Journal · · 4 min read
Why we stock 14kt and make 10kt and 18kt to order
Aaryam holds its New York inventory in 14kt gold and casts 10kt and 18kt to order. The reasoning, and what it means for a store's showcase and its cash.
By Ravi Dhameliya, founder, Aaryam Fine Jewelry
Every design in our line can be made in 10kt, 14kt, 18kt gold, in yellow, white or rose. But only one of those karats sits finished in our New York vault, ready to ship the same day when confirmed before 1 pm Eastern: 14kt. The other two are made to order in 3–4 weeks. Stores sometimes ask why, so here is the thinking.
14kt is the working karat for daily wear
14kt gold is 58.5 percent pure, alloyed with metals that make it harder than 18kt. For pieces that are worn every day and knocked against desks, steering wheels and door handles, that hardness matters: prongs hold their shape longer, thin shanks resist bending, and a pavé band keeps its stones. Our whole line is built around light gold weights that still stand up to daily wear, and 14kt is the alloy that lets a light design do that.
It is also the karat that keeps a showcase affordable
A lab-grown center stone has brought the price of a two-carat look within reach of many more customers. If the mounting is 18kt, part of that saving disappears into gold. In 14kt, with a design that puts metal only where it works, the finished piece lands at a price a customer says yes to without a second visit. For a store, that means inventory that turns.
Why not stock all three
Holding every design in three karats and three colours would triple the inventory for the same number of sales, and someone pays for that gold sitting still. We would rather hold 14kt deep, so that what you see on the site is really in New York, and cast 10kt and 18kt when a store has a customer for them.
When 18kt or 10kt is the right call
18kt is the answer for a customer who wants the warmer colour and is buying a piece they will wear on occasions rather than every day, or a bridal set where the heritage of 18kt matters to them. 10kt is the answer for the keenest price point and the hardest alloy. Both are a 3–4 weeks order from our Surat floor, in the size and colour you specify, and there is no minimum.
What this looks like in practice
Open the trade catalog and every design shows its gross weight from the latest piece we made. Order it in 14kt from New York for same-day dispatch before 1 pm Eastern, or in 10kt or 18kt made to order. Either way larger center stones carry IGI or GIA reports, anything else can be certified on request, and white gold is rhodium-finished.
