Gold plated and gold filled are two of the most common materials used to make jewelry. But did you know the difference of Gold Plated vs Gold filled? Here are some of them:

 GOLD PLATED

Gold plating is actually the process of applying a thin layer of gold onto the surface of another metal which is often silver copper or brass. This process is done through a chemical treatment and there is a number of different gold plating types that are used in various different industries depending on the use of the product being manufactured or produced. In jewelry, most pieces are silver or brass metal covered with a layer of Gold plating. We have several pieces like this beautiful gold plated necklace that you can check.

 

GOLD FILLED

 To make gold-filled pieces, the core metal is placed between two layers of gold alloy which are then heated and passed through a roller a few times. This process bonds the metals together and thins the sheet out. Check out some of our gold-filled earrings

Gold Plated is actually far more common than gold filled and you may be more familiar with this type of process.

Gold-filled jewelry is best used where longevity and durability are the goal. Special occasion gifts such as anniversaries, birthdays, and other similar events are more meaningful when the piece is made to last longer and meant to be worn on a daily basis. Gold-filled pieces are generally more durable than gold-plated ones due to the thicker layer of gold alloy.

Not only are the manufacturing processes different, but also the amount of gold alloy used on gold-filled pieces is different than gold-plated.

Everybody knows that pure gold doesn’t tarnish so even though it’s an alloy, the thick layer on gold-filled pieces prevents tarnishing, However, Gold-filled pieces can get tarnished sometimes, but it takes special circumstances for that to happen. Gold-plated pieces can tarnish once the core metal is exposed, due to the thin layer of gold which can sometimes peel off.

We work with gold-plated and gold-filled and recently we have discovered that stainless steel chains won't tarnish so we are adding those to my day-to-day work. When it comes to the wire I choose gold plated as it is more affordable, however, I do have to be very careful and use the appropriate tools and pliers with nylon protection so the gold layer does not peel off. For ear wires and bracelet charms, I choose gold-filled as it is better for people with allergies. For chains, I now use stainless steel instead of gold-plated. Here is one of our stainless steel chains. 

 

 

 

Here is an example of one of our pearl dangle earrings where we combined both of them, we used gold-plated chains and pearls. Ear wires are 14k gold-filled.

 In the end which one is better?

Gold Filled: Gold filled is an actual layer of gold-pressure bonded to another metal. Gold filled is not to be confused with gold plating as filled literally has 100% more gold than gold plating. Gold-filled is much more valuable and tarnish-resistant.

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