The short answer: price ranges by style
Here is what our solid 14K yellow gold chains cost right now, with gold trading around $4,150 per troy ounce. These are card prices; wire or Zelle is a few percent less.
Rope — $109 to $1,258. The lightest style we sell. A 1.5 mm × 18 in is about $311. A 2 mm × 20 in is about $883. See all rope sizes and prices →
Figaro — $360 to $2,500+. Three short links, one long. A 1.5 mm × 18 in is about $424. Wider Figaros (5 mm+) climb past $2,000. See all Figaro sizes →
Curb — $370 to $5,000+. The flat everyday chain. A 2.8 mm × 22 in runs about $1,814. Curb chains are dense, so the price climbs quickly with width. See all curb sizes →
Herringbone — $415 to $2,000+. Flat, liquid, lies against the skin. A 1.5 mm × 16 in is about $415. See all herringbone sizes →
Wheat — $433 to $3,000+. Four strands woven into one. Dense and flexible. A 1.25 mm × 18 in runs about $484. See all wheat sizes →
Mariner — $482 to $3,000+. Oval links with a center bar. A 1.8 mm × 18 in is about $584. See all mariner sizes →
Box — $609 to $4,000+. The pendant chain. Clean geometry, strong, never tangles. A 1.2 mm × 18 in runs about $747. See all box chain sizes →
Paperclip — $689 to $3,000+. Long open links for layering. A 2.5 mm × 20 in is about $963. See all paperclip sizes →
Every price updates daily with the gold market. Pick a style and set the width and length — the price is on the page before you reach checkout.
Why two chains at the same width cost different amounts
A 2 mm rope chain and a 2 mm curb chain are not the same amount of gold. Curb links are flat and dense; rope is twisted and airy. The curb weighs more per inch, so it costs more at the same width.
This is why comparing chains by width alone can be misleading. Weight is the honest comparison. A 2 mm rope at 20 inches weighs about 4.2 grams. A 2.8 mm curb at 22 inches weighs closer to 15 grams. The curb costs four times as much because it contains four times as much gold.
When you are shopping across styles, compare the gram weight, not the millimeter width. Any seller who does not list the weight is either hiding something or does not know what they are selling.
The arithmetic: how gold chain prices actually work
Every solid gold chain has a price floor you can calculate on your phone. Here is the math:
Step 1: Find the gold price per gram. Gold is quoted per troy ounce (31.1035 grams). At $4,150 per troy ounce, that is about $133.40 per gram of pure gold.
Step 2: Adjust for karat. 14K gold is 58.3% pure gold (14 ÷ 24 = 0.583). So one gram of 14K gold contains $133.40 × 0.583 = about $77.77 worth of gold.
Step 3: Multiply by the chain’s weight. A 10-gram 14K chain holds about $778 of gold at today’s prices. That is the melt value — the absolute floor.
What you pay above melt covers the chain’s manufacture: drawing the wire, forming the links, soldering the clasp, quality control, and the seller’s margin. On a well-priced solid chain from a direct seller, the retail price is typically 1.3× to 2× the melt value. At a mall jeweler or a luxury brand, it can be 3× to 5×.
If a chain’s price is well below melt value for its stated weight and karat, it is either hollow, plated, or not the karat it claims. There is more on this in how gold jewelry is priced.
Solid versus hollow: why the cheap ones are cheap
If you see a 14K chain at half the price of the numbers above, it is almost certainly hollow. Hollow chains are real gold, legally — they are just made from thin gold tubing instead of solid wire. They weigh a third as much for the same dimensions, and they cost a third as much.
The tradeoff is durability. A hollow chain can dent, crush, or kink from ordinary wear, and once deformed it usually cannot be repaired. A solid chain of the same width will outlast you.
We sell only solid chains. If you want the full comparison, read solid vs hollow gold chain: which one should you actually buy.
What about 10K and 18K?
10K is 41.7% gold. Same chain, lighter price, slightly harder metal, paler color. Expect roughly 30% less than the 14K price for the same weight.
18K is 75% gold. Richer yellow, softer metal, about 30–50% more than 14K for the same weight. Better for sensitive skin, more prone to scratching.
14K is the sweet spot for most chain buyers: high enough gold content to look and feel like gold, hard enough for daily wear, and priced without the premium of 18K. There is a fuller breakdown in our karat guide.
What affects the price beyond the gold
Link style. A byzantine chain costs more than a cable chain at the same weight because the links are more complex to form. Machine-made chains (rope, curb, Figaro) are the most affordable per gram.
Clasp. A lobster clasp on a light chain is standard. On heavy chains (20 g+) a box clasp or toggle is sometimes used and adds a small cost.
Finish. Diamond-cut finishing adds facets that catch light but does not add gold. It costs slightly more for the labor. Read what diamond-cut actually means if you see this in a listing.
Brand. A chain from a luxury brand can cost 3× to 5× what a comparable chain costs from a direct seller. You are paying for the name, the box, and the retail footprint. The gold is the same.
Seller type. Mall jewelers and department stores mark up heavily. Online direct sellers (including us) price closer to the metal because there is no showroom to finance.
How to check any price you are quoted
Here is a quick sanity check you can run on any chain, from any seller:
- Get the gram weight. If the listing does not state it, ask. If they will not say, walk away.
- Calculate the melt value: weight × $77.77 per gram (at today’s 14K gold price).
- Divide the asking price by the melt value. Under 1× means something is wrong. Between 1.3× and 2× is fair for a direct seller. Over 3× is brand premium or retail markup.
Example: a 20-gram 14K curb chain priced at $2,200. Melt value is 20 × $77.77 = $1,555. The ratio is 1.41×. That is a solid price.
Same chain at $4,500? That is 2.89× melt. You are paying for the brand or the location.
What most people actually spend
Based on what we sell, most first-time chain buyers land between $300 and $900. That buys a solid 14K chain with enough width to be visible — typically a 1.5 mm rope, a light curb, or a Figaro in the 18 to 22 inch range.
Buyers who know what they want and are buying a daily-wear chain tend to spend $800 to $2,500 — a 2 mm+ rope, a 3–4 mm curb, or a mid-weight franco.
Above $2,500, you are in heavy-chain territory: wide curbs, thick francos, and statement pieces sold by the gram.
If you are buying your first solid chain and want a starting point, a 1.5 mm rope at 18 to 20 inches or a 1.5 mm Figaro at 20 inches is where we point most people. Both are solid, both look like gold from across a room, and both come in under $500.
Pick a chain and see the price
Every chain on our site shows the price for the exact width and length you choose, updated to today’s gold market. Card at checkout, or wire and Zelle to skip the card fee.