Solid 10K gold bracelets. Fancy and patterned link styles lead this collection, with rope bracelets, charm bracelets, bangles, figaro and curb chains alongside them, in yellow, white and two-tone gold.
10K against 14K
10K gold is 41.7% pure gold; 14K is 58.3%. Two things follow. The first is price — less gold in the alloy means a lower cost for the same weight and width, which is why a wide 10K bracelet often costs less than a narrow 14K one. The second is hardness: a higher proportion of alloy metal makes 10K harder and more scratch-resistant than 14K, though the colour reads very slightly paler. Both are real, solid, stamped gold. Neither is plated.
Solid and hollow
Most pieces here are solid gold through the body, with some hollow and semi-solid styles that give width at less weight. Hollow links dent more easily and are harder to repair, so for daily wear on a wide bracelet, solid is the better buy.
Getting the length right
Measure your wrist with a tape or a strip of paper and add about half an inch so the bracelet drapes rather than binds. Seven to seven and a half inches suits most women; eight to eight and a half suits most men. A wide or heavy bracelet wants the extra half inch more than a fine one does. Lengths are listed on every product page.
Looking after solid gold
Gold does not tarnish, so what dulls a gold bracelet is lotion, skin oil and soap film sitting in the links. Warm water, a drop of dish soap and a soft toothbrush along the length, then rinse and dry flat. Chlorine is the one real enemy — it attacks the alloy metals over time and can make a link brittle, so take the bracelet off before a pool or hot tub. Store it laid flat or hung rather than coiled in a heap, which is what puts kinks in a chain.
Related collections
See also 10K diamond cut rope bracelets, 10K gold box bracelets, 14K yellow gold bracelets, 14K white gold bracelets, fancy link bracelets and all bracelets and anklets.
