Gold-Filled vs. Gold Plated. What’s the Difference?
When it comes to gold jewelry there are several different options. No doubt you’ve heard of gold-filled, gold plated, and maybe even vermeil jewelry. But do you know what it all means? We want people to know exactly what they’re putting on their skin so we’ve come up with a breakdown of each of these categories so you know exactly what they are and how they are different from one another.
Gold Plated
Gold plated jewelry, also sometimes called gold dipped, is made from a base metal (usually nickel, brass, or copper) that has been electroplated with 1/1,000 of a millimeter of gold. The total amount of gold comes out to between 0.05-0.5% gold. The majority of gold plated metals are flash plated and are at the 0.05% gold marker, with some heavier plates that go up to 0.5% gold. Gold plating wears off easily, leaving jewelry looking tarnished and exposing the cheaper, sometimes allergenic base metal. This can leave discoloration on your skin and cause irritation. This type of jewelry is more commonly used as costume jewelry and usually last a few days, weeks, or maybe longer depending on how often it’s worn.
Gold Vermeil
Gold Vermeil, also called gilded silver, is made similarly to gold plated, in that it is also created through electroplating; however, it does offer some advantages. It is also made by electroplating gold to a base layer. In this case the base layer is most commonly sterling silver, so it is still hypoallergenic even if worn down. The gold content is slightly higher at 2.5 microns or 0.5-1% gold. While the outer layer is thicker than gold plated it is still thin overall, and wears down over time, usually leaving a silver appearance.
Gold Filled
Gold-filled metal contains a lot more gold than either gold-plated or vermeil metals. Legally gold much constitute 5% of the pieces overall weight. This is 100x more gold than that found in gold plated metals. Another big difference is in how it is manufactured. Unlike gold plated and gold vermeil, gold filled jewelry is created by mechanically bonding the gold to the core metal through extreme pressure and heat. This increases the strength and helps it to last much longer than pieces using other coating methods. With proper care it can easily last through your lifetime and be passed down throughout generations. Gold filled jewelry is usually marked with a GF and then the karat of gold it is bonded to.
Solid Gold
Solid gold jewelry is made up entirely of gold. The quality of which is measured in karats with 24kt gold being the highest quality you can get at 100% gold. It is made to last, keeps its value, and can be melted down easily. Gold jewelry will not tarnish and lasts for many lifetimes. The one drawback people have when considering gold jewelry is the price point. Gold is expensive and this is reflected in the price of solid gold jewelry.
One more thing to consider with solid gold is the Karat. Because pure gold is soft it is usually mixed with other metals when made into jewelry to make it more workable/wearable.
What about sterling silver?
Silver jewelry also has a few different options available.
Silver filled and silver plated metals are made similarly to gold plated in that a base metal is coated in silver. Being less durable than gold, silver in this form it is very easily worn off or scratched. It is commonly marked with a “SF” or “FS”
Sterling Silver is composed of 92.5% pure silver. It is combined with other metals to help strengthen it. Because of the added strength it is widely considered a better option than pure silver. The combined metal is usually copper, but can also be silicon, germanium, boron, zinc, or platinum.
We only use gold-filled and sterling silver in our jewelry:
Quality is of upmost importance to us. That is why we only use gold-filled and sterling silver in our jewelry. From the chain to the clasp, to the connectors, all of our materials are made from high quality 14kt gold-filled metals or sterling silver. This allows us to offer jewelry at an affordable price point that will last a lifetime. Both of these metals are hypoallergenic so anybody can wear them comfortably. They are also resistant to wear and tarnishing when taken care of properly. You can even shower or swim in our jewelry without having to worry about damaging it (just be careful of saltwater or chlorine). Made to be worn daily, our jewelry is specially made to last.