Precious Metal Gold 14K
Gold 14K is a jewellery gold alloy containing 58.5 wt% gold (585‰), balanced with silver and copper and often a small zinc addition.
Reference datasheet — Gold 14K is not in the instant-quote catalog. Upload your part and an engineer will quote it in this grade or suggest the closest stocked equivalent.
Values for the O condition
Gold 14K tempers and conditions
Gold 14K is supplied in 7 conditions, soft to hard. O is the default FabDigit quotes; the values on this page are for it.
Compare all 7 conditionsHide
| Condition · open for datasheet | Best for | Yield MPa | Tensile MPa | Elong. % | Hardness | Conductivity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ODefault Annealed | Standard stocked condition for sheet, wire and tube that must be bent, drawn, raised or set with stones. | 200 | 400 | 38 | 130 HB | 15.5 % IACS |
As fabricated | Choose for cast jewellery bodies and settings straight from investment casting, before any work hardening. | 210 | 350 | 20 | 133 HB | 15 % IACS |
Quarter hard | Use when sheet or wire needs a little more stiffness but must still take moderate bending or riveting. | 380 | 520 | 15 | 157 HB | 15.2 % IACS |
Half hard | Common for ring shanks, bracelet links and eyeglass parts needing wear resistance with some residual ductility. | 480 | 620 | 8 | 176 HB | 14.9 % IACS |
hard drawn / rolled (~50 % reduction) | Default hard condition for drawn wire, pins, clasps and pen nibs where strength and springiness matter. | 550 | 700 | 4 | 190 HB | 14.5 % IACS |
Age hardened | Use for cast or finished parts that must be hardened after shaping — Au-Cu ordering raises hardness without cold work. | 620 | 780 | 8 | 19 HRC | 17 % IACS |
Hardened | Pick for springs, clips, catch tongues and thin wire where maximum elastic strength is required and no forming follows. | 700 | 800 | 2 | 20 HRC | 14.3 % IACS |
What is Gold 14K?
Gold 14K is a jewellery gold alloy containing 58.5 wt% gold (585‰), balanced with silver and copper and often a small zinc addition. It is one of the most widely used karat golds for gem-set jewellery, watch cases, pen nibs and eyeglass frames because it is harder, more wear resistant and lower in cost than 18K, and it can be hardened further by cold work or Au-Cu ordering age-hardening (200 MPa yield, 400 MPa tensile, 38 % elongation, 130 HB). The higher copper and silver content lowers resistance to sulphide tarnish and chloride stress corrosion compared with high-karat golds, and colour must be set by alloy ratio or plating. Gold 14K has a density of 13.07 g/cm³ (0.472 lb/in³), heavier than 70% of precious metal grades. It melts at 802°C (1,476 °F). Gold 14K has a yield strength of 200 MPa (29 ksi) and a tensile strength of 400 MPa (58 ksi) — stronger than 51% of precious metal grades. Elongation at break is 38% and the elastic modulus is 79 GPa (11.5 Msi).
What is Gold 14K used for?
- Jewelry
- Watch cases
- Earrings
Advantages
- Easy to machine — 60/100, better than 97% of precious metal grades
- Ductile — tolerates forming and impact — 38%, better than 88% of precious metal grades
- Polishes to a fine finish — 95/100, better than 86% of precious metal grades
- Readily welded — 75/100, better than 78% of precious metal grades
Limitations
- Low stiffness — 79 GPa (11.5 Msi), worse than 86% of precious metal grades
- High embodied carbon — 12,000 kg CO₂/kg, worse than 76% of precious metal grades
Gold 14K properties
Typical room-temperature values for Gold 14K-O; bars are the position among precious metal grades.
Physical3
Gold 14K has a density of 13.07 g/cm³ (0.472 lb/in³), heavier than 70% of precious metal grades. It melts at 802°C (1,476 °F).
Mechanical11
Gold 14K has a yield strength of 200 MPa (29 ksi) and a tensile strength of 400 MPa (58 ksi) — stronger than 51% of precious metal grades. Elongation at break is 38% and the elastic modulus is 79 GPa (11.5 Msi).
Thermal6
Gold 14K is rated for continuous service to 350°C (662 °F). It conducts heat at 130 W/m·K (75.1 BTU/hr·ft·°F), better than 64% of precious metal grades. Thermal expansion is 15.5 µm/m·K (8.61 µin/in·°F).
Electrical3
Gold 14K conducts electricity at 15.5 % IACS, worse than 62% of precious metal grades.
Chemical & Environmental3
Corrosion resistance is very good (80/100), worse than 52% of precious metal grades.
Sustainability4
Producing a kilogram of Gold 14K takes about 145,000 MJ of energy and emits 12,000 kg of CO₂ — more than 72% of precious metal grades. Typical recycled content is 30%.
Manufacturability7
Gold 14K's machinability is good (60/100, better than 97% of precious metal grades); weldability very good (75/100); formability excellent (90/100).
Common Calculations5
Values are nominal handbook figures for design screening. Certified mill or lot data ships with every FabDigit order on request.
Strength versus weight in the precious metal family
Yield strength against density for every precious metal grade FabDigit runs. Gold 14K is highlighted; hover a dot for its name, or open the interactive family chart.
Working with Gold 14K
Is Gold 14K easy to machine?
Turns and engraves well with sharp carbide/HSS and light oil; annealed stock is gummy, so prefer 1/2-hard or harder and collect all swarf as scrap.
Can Gold 14K be welded?
Laser and pulse-arc (PUK) welding are routine with matching 14K filler; torch work uses graded karat solders (easy/medium/hard) to allow sequential joins.
Can Gold 14K be formed, bent or molded?
Excellent for rolling, drawing, raising and stamping in the annealed state; anneal at ~650 °C with rapid quench every 40–50 % reduction to avoid Cu-Au ordering embrittlement.
Gold 14K chemical composition (wt %)
Limits by weight percent from the governing specification, written the way the spec states them — a single maximum for impurities, a range for alloying elements, and the base element as balance. Nominal is the typical mid-range value.
| Element | Spec limit (wt %) | Nominal |
|---|---|---|
| Au585‰ minimum fineness per ISO 9202 / GB 11887; refiners aim ~58.7 % for marking margin | 58.5 – 59.5 | 58.5 |
| Aghigher Ag = greener/paler yellow | 4 – 30 | 9 |
| Zndeoxidiser, lowers melting range, brightens colour | 0 – 5 | 4 |
| Sitrace grain refiner/deoxidiser in casting grades | 0 – 0.05 | 0.02 |
| Ir/Ruoptional grain refiner in casting alloys | 0 – 0.05 | 0.01 |
| Cubalance; higher Cu = red/rose tone and greater age-hardening response | ≥ 8 (balance) |
What surface finishes work on Gold 14K?
Polishes to a mirror easily; commonly rhodium-plated (white shades), gold-plated for colour matching, or bright-dipped — avoid chlorine bleach and hot sulphur pickles.
How much does Gold 14K cost?
Gold 14K is a specialty-cost precious metal ($$$$$), pricier than about 100% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
Gold 14K — frequently asked
What is Gold 14K used for?
Gold 14K is typically used for jewelry, watch cases and earrings. In short: workhorse 14K jewelry gold.
What is the yield strength of Gold 14K?
Gold 14K has a typical yield strength of 200 MPa (29 ksi) and a tensile strength of 400 MPa (58 ksi) — stronger than 51% of precious metal grades. Strength varies by condition: see the 7 listed tempers.
Is Gold 14K easy to machine?
Reasonably — machinability is rated good (60/100, better than 97% of precious metal grades). Turns and engraves well with sharp carbide/HSS and light oil; annealed stock is gummy, so prefer 1/2-hard or harder and collect all swarf as scrap.
Can Gold 14K be welded?
Yes — weldability is rated very good (75/100). Laser and pulse-arc (PUK) welding are routine with matching 14K filler; torch work uses graded karat solders (easy/medium/hard) to allow sequential joins.
What surface finishes work on Gold 14K?
Polishes to a mirror easily; commonly rhodium-plated (white shades), gold-plated for colour matching, or bright-dipped — avoid chlorine bleach and hot sulphur pickles.
Can Gold 14K be formed, bent or molded?
Excellent for rolling, drawing, raising and stamping in the annealed state; anneal at ~650 °C with rapid quench every 40–50 % reduction to avoid Cu-Au ordering embrittlement.
What is the maximum service temperature of Gold 14K?
Gold 14K is rated for continuous use to about 350°C (662 °F). Strength falls off well before that limit — check the elevated-temperature data for load-bearing parts.
What is the difference between Gold 14K-O and Gold 14K-H?
O is the default condition — standard stocked condition for sheet, wire and tube that must be bent, drawn, raised or set with stones. H: pick for springs, clips, catch tongues and thin wire where maximum elastic strength is required and no forming follows. Yield strength is 200 MPa in O versus 700 MPa in H.
How much does Gold 14K cost?
Gold 14K is a specialty-cost precious metal ($$$$$), pricier than about 100% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
Sources
- ISO 9202 — Jewellery: fineness of precious metal alloys — ISO (2019)
- ASTM B562 — Refined Gold — ASTM (2022)
- ASM Handbook Vol.2 — Properties and Selection: Nonferrous Alloys (Precious Metals section) — ASM International (1990)
- 14K yellow casting and mill-product alloy datasheets — Legor Group / Hoover & Strong (2023)
- Gold Bulletin / World Gold Council technical notes on karat gold alloys — World Gold Council (2021)
Property data is compiled from published supplier and standards handbooks and normalised for comparison; hardness values on non-Brinell scales are converted approximately for charting only. Manufacturability limits are FabDigit quote-engine defaults and may be relaxed by engineering review. Nothing on this page is a certification — request mill certs, CoC or material test reports with your order.