How much do 14 K gold rings go for?

[foodfiend]

I was looking at some 14K rings -- a band to wear everyday, not an engagement ring or anything with gems. At one store, the handcrafted rings sold for about $175 CDN. At another store in a more posh area, a ring I particularly liked was selling for $585. Both were 14K. The nicer ring was very well-crafted, but still that is a $400 difference. Was one overselling or underselling?

[wallycat]

Value of gold (as a trading metal) can be checked on the stock market....
then workmanship goes into play.
How much an artist/jeweler is willing to sell their merchandise, is sadly, subjective along with how quickly they need to sell the item. They can charge whatever they think they will get and not just the $$/oz that gold may be sold at.

Singapore, India, etc. prefer 18 and 24K while Americans usually get 14 (italian varies from 14 to 18) so how much gold is in the piece also counts.

[foodfiend]

So you're saying I'm asking an tough question to pin down?

[Beth]

Yeah, it's not that easy of a question. It's kind of like asking what a car goes for. You can pin it down to a 4-door with certain features, you can figure the cost of the metal and materials in it, but there are still different quality levels and the somewhat intangible level of artistry and design.

With a lot of things, the cost of the raw materials is not the biggest factor in the final cost.

[Chefzhat]

You should be able to find out how many grams of gold is in each ring, and whether it is 14 or 18K. So you can figure cost per gram, then design, weight, etc.

[foodfiend]

I'm so shallow. I just look at a ring and think "I like it. It's a pretty colour."

[Chefzhat]

I don't think you're shallow.

What are you going to do??

[foodfiend]

Don't know. Shop around, probably. $585 plus 15% tax is a lot of dough for an everyday ring. Maybe I should plan long-term and think of it as a possible wedding ring:D

[Beth]

I don't think you're shallow. That's the essence of jewelry -- any kind of art. It appeals to you, makes you feel good or contemplate things you want to contemplate. Of course, the fact that a band might serve as a wedding band also means that they can sell it for more by appealing to the special nature of the occassion, etc.

[Robyncz]

Originally posted by foodfiend
I was looking at some 14K rings -- a band to wear everyday, not an engagement ring or anything with gems. At one store, the handcrafted rings sold for about $175 CDN. At another store in a more posh area, a ring I particularly liked was selling for $585. Both were 14K. The nicer ring was very well-crafted, but still that is a $400 difference. Was one overselling or underselling?

Well, sure the value of gold is relevant, but so is the design. You can buy a simple gold ring at a mall jewelry store or a simple gold ring at Tiffany's and yes, the prices are going to be radically different. One may be mass-produced and one may be hand-made. One may be the product of a well-respected designer and one may be a knock-off.

In the end, the price of the materials aside, a piece of fine jewelry is worth what you're willing to pay for it.