Gold jewelry is the standard of luxury and class. But, you don't need to raise spirits to get gold nuggets.
Beginners and experienced jewelry wearers alike sometimes feel that deciding what type of gold jewelry to get can be a task. How many carats should I get? What is electroplating? Will gold suit my skin tone? Will it last forever?
Hence, to remove the veil of uncertainty, we have decided to help you out by creating an exhaustive guide to types of gold jewelry so that you can feel confident buying your next extravagant piece of jewelry
Types of Gold Jewelry:
- 24K Gold (Pure Gold)
- 14K Gold (Solid Gold)
- 18K Gold (Solid Gold)
- Gold Vermeil
- Gold Filled
- Gold Plated
Solid gold
Solid gold jewelry is exactly what the name suggests – the entire piece of jewelry is made entirely of gold (no base metals). There are several karats of gold, which determine the ratio of gold to alloy. Pure gold (24 karat) is too soft and malleable to be used in jewelry, so gold must be alloyed with other metals to give it strength and durability. 14k solid gold is 14 parts gold (58.3%) and 10 parts alloy (41.7%), while 18k solid gold is 18 parts gold (75%) and 6 parts alloy (25%). The lower the karat, the lower the price because less gold is being used in it.
Solid gold is the best quality of gold – it's great for everyday wear, doesn't fade and is hypoallergenic. However, since the entire piece of jewelry is made of gold, it is quite expensive and not affordable for many. Many retailers of solid gold jewelry also have high markups, so a simple necklace can cost hundreds of dollars.
Gold-filled
There are some limitations to the method of making a bowl full of gold; It is only available in wire or sheet form, so it cannot be cast or molded. Gold-filled charms are either flat (made of sheet metal) or hollow (two pieces of sheet metal joined together). When you cannot make gold-filled amulets or rings, use gold vermilion instead.
Gold-filled gilt contains about 100 times more gold than gold-plated gilt. Gold plating does not hold, because the roots are mechanically attached, not the grass. Some parts of precious stones have properties similar to gold tarnish. Gold-filled stains are also good for people with metal allergies, as the material does not cause allergies.
Gold vermeil
Gold vermeil (pronounced ver-may) is a thick layer of gold over sterling silver. US standards require at least 2.5 microns of gold plating on sterling silver, but some other countries require less, such as Canada which only requires 1.0 microns. It is hypoallergenic, so people with metal allergies can safely wear it. Since the gold layer in vermeil is thicker than in gold plated jewelry, the gold lasts longer. Over the years, with heavy use, gold can wear down in high-contact areas.
We recommend buying gold vermeil products from trusted brands as some companies may claim that their products are vermeil, but their products do not contain 2.5 micron gold. 2.5 microns are converted to inches. 0001", as you can imagine, is very difficult to measure without the proper equipment. At Simple & Dainty, we ship our vermilion pieces to a reputable plating factory that has the ability to measure that on sterling silver. So much gold is offered.