Perhaps the Most Common Question our Clients Often Want to Know: What Exactly "Gold Filled" is and how is it Different from "Gold Plated". We're Here to Help.
Gold Filled is made by hot rolling gold alloy to a base metal. This provides a solid gold surface over the base metal interior. This raw stock is then made into whatever products it will become. The gold is virtually welded to the interior surface and will last much longer than any form of plated gold.
This outer layer or sheet of Karat Gold is considerably thicker than the plated varieties which have thickness in the .001 inch. Gold filled products can last more than 100 years, in fact many jewelry pieces from the 1930s to 1960s are gold filled and have maintained their gold finish through generations of wear.
Most of our gold filled items are either 12K or 14 Karat Gold Filled, though gold filled may be ordered in any karat alloy. The karat content does not have to change the color, although it may. When gold melt goes up, some distributors will drop the content. We have been selling the same products and content for 22 or more years and do not intend to change this.
Not sure if your beads or gold filled or gold plated? It can be very difficult to tell by sight alone, but a good sign that the quality is misrepresented will be the color of the material. Gold plating tends to be more orange than Gold Filled. This stands out in most pictures or when held side by side to a stamped/confirmed GF piece.
Just as a side note, when you see the term "Sterling Plate" , "Sterling Plated", or "Sterling Silver Filled" used you will not get a product with "Sterling Silver" 925 purity. Long ago it was ruled out as proper terminology. A good indication that products are misrepresented are if the seller uses incorrect terminology in their listings.
Good luck and happy beading.
Marvin
Gold Filled is made by hot rolling gold alloy to a base metal. This provides a solid gold surface over the base metal interior. This raw stock is then made into whatever products it will become. The gold is virtually welded to the interior surface and will last much longer than any form of plated gold.
This outer layer or sheet of Karat Gold is considerably thicker than the plated varieties which have thickness in the .001 inch. Gold filled products can last more than 100 years, in fact many jewelry pieces from the 1930s to 1960s are gold filled and have maintained their gold finish through generations of wear.
Most of our gold filled items are either 12K or 14 Karat Gold Filled, though gold filled may be ordered in any karat alloy. The karat content does not have to change the color, although it may. When gold melt goes up, some distributors will drop the content. We have been selling the same products and content for 22 or more years and do not intend to change this.
Not sure if your beads or gold filled or gold plated? It can be very difficult to tell by sight alone, but a good sign that the quality is misrepresented will be the color of the material. Gold plating tends to be more orange than Gold Filled. This stands out in most pictures or when held side by side to a stamped/confirmed GF piece.
Just as a side note, when you see the term "Sterling Plate" , "Sterling Plated", or "Sterling Silver Filled" used you will not get a product with "Sterling Silver" 925 purity. Long ago it was ruled out as proper terminology. A good indication that products are misrepresented are if the seller uses incorrect terminology in their listings.
Good luck and happy beading.
Marvin
