Choosing a gold chain may not be as simple as you think. There are many different patterns, and each chain pattern comes in many variations. However, some pattern types and names are used interchangeably. Some popular gold chain patterns are herringbone, figaro, plated, hollow, box, and byzantine. These patterns are just a few of those available.

Often, gold chains are discussed in terms of karats (Kt). For example, you might see a gold chain listed as 24 Kt gold. This means that all 24 parts of the gold in the chain are pure and lacking in significant quantities of trace metal. Essentially, it means the gold chain is 99.9 percent pure. By the same token, if a gold chain is 14 Kt gold, the gold itself is composed of 14 parts pure gold and 10 parts balance metals.

The other metals in a gold chain give it increased rigidity and affect its color. A 24 Kt gold chain can be called the softest because the gold has no other metals to harden it. On the other hand, a 10 Kt gold chain would have a significant metal balance (more than half). Therefore, it can be called the hardest of the 'real' gold chains.

Some gold chains do not contain much gold at all. Gold-plated chains are actually made of metal with a thin layer of gold bonded on. Likewise, gold-filled chains are made in the same way. However, to be called gold-filled, the gold layer must make up at least five percent of the total chain weight.