Silicon Filled Gold

elated · ‎06-09-2010

On Friday, Antonella was explaining silicon filled gold. It is a sad story when customers are mislead. Here is what she should have said:

Summary: Gold is a very popular material used to make jewelry. It is considered to be one of the most durable and longest lasting elements available on the market. Because this type of jewelry can be very expensive, manufacturers have come up with a way to sell cheap gold products that will not bend or break as easily as hollow gold.

Silicone jewelry is a type of jewelry which uses a process called tubing. When the jewelry is being made, the gold is formed into a tube-like shape, creating a thin layer of hollow gold. When the tubing has been created, it is filled with silicone which is a durable, man-made resin. These tubes are filled with the material to make it more durable. By filling the gold tubes with the resin, the product is less likely to break down or dent. The silicone helps protect the jewelry if it is dropped or banged on a hard surface.

When looking at a gold item filled with silicone, it is very comparable to solid gold to the naked eye. This item may be a good buy because it presents the same brilliance and luster as solid gold at a fraction of the cost. However, there are some downfalls to purchasing this type. If you decide to get rid of your piece, you are not able to sell to gold buyers. Most buyers are not interested in purchasing this jewelry because it consists of very little real gold and is mostly silicone. Silicone filled gold jewelry uses a different process to repair if it is damaged, so many times you have to send the piece away to be fixed. Also, this product cannot be sized to fit. Attempting to size will destroy the product.

The cost of this jewelry is much less than the cost of solid gold. You will pay about a third of the cost for a similar gold piece that is filled with silicone compared to a solid gold product. If you are looking to purchase a silicone filled piece, you can find the jewelry at many of the same places you would purchase solid gold items. Because they are cheap items, they do not usually come with any type of guarantee, so if the item is destroyed, you will have to discard it and purchase a new one.

Tags: silicone gold, silicone filled jewelry

I think customers should do their research before they fall for this nonsense.

faeriemoon · ‎03-14-2010

I haven't bought Q gold in years. Those days are over. Even when gold was popular on the Q it was always light weight with cheap findings.

~What a terrible era in which idiots govern the blind.~ William Shakespeare

songbird · ‎03-21-2010

This type of gold does not have any intrinsic value. One of the reasons for owning gold. For me, it even has to be at least 18K. 14K to me is almost as worthless. I have noticed that silicone filled has not been offered for months now. Now it's resin. There might be a new buyer for QVC gold, as they don't have much choice. But the real gold lovers won't buy from QVC. The hollow manufacturing processing is depressing. This is jewelry that will dent and break, what have you. Now it's QVC's bread and butter. But I will stick it out. I've held on to my gold. I try to buy estate pieces (which are cheaper to purchase) or pawn shops. Gold is always worth more then paper money. I'm not knocking David (the gold buyer) 20 years ago when he started out, the gold was really nice. (Not as nice as ShopNBC once was) Now he does not have a choice in order for QVC to make a profit.

millieshops · ‎03-09-2010

So if people can afford to buy solid gold, they will. Lots of retailers still sell gold.

depglass · ‎03-10-2010

Is this the stuff that is marked 14K, or is that resin filled gold? Or both or neither? I just gave up watching those shows because of that. If they have stopped marking, I might start watching.

colliegirls · ‎05-13-2012

There is something for everyone!

QVCrocks! · ‎06-27-2010

I bought a pair of the gold over resin earrings, and so far I like them a lot. I like bigger pieces of jewelry, ones I could never afford in the real thing. However,if I go and buy costume jewelry in goldtone, I will only get a few wearings out of the piece before it tarnishes and wears off. So I am hoping this process wears well, because it appears to be a great alternative for me to get the wear and look of real gold. If anyone has any pieces that haven't worn well I really want to know before I purchase any more!

customer 5 · ‎06-09-2010

On 8/19/2014 QVCrocks! said: I bought a pair of the gold over resin earrings, and so far I like them a lot. I like bigger pieces of jewelry, ones I could never afford in the real thing. However,if I go and buy costume jewelry in goldtone, I will only get a few wearings out of the piece before it tarnishes and wears off. So I am hoping this process wears well, because it appears to be a great alternative for me to get the wear and look of real gold. If anyone has any pieces that haven't worn well I really want to know before I purchase any more!

I don't own any resin or silicone pieces. From reading on these boards I think you should be OK for a while because they are earrings. I read that since rings take much more abuse the gold layer doesn't last. The gold wears away and now they have a dark color on the ring.