Gold Plated Jewelry
What is gold plated jewelry? As the name implies, this is when a base metal like copper, nickel, or aluminum is coated with a layer of gold using an electroplating solution or chemical deposition. Gold plated jewelry is typically the most affordable since it contains the least amount of gold. The thickness of the gold layer will determine the price of the jewelry. Usually, costume jewelry will have a layer that is 1 micron thick or less. Designer or brand jewelry that's higher end may have a gold layer that's 2-3 microns thick. Does gold plated fade? Yes, it does, especially if the gold plated finish is thin. This is the biggest drawback to this type of gold jewelry. The good news is that you can easily have it plated again by a manufacturing jeweler when this happens.
2. Gold Vermeil Jewelry
Vermeil gold (pronounced ‘ver-may’) or gold vermeil jewelry is actually a type of gold plated jewelry. It features a pure or sterling silver base metal that is heavily plated with gold. According to United States regulations, the layer must be at least 2.5 microns thick and the minimum gold purity used must be 10ct gold. Does gold vermeil tarnish? No, it will not. However, silver can tarnish. The gold layer can become dirty and fade over time. Once the core metal is exposed, the jewelry can tarnish. Frequent but gentle cleaning using a soft cloth can help preserve the plating and prevent the finish from fading.
3. Gold Filled Jewelry
What is gold filled jewelry and how is it different from gold vermeil? Unlike gold vermeil jewelry, a gold filled piece does not have a coating of gold. Instead, a thick sheet of gold is applied on top of a base metal core and exposed to high pressure, so that the two become permanently bonded. In order to be considered gold filled, the weight of the gold must be 1/20th or 5% of the total weight of the metal content. This is why some gold filled pieces are labeled as 1/20 gold. Gold filled jewelry is around 5 to 10 times thicker than gold plated jewelry. These pieces are expected to last anywhere from 10 to 30 years.
Does gold filled jewelry tarnish? Yes, this type of gold jewelry can still tarnish but this is rare. It would take extreme sulfide exposure to blacken the gold such as high levels of chemical sulfide fumes in a nail salon.
4. Solid Gold Jewelry
Of all gold jewelry types, solid gold is the best option as well as the most expensive. But "solid" is actually a misnomer. Because a piece that is made purely of gold would be too soft and very expensive to make. Because of these reasons, jewelers mix gold with other metals that will provide structure and durability to the piece. The amount of gold in the alloy (mixture of metals) will determine the price. The higher the gold content, the higher the price tag will be.
How do you find out the gold content of a piece of jewelry? The purity of gold is measured in karats. The purest gold is 24 karats. 1 karat means 1 part pure gold and 23 parts of another metal. 18 karats means 18 parts pure gold and the rest is another metal.
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