#5
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GOLD FILLED AND GOLD PLATED Jewelry
They may look the same but the difference is in the quality and durability. Each type of metal is often worn for a different reason. The biggest factor is price because gold is expensive. Simply put, gold plated is best for casual wear so it doesn’t get worn out, and gold filled is best for everyday wear, and special events.
Gold plated (vermeil) jewelry
The gold plate on an accessory is essentially a thin layer of gold that’s wrapped around another metal to give the appearance of gold.. It’s melted on top of a cheaper metal such as brass, steel, copper, or sterling silver. Gold plated jewelry looks a lot like fine gold but for a fraction of the price which is a major pro. They’re also durable because of their base metal. However, tarnishing is a possibility due to the alloy of metals. Because the gold plate is so thin, it can scratch and get discoloured easily. Therefore, it’s recommended to remove gold plated jewelry after a few hours of wear to avoid tarnishing.
Gold filled
Gold filled jewelry is similar to gold plated but contains a slightly higher percentage of gold than a gold plated piece. It consists of a thicker gold layer around the base metal. The experience of owning gold filled jewlely is similar to solid gold because it will not tarnish easily. It could be best for everyday wear as it does not tarnish easily. It is more expensive than gold plated but cheaper than solid gold.
100% Gold
Gold is a delicate metal, the higher the karat the softer the metal is. For example, 24k gold is the highest gold grade as it’s 100% gold. The lower you go the more durable because the remainder is made of alloy which is a combination of metals. A brief breakdown is 18k gold is 75% gold because “18 out of the 24 parts that make up the gold are pure gold” and the remainder is 25% alloy. The fine gold becomes stronger when mixed with a certain percentage of alloy “Because pure gold is too soft to resist prolonged handling, it is usually alloyed with other metals to increase its hardness for use in jewelry, goldware, or coinage” according to Encyclopedia Britannica. Gold is not a very reactive metal so it’s safest for daily wear as it will not tarnish.
