14 Karat was started by Robert Osterholm, in 1979. At a time when gold was in great demand and prices were high, he saw an opportunity he couldn’t resist. The business acted as a wholesale agent for gold jewelry manufacturers and sold primarily to retailers and corporate clients, maintaining what was at the time a very limited public clientele. During those early days, Mr. Osterholm began to envision a company founded on high-quality jewelry at low costs.