Newsletter - April 8, 2009

The Jewelry Crafter

A newsletter for the home jeweler

This newsletter will be published every 2 weeks, and will include hints and tips for your jewelry business. Any feedback or comments about the topics presented here are always appreciated. Click here to e-mail us.

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Gold-filled Vs Gold Plate

by

Mary Harvey

What exactly is the difference between gold filled and gold plate? I get asked this question all the time, so this week, we will explore how these materials are made, and some possible sources of confusion between the two.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, the definitions of gold plate and gold filled are as follows:

• Gold plate consists of a minimum of 10k gold, at least .175 microns thick, deposited on a base metal by an electrolytic process. If the layer is less than .175 microns thick, it is considered “gold flashed” or “gold washed”. 
• Gold filled consists of a layer of at least 10k gold mechanically bonded to a base metal.

There can be a lot of consumer confusion with these terms. Many think that gold filled is gold plated, and shy away from it because they don’t think it will be as durable as solid gold. The variety of terms used in the jewelry market also can add to the confusion. So here are some clarifications:

Gold plated means that the piece is made entirely from a base metal, with a thin layer of gold applied by electroplating. This process uses electricity to attach the gold to the base metal, and the resulting layer is extremely thin. Repeated wear, polishing, or even salt from your skin can wear through the coating.

Gold filled means that an actual layer of gold has been affixed to a base metal by soldering, brazing, welding, or other mechanical means. The material is usually marked to show the amount of gold - for example, 14/20 gold filled means that the gold used is 14 karat, and the gold makes up 1/20th of the total weight (or 5%). Typically, there is 100 times more gold in gold filled than in gold plate, and it is very durable. People who can’t wear gold plated jewelry (due to allergies) are usually able to wear gold-filled. Some terms to describe gold filled are rolled gold, rolled gold plate, or gold overlay.

Another term that you may come across is “gold vermeil”. Vermeil is sterling silver that is coated or plated with a gold layer at least 2-1/2 microns of 10 karat or finer gold. Because of the sterling silver, it may still tarnish.

 As you can see, there are many ways to describe gold jewelry. By knowing the terms, gold contents, and manufacturing processes, you can educate your customers when they ask “what is gold-filled?”.

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