u/Russd77

I’ve bought and sold a lot of chains over the years and I just wanted to create a buyers guide for any who is new to jewelry or looking to upgrade

Picture 1: 7mm 22” 22k DJI
Pictures2 12mm 22” 18k DJI diamond sleek lock
Picture 3 14mm 22” 14k Las Villas
Picture 4 10mm 14k sample photo from Rey’s
Picture 5 garcias 14k flat file
Picture 6 another photo of the 7mm DJI

Please share your chains below for the new comers.

8mm • 14K • 22” Miami Cuban Link Comparison
Website pricing at time of posting. Actual quotes may vary.
As of 7/3/2026

14K • 8mm • 22”
All prices below are website pricing at the time of posting. Actual quotes and custom pricing may vary.

Las Villas
• Weight: ~118g
• Price: $10,737
• $91 per gram
• Lock: Box lock (handmade status unverified)
Garcias Jewelry
• Weight: ~110g
• Price: $11,994
• $109 per gram
• Lock: Handmade
Goldzenn (Cast Lock)
• Weight: ~118g
• Price: $13,296
• $112 per gram
Goldzenn (Handmade Lock)
• Weight: ~118g
• Price: $13,597
• $115 per gram
Daniel Jewelry Inc. (DJI)
• Weight: ~110g
• Price: $12,792
• $116 per gram
• Lock: Handmade
Gus Villa Jewelry
• Weight: ~128g
• Price: $15,230
• $119 per gram
• Lock: Handmade

Notes
• Prices are based on each company’s website and may change.
• Weight is the advertised weight and can vary slightly.
• Rey’s Gold & Cash is not included because pricing isn’t available on their website.
• cannot verify but I wouldn’t be surprised if goldzenn gets their Cubans from Las Villas
• I do not still own any of these chains as I have sold/upgraded to other things.

After going back and forth on this purchase for quite a while, I finally decided on a custom 22K 6mm diamond-cut Franco from @MatthewTheJeweler, who is part of the TA Jewelers family and specializes in high-karat gold jewelry.

Specs

22K Gold
22” Length
6mm Width
144.75 grams
Diamond-Cut Franco
Handmade

Ordering Experience

The quoted turnaround time was 2–2.5 weeks, but to my surprise the chain was completed in just under one week.

Communication was excellent throughout the process. Whenever I had a question, Matthew got back to me quickly and kept me updated. The experience was smooth from start to finish and honestly better than I expected.

I spent a lot of time looking at other options before ordering.I reached out to DJI, and they quoted me 6–8 weeks. Depending on who I spoke with, I got different answers about whether they could even make the chain to my exact specs in 22K. One person even tried talking me into doing it in 18K instead.

I also seriously considered getting an 8mm 22K Cuban at 22” from DJI, Gus, or Garcia’s. The weight would have been almost identical at around 145 grams, and pricing was in the same ballpark.

The timelines varied quite a bit:

DJI: 6–8 weeks
Garcia’s: 14–15 weeks
Gus: about 1 week

I won’t lie, there was definitely a moment where I was tempted to give Gus a shot. When his work is on point, I think his Cubans look fantastic. But after spending years reading threads on various jewelry forums, I came across too many stories involving customer service issues, inconsistent quality, and communication problems for me to feel completely comfortable spending that kind of money.

The bigger factor, though, was that I’ve already owned several large Cubans over the years. I like Cubans, but I just wasn’t getting excited about buying another one. If I’m spending this much on a chain, I want to be obsessed with it before I pull the trigger.

The Franco was the piece I kept coming back to, so that’s ultimately what I went with.

Overall, I’m really happy with the workmanship.

At this size and purity, you’re talking about a chain that has to be handmade. The links are uniform, the structure is consistent throughout, and the diamond cuts are evenly done from end to end.

The chain has a ton of presence without being flashy in the way a larger Cuban can be. It catches light from every angle and has that dense feel that only comes with high-karat gold.

The clasp and end links are also very well executed. Nothing feels flimsy or rushed, and I feel confident it’ll hold up as a daily wearer.

If I’m being picky, I think the diamond cuts could have been polished just a touch more.

There were also a few visible scratches when I received the chain.

That said, this is 22K gold. Anyone who’s worn high-karat jewelry for any amount of time knows that minor scratches are simply part of the deal. After a few days of wear, you’re going to pick up marks anyway.

I’m trying not to let my OCD get the best of me because the whole point is to enjoy the chain, not stare at it under a microscope looking for imperfections.

Another thing that helped justify the purchase was the lack of alternatives.

I wasn’t able to find an Italian-made 22K Franco larger than 5mm, and most of the 5mm options I found would have weighed around 110–115 grams while costing roughly the same as this chain.

Getting a 6mm handmade Franco at nearly 145 grams of 22K gold made this feel like a much better value for what I was looking for.

I’ve been wearing the chain for several days now and have zero regrets.

The weight is incredible, the craftsmanship is solid, the turnaround time blew away the original estimate, and the customer service was excellent.

Most importantly, every time I put it on I’m glad I chose this over another Cuban.

If you’re looking for a substantial high-karat Franco, there really aren’t many options out there in this size range, and this one checked all the boxes for me.

For full transparency I did use Chat GPT to help make this sound cohesive but all my thoughts and options are my own 😂

XRF tested at 22.22K and weighed in at 144.75 grams. Photos attached.

Edit. You can find his instagram @matthewthejewler

Edit 2. For those asking it was about 25,500 for 140 grams of 22k gold with Labor included. The chain came out to 144 so I had to pay the difference