What Exactly is Gold Filled?

Have you seen all of these different terms describing gold jewelry and wondered what the difference is? Isn't gold jewelry just gold jewelry? The answer to that is no. So I wanted to take a minute to clarify what each term means which will help you with future jewelry purchases.

- Solid Gold: I think this is what most people are familiar with, although there are different types.

• 24k gold: This is basically pure gold and while it has a beautiful yellow color to it, 24k gold is also very soft. It can bend and scratch easily which is why it's not always ideal for jewelry making. 
• 18k gold: While this is considered solid gold, containing 75% gold, in reality you are getting an alloy. Mixing solid gold with small amounts of other metals makes it stronger and more durable. It is definitely designed to be used in heirloom jewelry.  
• 14k gold: The most common type of gold that is used in jewelry making, it contains 58.3% gold and is perfect for every day wear. This is the best option for solid gold in terms of price and durability. 

- Gold Vermeil:  So first off, it is pronounced "ver-may" because, well, it's French. It means gilded silver or bronze, just incase you were wondering. In the world of jewelry, gold vermeil always means that the base metal is sterling silver and has, by law, at least 2.5 microns of gold or more, bonded to its base. And you'll notice it says "maybe" under the vermeil because the gold layer isn't always thicker than gold filled, sometimes it's less. 

After solid gold (fine) jewelry, gold vermeil is an excellent choice when buying gold and is considered demi-fine. While gold vermeil pieces will last quite a while, especially with proper care, the gold will still wear off eventually leaving you with a silver piece. Gold vermeil is still a very good option when choosing gold jewelry, just know that you will eventually have a silver piece in the end.  

- Gold Filled: It has become increasingly popular for jewelry because of the cost and the look. Gold filled contains 5% of total weight in gold and uses jeweler's brass as the core metal that then has a layer of 12k or 14k gold mechanically bonded to it. You will often see marks of 12/20 or 14/20  depicting that a piece is gold filled, however 14k is the most common. The best thing about gold filled is that you have the look of 14k gold, because it is a solid layer on the outside, but at a fraction of the cost of vermeil or solid gold. You can also always count on gold filled being nickel free because of the metals involved - brass and gold. All of our gold options are created using gold filled metals. 

Another huge benefit of gold filled jewelry is that because it's literally fractions of the cost of solid gold, you can be comfortable wearing it. Traveling, in the ocean, in your sleep. You can wear it every single day without a worry.

- Gold Plated: This is when a piece of jewelry is dipped into a chemical solution and a thin layer of gold bonds to it. Because almost any type of metal can be plated, there's no guarantee that the item is nickel free. This type of plating is also common in fast fashion and costume jewelry. Since I know you want pieces that will be passed down for generations to come, take a look at these classic pieces.

I hope this has helped clarify the differences between all the gold jewelry options out there, so that you can make the best purchase choice for you. If you ever have questions about the materials I use please reach out. I want you to be completely comfortable with the investment you make in my art. 

Regardless of which gold option you choose, I suggest always removing your jewelry before applying perfumes, lotions and oils. It is also best practice to store your jewelry in a dry area, preferably an air tight container. 

Until next time!

xo,

Erica