The Difference Between Solid Gold, Gold Plated, and Gold Fill

One of the most common questions we hear about gold jewelry is, “What is the difference between solid gold, gold plated, and gold fill?” Let's break down the difference between the three, and clarify all the confusing numbers that come up when talking about gold and gold fill.

 

Solid Gold


The most expensive of them all, solid gold jewelry is identified by its karat number, which refers to how much of the metal is actually gold. You may be thinking, "What? Solid gold isn't actually made entirely of gold?"

That's correct. Gold is a very soft metal, much too soft for regular wear. It can be strengthened by silver, copper, nickel or zinc, which are known as base metals.

You can normally find between 12k and 24k gold, and the higher the karat number, the more gold is contained in the metal. 24k gold is the only karat level that is made of pure gold. This may seem desirable, but the higher the karat, the more likely your jewelry is to become damaged.

Gold jewelry also gets more expensive as the karat number gets higher, so be wary of inexpensive items listed as solid gold jewelry—chances are, you're not getting what you think you are.

Gold Plated

Because gold jewelry can be so expensive, a process of electroplating can be used to put a microscopic layer of gold onto a base metal, which is then used to make gold plated jewelry.

This process is inexpensive, but since it uses very little gold, the gold is subject to scratching and wears off. When honestly marketed, gold plated jewelry has an average lifetime of 1-3 years before it will need to be re-plated.

Gold Fill

More expensive than gold plated, and more affordable (and durable) than solid gold, gold fill is the Goldilocks of gold jewelry—and it's what we use to make our gold jewelry here at Waystone!

Despite the confusing name, gold fill is not actually filled with gold, but rather uses a process involving heat and pressure to bond gold to a base metal of silver, copper, nickel, or zinc.

We use 14/20 gold fill for Waystone’s gold earrings, necklaces, chains, and clasps. This means that the top layer of the jewelry is comprised of 14k gold, and the gold makes up 1/20th (or 5%) of the total weight of the jewelry.

We love the stunning shine of gold combined with the added durability that gold fill provides. Check out all of our gold fill jewelry here!