain to buy in the World! Really! They tried making Herringbone Chains that were MORE flexible and twistable, but they STILL KINKED something awful! Once you kink one of these chains, it'll never be the same. You can always see the kink and it'll only make it weaker in that spot so it'll kink more. Stay away from these. The next 2 worst Chains that kink are...
