There’s a lot of jeweler’s jargon for gold — terms such as gold-plated, gold-filled, and solid gold can be confusing, even when you read the fine print. You might’ve also seen the word vermeil (pronounced ver-may) and wondered whether it’s the real deal.
The difference between gold-plated, gold-filled, vermeil, and solid-gold jewelry comes down to how much gold you’re actually getting. From least to most, it goes: gold plated, vermeil, gold filled, and solid gold. In general, more gold means a higher price — so gold plated will usually be the cheapest, while solid gold is the most expensive. But the purity of the gold itself matters, too, and that’s another factor in the cost. The golden rule when shopping for gold jewelry is: If the price seems too good to be true, it probably is.
First, a note about karats
Gold — whether it’s used in gold-plated, gold-filled, vermeil, or solid-gold jewelry — is measured in karats (not to be confused with carats, the weight of a diamond). The number of karats marks how “pure” it is, on a scale starting at 9k and ending at 24k, the “purest” form. The higher the number, the softer the gold. So even though 24k is the literal gold standard, you won’t actually see much of it used in fine jewelry because it’s easy to scratch. “You know how in some old-timey movies about gold prospecting, people would bite a gold nugget to test if it’s real? That’s because pure gold is super bendy,” says antiques dealer Erica Weiner.
To make gold stronger, it is alloyed, meaning it is mixed with other metals like copper, silver, nickel, and zinc. The percentage of pure gold in the resulting metal determines the number of karats, explains Lisa Salzer of Lulu Frost: 9k gold contains 37.5 percent pure gold, 10k contains 41.7 percent, and so on until 24k, which is 100 percent pure gold.
There aren’t any actual purity standards for gold-plated, vermeil, gold-filled, or solid-gold jewelry — the Federal Trade Commission’s consumer guidelines mention that gold-filled pieces should use at least 10k gold, but that’s about it — so you might see everything from “14k gold plated” to “22k solid gold” on the market. Keep an eye out for hallmarks like “18k” or “10k” stamped inside a ring or on the back of a charm, as a sign of what you’re getting. Just know that there are no laws on the books for how to go about properly stamping, so it can be a “little Wild West,” Weiner warns.
Gold plated is the cheapest in price and quality
Gold plating involves putting a very thin layer of gold over another metal, usually brass. How thin are we talking? With jewelry, we’re dealing with microns. For comparison’s sake, the standard sheet of paper is 100 microns thick, while a piece that’s gold plated can have just 1 micron’s worth of gold on top.
“Better gold-plated jewelry will have a thicker plating of gold,” says Salzer, adding that the highest quality gold plating can use 3 to 5 microns. But you really won’t know that, as most makers don’t say how thick their gold plating is. Even the number of karats might be missing. Essentially, “Gold plated is the crappiest quality of ‘gold’ jewelry,” Weiner says. You’re always taking a gamble with gold-plated pieces: They can stay shiny for years, or the gold might wear away fairly quickly, showing the duller, darker base below. Once that happens, according to Weiner, you could wind up with green skin or irritation if the base metal isn’t hypoallergenic.
Gold filled is more of a dupe for solid gold than gold plated
The difference between gold-plated and gold-filled jewelry is that gold filled has a thicker layer of gold, with a stronger bond between the gold and the base metal thanks to a production process that includes heat and pressure. This bond with the base means the finish is less prone to tarnishing, making gold filled more of a dupe for solid gold in that sense. But, “It’s still not a lot of gold,” Weiner says.
Vermeil layers gold over fancier sterling silver
To be called vermeil, there has to be genuine sterling silver underneath a coating of gold. (The old-fashioned name for it is silver-gilt.) Vermeil is often seen as “demi-fine” because it’s more affordable than “fine” solid gold, but the silver base is a step up from the “garbage metals” used in the base of gold-plated and gold-filled jewelry, Weiner explains.
And while the gold layer on vermeil might actually be thinner than on a gold-plated piece — 2.5 microns is the standard — there are more precious metals throughout, giving it a better value. Depending on the purity of the gold, you can often buy gold vermeil pieces for under $200 (Mejuri makes many of its pieces from 18k vermeil, as does Monica Vinader, and both brands’ prices range from under $100 to close to $200). Vermeil is also going to be “gold-looking” for longer, even through heavier wear, Weiner says. That’s not to say you won’t ever wear it down; as with gold plated and gold filled, exposure to water, body oils, and beauty products can make vermeil lose some of its shine.
Solid gold is top of the line, but it’s only “solid” in the sense that it’s not hollow
Solid-gold jewelry is the stuff of heirlooms. By definition, it can’t be hollow, so it has “a nicer, richer, heavier feeling,” Weiner says. But most jewelry that’s labeled solid gold will still be mixed with other metals. A lot of the solid gold on the market is made of 14k solid gold, which is close the middle of the karat scale and contains almost 60 percent pure gold. Brands such as Catbird, Mociun, and Kinn are all known for their 14k-gold pieces. It’s stronger and more durable than 14k-gold plating, gold filled, or vermeil. “It does everything you want gold to do,” Weiner says. It’s an investment for sure, but also your best bet if you want your gold to last a lifetime (and maybe even longer).
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