14k Gold Vs. Gold Plated Vs. Gold Filled

14k Gold Vs. Gold Plated Vs. Gold Filled

With all the different types of metal used in jewelry making, it can get confusing trying to figure out which one is which. Even within gold jewelry, there are different types of gold. The most common ones are 14k or solid gold, gold plated, and gold-filled jewelry. Gold plated jewelry can further be divided into Vermeil gold jewelry. So, let's look at the differences between all the different types of gold-based jewelry.14K Jewelry: 14k jewelry will be made of solid 14k gold. The letter “K” stands for karat, and the number, in this case, 14, represents the percentage of gold. Gold is rarely used in its purest form, which is 24k,  and it is usually mixed with another metal, usually copper, to give it strength and durability. Hence, most solid gold jewelry will be made with 10k, 14k, 18k, and even 22k gold. Not all countries use karats as the “gold standard” to describe different gold types. In Europe, for instance, numbers such as 750 and 999 are used. The equivalent of 14k in Europe would be 585 gold.

Gold Plated:

Gold plated jewelry is, as the name shows, jewelry that uses gold plating to make it look like gold. It is by far the most common and cheapest form of gold jewelry. However, gold plated jewelry does not have anywhere near the durability of 14k or solid gold jewelry. Gold plating is accomplished by a chemical process known as electroplating, which is a process that involves attaching gold molecules to a different metal. Metals such as copper, nickel, brass, and silver are used. Out of these, gold plated jewelry made of nickel is usually the cheapest. The layer of gold is so thin that gold plated jewelry does not come with a gold value.Gold plated jewelry made with silver is known as Vermeil jewelry. Vermeil jewelry is the most expensive of all gold-plated jewelry for the simple reason that sterling silver is used to make it. However, there is a caveat to all this. To be considered true Vermeil jewelry, the gold used for plating should be at least 10k, and the gold plating needs to be at least 2.5 microns thick.

Gold-filled:

Gold-filled jewelry is made using a base metal such as brass, copper, or silver, which is then given a thick coating of gold using a pressure system. The product will have two or three layers of gold. The first two is given a 10, 14 or 18k gold, and the last layer will be 24k gold. Using 24k gold for the final finish will give the jewelry an extra sheen and brightness. Since it is not as expensive as 14k or solid gold but more costly than gold plated jewelry, gold filled jewelry is the compromise between solid gold and gold-plated jewelry. Gold-filled products are far more durable than gold plated ones.