Demystifying Gold Filled, Plated, and Vermeil Jewelry

If you’ve ever found yourself confused by the terminology surrounding gold jewelry, you’re not alone. Recently, a customer reached out with questions about the gold-filled ear wires used in some of our French Ostrich earrings.

I’m thinking if one customer had questions on the various types of gold, many others may share the same curiosity.

Let’s take a look at the four types of gold used in crafting jewelry:

1. Solid Gold
2. Gold vermeil
3. Gold filled
4. Gold plated

Gold, as you may know, is commonly categorized by its karat (K) value. The purest form of gold is 24K, but it’s very soft and unsuitable for jewelry. Therefore, gold for jewelry-making is blended with alloys. For instance, 14K gold, probably the most widespread choice for solid gold jewelry, consists of 14 parts pure gold and 10 parts other durable alloys.

Interestingly, gold-filled, gold vermeil, and gold-plated jewelry share a common trait: each has a layer of gold covering a base metal. (It’s worth noting that “gold filled” is somewhat misleading, as nothing is “filled” with gold in this case.)

• Gold Vermeil: This is a thick layer of gold electroplated onto sterling silver, meaning that gold vermeil jewelry is crafted exclusively from precious metals.
• Gold Filled: On the other hand, gold-filled jewelry boasts a substantial layer of gold that has been pressure-bonded to another metal, typically jeweler’s brass.
• Gold Plated: This variation features a thinner layer of gold electroplated over a metal core, which can be brass, pewter, copper, or steel.

I hope this information provides clarity on the nuances of gold in jewelry.

As always, thank you for being part of our journey, and please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any further questions about the types of gold or anything else related to our collections.