When selecting a gold chain, color is often one of the least thought about aspects of a chain. The most important factors for both jewelers and consumers are style, price and quality and at Ross Metals, we specialize in all three.
Many customers expect every 14K Yellow Gold chain they come across to have the same color hue however, at Ross Metals, we manufacture our chains to have the highest quality look without increasing pricing or sacrificing quality. As such, we stock most of our chains in a rich, vibrant appearance, regardless of whether it's 10K, 14K or 18K gold.
Therefore, you can now expect consistency across style, pricing, quality, AND color. We utilize modern finishing and plating techniques that help create the color consistency customers have been striving for over the years.
Yellow Gold: Achieving the Rich Gold Color Customers Love
Traditionally, 14K and 18K yellow gold can display noticeable differences in color, as shown in the photo above. Because of the higher gold content, 18K gold naturally appears richer and more intensely yellow, while 14K gold can sometimes appear lighter or softer in tone.
However, modern chain manufacturing has evolved significantly and today's finishing processes allow for our manufacturing to create a more consistent yellow gold appearance across different karats. Through specialized finishing techniques, 14K yellow gold chains are now manufactured to closely resemble the richer color typically associated with 18K yellow gold. This allows our customers to offer the look of a rich gold chain without having to always pay the 18K price tag.
This has become increasingly popular because consumers consistently gravitate toward:
- Richer yellow tones
- Brighter gold color
- Achieving an “18K color” at more affordable prices
- Greater visual consistency across jewelry collections
- A luxurious appearance regardless of karat
As a result, 95% of the chains we stock feature finishing processes designed to deliver that deeper, more vibrant yellow color customers prefer. The remaining 5% of our chains are still stocked and manufactured in the softer, 14K color tone.
Why Customers Prefer the Richer Yellow Finish
Consumer trends over the past several years have shown a strong preference for warmer, more saturated yellow gold tones.
Many customers find that:
- Rich yellow gold photographs better.
- The color stands out more when layered with other jewelry.
- It provides a more premium appearance.
- It more closely matches heirloom and luxury jewelry pieces.
Because of this demand, chain manufacturers have increasingly adopted finishing techniques that help create a brighter, more uniform yellow gold presentation across their product lines.
The result is a chain collection that delivers a consistent look whether customers choose 14K or 18K yellow gold.
With that said, customers are encouraged to let our sales representatives know if they prefer a 14K chain in its more natural, softer tone, as this can be done for a small additional charge. This charge is waived for any chain order over $5,000.
White Metals: Brightness Through Surface Finishing
The same philosophy applies to white metal chains:
In the white gold or sterling silver, the final appearance is heavily influenced by another metal: Rhodium. This metal, in liquid form, is electroplated on to a chain and provides a barrier between the air, moisture and everything else the metal comes into contact with.
Sterling Silver
All sterling silver spooled chains stocked at Ross Metals are NOT rhodium plated and therefore are just brightly polished. This showcases silver's natural white appearance and provides excellent brightness and a clean, contemporary look. However, all sterling silver finished chains are rhodium plated.
White Gold
All 14K and 18K white gold chains stocked at Ross Metals are plated with a deep, rhodium finish. Rhodium is a highly reflective precious metal that creates the deeper “white” appearance consumers expect from high end jewelry.
Benefits of rhodium finishing include:
- Enhanced brightness/deepness of metal color
- Improved surface protection
- Better resistance to discoloration
- A premium white-metal appearance
This finishing process has become the industry standard because it creates the crisp, clean color customers prefer.
Consistency Across Our Chain Collection
At Ross Metals, we understand that color consistency is essential for jewelers who are building collections, matching components, or creating finished pieces. That is why we try to offer the preferred color hues across all metals. If a stocked chain is in a different color hue than your preference, please let us know and we will do our best to achieve the desired color without breaking the bank.
The goal is simple: provide chains with beautiful, consistent color that meet customer expectations and help jewelers sell with confidence.
The Ross Metals Difference
We have carefully selected chain metal hues that reflect current market preferences and modern manufacturing standards. By manufacturing our own chains, we can utilize advanced finishing and plating processes to offer yellow gold chains with the rich, luxurious color consumers love, as well as white metal chains that deliver the bright, polished appearance expected in today's jewelry market. Or vice versa!
The result is a collection that combines beauty, consistency, and craftsmanship—helping our customers find the perfect chain, regardless of metal type or karat. As well as offering everything in between!