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Precious Metal Gold 14K vs Silver 925

Precious Metal · grade comparison

Precious Metal Gold 14K and Silver 925 are both precious metal grades, both jewelry precious metal. Gold 14K is the stronger of the two: yield strength 200 MPa (29 ksi) against 75 MPa (10.9 ksi) for Silver 925, about 167% more; tensile strength follows at 400 MPa (58 ksi) vs 280 MPa (40.6 ksi). Gold 14K is harder — 130 HB against 58 HB for Silver 925 — which matters for wear surfaces and threads. Silver 925 is lighter (10.36 g/cm³ vs 13.07 g/cm³ for Gold 14K) and Gold 14K runs hotter in service (350°C vs 200°C continuous). On the shop floor, Gold 14K welds better (very good vs good).

Gold 14KChoose it when strength drives the design, or when surface hardness matters.

Silver 925Choose it when weight is the constraint.

Gold 14K vs Silver 925: properties

Gold 14KSilver 925

Mechanical

Strength, stiffness, ductility and hardness at room temperature.

Elastic (Young's) Modulus

79 GPa11.5 Msi
76 GPa11 Msi

Tensile Strength (Ultimate)

400 MPa58 ksi
280 MPa40.6 ksi

Yield Strength (0.2% offset)

200 MPa29 ksi
75 MPa10.9 ksi

Elongation at Break

38%
40%

Reduction in Area

45%
55%

Shear Strength

250 MPa36.3 ksi
165 MPa23.9 ksi

Fatigue Strength (Endurance Limit)

140 MPa20.3 ksi
100 MPa14.5 ksi

Hardness, Brinell

130 HB
58 HB

Hardness, Vickers

135 HV
60 HV

Bulk Modulus

—
101 GPa14.6 Msi

Same in both: Shear Modulus 29 GPa4.2 Msi · Poisson's Ratio 0.37

Physical

Density and transition temperatures.

Density

13.07 g/cm³0.47 lb/in³
10.36 g/cm³0.37 lb/in³

Melting Point (Solidus)

802°C1,476 °F
779°C1,434 °F

Liquidus Temperature

879°C1,614 °F
893°C1,639 °F

Thermal

How each material carries heat and how hot it can run.

Thermal Conductivity

130 W/m·K75.1 BTU/hr·ft·°F
360 W/m·K208 BTU/hr·ft·°F

Specific Heat Capacity

220 J/kg·K0.05 BTU/lb·°F
237 J/kg·K0.06 BTU/lb·°F

Thermal Expansion (CTE, 20–100 °C)

15.5 µm/m·K8.6 µin/in·°F
18.9 µm/m·K10.5 µin/in·°F

Max Service Temperature (continuous)

350°C662 °F
200°C392 °F

Same in both: Latent Heat of Fusion 105 J/g45.1 BTU/lb · Min Service Temperature -200°C-328 °F

Electrical

Conductivity and insulation.

Electrical Conductivity

15.5 % IACS
85 % IACS

Electrical Resistivity

1.1×10⁻⁷ Ω·m4.33 µΩ·in
2.03×10⁻⁸ Ω·m0.799 µΩ·in

Chemical & Environmental

Corrosion and environmental resistance (0–100 scores).

Galvanic Potential (seawater, vs SCE)

0.2 V
0.1 V

Corrosion Resistance

80 / 100
75 / 100

Manufacturability

FabDigit workshop ratings (0–100 scores) — how each material behaves on the machine.

Machinability

60 / 100
55 / 100

Weldability

75 / 100
60 / 100

Formability (cold)

90 / 100
95 / 100

Castability

85 / 100
80 / 100

Machinability Rating (AISI 1212 = 100 %)

—
50%

Same in both: Brazeability / Solderability 90 / 100 · Polishability 95 / 100

Sustainability

Primary-production footprint per kilogram.

Embodied Energy (primary production)

145,000 MJ/kg6.23×10⁷ BTU/lb
1,500 MJ/kg644,885 BTU/lb

Embodied Carbon (primary production)

12,000 kg CO₂/kg
110 kg CO₂/kg

Embodied Water

90,000 L/kg10,784 gal/lb
400 L/kg47.9 gal/lb

Typical Recycled Content

30%
35%

Common Calculations

Ratios derived from the values above.

Specific Strength (UTS / density)

31 kN·m/kg
27 kN·m/kg

Specific Stiffness (E / density)

6 MN·m/kg
7.3 MN·m/kg

Modulus of Resilience

253 kJ/m³
37 kJ/m³

Thermal Diffusivity

45.2 mm²/s
146.6 mm²/s

Thermal Shock Resistance Index

42
70

Strength versus weight

Yield strength against density for every precious metal grade in the FabDigit library; the compared grades are highlighted. Up and left is stronger for its weight.

50100200500101520Density (g/cm³)Yield strength (MPa) — log scaleSilver 925Gold 14K

Manufacturing and finishing

CapabilityGold 14KSilver 925
Default conditionOO
Relative cost$$$$$ Specialty$$$$$ Specialty
Min. machined wall——
Best machined surface——

Gold 14K vs Silver 925 — frequently asked

Is Gold 14K stronger than Silver 925?

Yes. Gold 14K has a typical yield strength of 200 MPa (29 ksi) against 75 MPa (10.9 ksi) for Silver 925 — about 167% more. Tensile strength is 400 MPa (58 ksi) vs 280 MPa (40.6 ksi).

Which is cheaper, Gold 14K or Silver 925?

Both sit in the same relative cost tier ($$$$$, specialty); the part price will be decided by machining time, tolerance and quantity rather than by the material.

Which is easier to machine, Gold 14K or Silver 925?

Gold 14K, by a small margin. Both rate good for machinability — 60/100 against 55/100 for Silver 925; for welding the order is Gold 14K first (very good, 75/100) then Silver 925 (good, 60/100).

Ready to make it?

Upload a CAD file and FabDigit prices the part in Gold 14K and Silver 925 side by side — material, machining time, tolerance and finish in one quote. Certified material data ships with the order on request.

Typical handbook values for the conditions named above, normalised for comparison. Hardness on non-Brinell scales is converted approximately for charting only. Request certified data with your order for design-critical properties.