When deciding on a gold jewelry item there are always many different terms that come up. The most popular are Solid Gold, Gold Filled, and Gold Plated. It is important to know the differences between Gold Filled jewelry and Gold Plated jewelry when making your choice. Solid gold is of course an exquisite piece of jewelry. Gold filled is the next level and is an amazing, quality alternative to solid gold. Gold plating is the lower level and these items tend to tarnish and can often times turn the skin green.

Gold filled is not to be confused with gold plating as filled literally has 100% more gold than gold plating. Gold-filled jewelry ("Rolled Gold") is composed of a solid layer of gold bonded with heat and pressure to a base metal such as brass. In short, gold filled is an actual layer of gold-pressure bonded to another metal. Some high quality gold-filled pieces have the look, luster, and beauty of 14 karat (58%) gold. Gold filled items are regulated by the government. These items are therefore so much better then gold plated which has no regulations at all. By definition, the minimum layer of karat gold in an item stamped GF must equal at least 1/20 the weight of the total item. On the other hand, the gold layer on gold-plated jewelry varies greatly depending on manufacturer, so there is no single, simple comparison. Gold-filled items are 50 to 100,000 times thicker than regular gold plating, and 17 to 25,000 times thicker than heavy gold electroplate. 1/20 12kt GF is the most common stamp you will find on gold-filled jewelry. 10kt and 14kt are also common karatages.

Gold filled is much more valuable and tarnish resistant. Gold filled items, even with daily wear, can last five to 30 years but will eventually wear through. In addition, anyone who can wear gold can wear gold filled without worries of any allergic reaction to the jewelry. Gold filled jewelry is an economical alternative to solid gold!