October 14, 2022

When it comes to wearing jewelry, gold is one of the most popular options. But, are you confident that you fully know the gold you're buying?

Keep up with us as we dig a little bit deeper into the types of gold you may have already gotten and not entirely known about, and for those, you plan to buy in the future. We will help you understand their difference and maybe help you to conclude which is the better option for you. 

Solid Gold

Authentic, pure gold jewelry has a startling price tag because gold is one of the most popular and expensive metals. Because it is malleable, pure gold is not used to make jewelry. The purest type of gold is 24k, while the least purified is 9k gold. It is frequently combined with other metals to increase strength or alter the color. Yellow gold is the first metal that comes to mind when you think of gold, but we also have white gold and rose gold.

The advantage of getting gold with high purity is that it does not tarnish, so it can bebest worn in summer under the heat without worrying that being sweaty could ruin it. Also, it can retain its luxuriousness for years and is a very portable form of financial security in times of emergency. Meanwhile, the only downside of getting solid gold is its cost. And we assure you that it will be quite a hefty amount. 

Gold Filled

Gold-filled jewelry contains more gold as the coating of gold in this type is quite thick. It is considered the next best thing to solid gold because of its properties. It also makes this costlier than gold-plate or even vermeil. Still, its high-quality properties next to solid gold make its cost worth it. This hard-wearing solid gold alternative is also known to be hypoallergenic and also does not tarnish.

It is made by putting a coating of gold over a core made of base metal (often gold alloy). This substance is also known as "Rolled Gold" because it undergoes a high-pressure rolling process to bond it. It is mass-produced and machine-made with precision to ensure that there is less than 1/20th by weight of gold in the overall metal content, making it ten times thicker than the usual gold-plated metal. It is a fantastic advantage of nonsolid gold pieces since you may wear gold-plated jewelry for a long time without worrying that the gold finish would suddenly flake off.

Vermeil

Gold vermeil (from the French word pronounced asver-may) jewelry, also known as “silver gilt or gilded silver,” refers to either pure or sterling silver plated with gold. This gold type has created quite a buzz and had great popularity in the modern day, while little do people know that it has been around for centuries already. Vermeil has been quite popular in the Victorian era, where it is not only used in jewelry, tableware, and other items. It is widely known to be the best cheaper alternative to real gold. VisitGold Presidents to learn about the different gold options.

Gold Vermeil has three main trade criteria, which are the following;

  • The metal base must be sterling silver (92.5%) or fine silver (99.9%). 
  • It must consist of at least ten karats of gold purity.
  • The gold coat should have a minimum of 2.5 microns (0.0025 millimeters).

The advantages of this type of gold are its quality considering that it is not solid gold. Because of the quality silver added, it becomes precious, retaining its value, and most importantly, it is very affordable. Also, because of its low nickel content and sterling metal base, it is less triggering for those with sensitive skin and unlikely to cause allergies and irritations. 

Gold-Plated

Gold plated, or gold plaque has the least amount of gold out of the other alternative gold plating styles. Because of the similarities in how they are made, it is compared to thevermeil gold type. The plating technique gives off the same outer appearance as a jewelry piece, but the main difference is that the gold-plated piece is not advisable in the long run.

It is created by covering a base metal, such as copper, nickel, or brass, with a thin layer of base metal around 0.5 microns thick and coated with gold. There is also a finish referred to as "Flash plated" or "gilt," which is a tiny gold plating finish typically less than 0.175 microns thick.

Because of such thin layers, it can wear more quickly than others. The only advantage you can have with gold-plated jewelry is its low cost and maintenance, wherein you can just have a jeweler repair the jewelry by having it plated again. However, a substantial downside to this is how it can wear through to the metal b, which increases the likelihood of skin irritations and discoloration.

Now you know what’s the best thing to purchase next time. Happy gold hunting! 


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