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Gold Jewelry Guide
Gold,
gold plate, gold-filled, and vermeil. What’s the dilly-o?
While we’re on the topic of
materials, another common question we get here is “What’s the
difference between solid gold, gold plate, gold-filled, and vermeil?
Are they all the same? Which is better?” First, they are not all the
same. As to which is better, well, that depends on what you’re
looking for and what you want to spend on it.
Solid gold is the most obvious,
as the name describes exactly what it is. All gold, no fillers. All
gold jewelry pieces we make at Saori C. Jewelry Designs employ only
solid gold. Because, by nature, solid gold pieces contain more gold
than any of the other three varieties, they tend to be the most
expensive.
Of the remaining three, gold
plate is the most common and usually the least expensive, as it has
the least amount of gold in it. In gold-plated jewelry, an extremely
thin layer of gold is deposited on a base metal (often copper or
nickel) using electricity (hence the term “electroplating”). Because
the layer of gold is so thin, it can easily wear off with heavy
polishing. As well, the base metal tends to gradually bleed through
the gold layer, and so people with copper or nickel allergies should
beware of gold plate.
Gold-filled is the next step up.
Gold-filled jewelry is made of a layer of gold pressure-bonded to a
base metal. The thickness of the gold layer in gold-filled pieces is
regulated by the US government, and can be hundreds to tens of
thousands of times the size of those in pieces that are plated. A
common mark you would see on a gold-filled piece might be “1/20 14k
GF,” which means that the layer of gold is 14 karat and the gold
makes up 1/20th of the total piece by weight (the minimum allowed by
law). Because gold-filled jewelry contains much more gold that
gold-plated jewelry, it can be quite a bit more expensive.
Last, and least common these
days, is vermeil. Vermeil is also regulated by the US government,
and consists of sterling silver plated in at least 10 karat gold of
a specified minimum thickness (2.5 microns, in case you were
wondering). There is less gold in vermeil than in many gold-filled
pieces, but since the base metal is higher quality (sterling
silver), prices can be comparable. However, very few jewelers make
vermeil pieces anymore, so if you come across some, you’re most
likely antiquing.
Next time – why you’ll pay more
for pieces by talented jewelry designers, and why it’s totally worth
it. |
