Jennifer August 8th, 2007
As you begin your jewelry making, you will begin to wonder this. I love pure gold jewelry, but not the price. Hopefully this guide will show you the benefits of each and make it easy to understand as you go forward.
Gold plated jewelry
Gold plating is the term used to describe the process of plating jewelry made of non-precious base metal (zinc, nickel, copper) with a thin layer of gold, which is depositing their by electrochemical methods. As it was said the layer is very thin and thus easy to scratch. It also naturally wears thin with time, exposing the metal below. So it is better not to wear gold plated jewelry every day.
Pros: Low price
Cons: The gold film wears off pretty soon because of polishing and exposure to skin salts
Gold filled jewelry
Gold filled jewelry (also called ‘gold overlay’ or ‘rolled gold plated’) consists of several mechanically bonded layers. A non-precious base is covered with the outside layer of at least 10 Karat gold. Manufacturers usually mark their gold filled jewelry with fractions that show the relative amount of gold in proportion to base metal in a given piece, so you know what you buy. So decide what your priority is, the price or durability. If you want to wear the jewelry pretty often, opt for gold filled pieces.
Pros: This alternative has the longest lifespan of all the three.
Cons: The price of gold filled jewelry is usually higher than that of the previous alternative
Vermeil Jewelry
Vermeil is a more expensive version of gold plated jewelry. It consists of a sterling silver base that is coated or plated with gold. And again, if the longest lifespan is in the first place for you, your option is vermeil or gold filled jewelry.
Pros: Vermeil jewelry wears off less than a gold plated one.
Cons: No wonder that the price is also high. And you should be aware that although the sterling silver layer is covered with gold, it might tarnish and thus darken the gold layer
Courtesy of http://magazine.gem-fashion.com/gold-plated.html
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