Buying guide — gold
Buying a solid gold chain: what to check.
Almost every complaint about a gold chain comes down to one of three things — it was hollow, it was under weight, or it was not the karat it was sold as. All three are checkable in about a minute.
Solid versus hollow
This is the single biggest difference in what you are buying, and it is rarely stated plainly in a listing. A hollow chain is formed from tube rather than solid wire. It looks identical, weighs a fraction, costs a fraction, and dents permanently the first time it catches on something.
Solid chains can be repaired more or less indefinitely. A crushed hollow link generally cannot — there is nothing behind the surface to work with.
The tell is weight against size. A 3.5 mm chain in 14k at a genuine 42 grams is solid. A hollow chain of the same width and length would come in dramatically lighter. If a seller lists dimensions but not gram weight, that omission is the answer.
What the karat stamp means
14k is 58.5 per cent gold by weight, the balance being alloy metals for hardness and colour. 18k is 75 per cent. 10k is 41.7 per cent. Higher karat is softer and richer in colour; 14k is the usual compromise for a chain that gets worn daily.
A stamp on its own proves nothing — stamps are trivial to fake. Karat should be confirmed by acid test or electronic tester, and any dealer should be willing to do that in front of you.
Be specific about what is being tested. Gold-filled and gold-plated pieces can pass a surface test while being base metal underneath. A proper test cuts or files to depth in an inconspicuous place, or uses an electronic tester that reads below the surface.
How value is actually calculated
Start with the metal. Multiply gram weight by karat fraction to get pure gold content, then by the current spot price. At an August 2026 spot price of roughly $4,270 per troy ounce, 14k gold works out somewhere around $77 to $80 per gram of finished 14k.
So a 42 gram 14k chain carries in the region of $3,200 to $3,400 of gold at current spot. That number is the floor, not the price.
A finished chain sells above its metal content, and reasonably so — there is manufacturing, the clasp, the labour of assembly, and the simple fact that a wearable chain is worth more than the equivalent lump of gold. Where a specific chain should sit above melt depends on construction quality, brand, and how sought-after the link style is.
What you should insist on is that both numbers are visible. A seller who will tell you the gram weight and the karat is a seller you can check. One who quotes only a price is asking you to take the most important variable on trust.
Why the link style matters
Franco. Square-profile links woven tightly together. It lies flat, resists kinking, and distributes stress across the whole link rather than at a single joint. It is the link that survives daily wear, which is why it holds value.
Rope. More visual sparkle, more failure points. Rope chains are assembled from many small components and tend to break at a solder joint under stress.
Cuban and curb. Heavier presence, generally solid, and durable — but at a given weight they read much larger, which is a style decision rather than a quality one.
Box. Clean and modern, but a crushed box link is very difficult to repair invisibly.
Before you pay
Ask for the gram weight on a calibrated scale, ask what test was used to confirm karat, and ask whether the chain is solid or hollow in those words. Ask to see the clasp worked — a weak clasp spring is the most common way a chain is lost.
Our current listing states all of it up front: solid 14k, Franco link, 3.5 mm, verified at 42 grams. See the chain, or if you are selling rather than buying, how gold offers work.
Common questions
How can I tell if a gold chain is solid or hollow?
Compare gram weight against width and length. A hollow chain weighs a fraction of a solid one at the same dimensions. Hollow chains also feel disproportionately light in the hand and dent permanently rather than bending.
What is 14k gold worth per gram in 2026?
With gold trading around $4,270 per troy ounce in August 2026, the melt value of 14k gold works out in the region of $77 to $80 per gram. Finished jewelry sells above melt, and buyers pay a percentage of melt rather than the full amount.
Is a Franco chain better than a rope chain?
For durability, generally yes. Franco links are square-profile and tightly woven, which spreads stress across the link instead of concentrating it at a solder joint. Rope chains have more failure points and are the more common breakage complaint.
Does a gold chain need a hallmark to be real?
A stamp is helpful but proves nothing on its own — stamps are easily faked. Insist on an acid or electronic test, and be aware that gold-plated and gold-filled pieces can pass a surface-only test.