Through reading our other blog about gold and its properties, you may have a better idea of the plethora of gold options available to you. But just you wait, there’s more! In the world of gold jewelry buying, there are options for gold plated, gold-filled, and vermeil.

Gold Plating is a small layer of solid gold applied to a base made of brass. The plating itself does not compose any measureable proportion of the products total weight. Actually, it’s estimated to be 0.05% or less of the metal product. Gold plating usually wears of rather quickly over time and exposes the brass base product. Unfortunately, it doesn’t stand up well to everyday chemicals.

Gold-filled jewelry is constructed in two or three layers. The metal core is jeweler’s brass, and a gold alloy is then bonded to one or both surfaces of the brass core with extended heat and pressure. Gold-filled is legally required to contain 5% or 1/20 gold by weight. This 5% is typically described by the karatage of the gold alloy. 14k gold-filled products are often identified as 14/20 gold-filled but 14kt gold-filled is acceptable! This treatment isn’t considered permanent, but it does last longer if properly cared for!

Vermeil (pronounced vehr-MAY) is a thicker level of gold plating over sterling silver rather than a base metal. But to truly qualify as Vermeil, the plating should be a minimum of 2.5 microns thick and always over sterling silver. Vermeil can be seen most often in historical jewelry from the early 1900s.

The last thing everyone should know about gold jewelry is the different colors and their meanings! Just like flowers, different colors of gold have different significance.

Gold can come in different colors based on different recipes of alloys (metal mixtures):

·         Yellow gold contains copper and silver and is typically associated with wealth and luxury

·         Rose or pink gold contains copper and is typically associated with love.

·         Green gold contains silver and sometimes cadmium and zinc and can be associated with renewal

·         White gold traditionally contains nickel, copper, and tin, and is associated with purity

·         Palladium white gold contains palladium and is typically associated with honesty

·         Blue gold contains iron and is typically associated with strength