14k Gold Vs. Gold Plated Vs. Gold Filled
Buying jewelry or any other gold item requires more research and understanding than you may probably be thinking. If you are here, it is a good sign that you are doing your due diligence and have found out that there are several types of gold products in the market. Their differences influence significant considerations like value and durability.
To ensure you are purchasing the gold item you intended to get, an understanding of the three main types of gold and how they compare to each other is essential.
14K Gold
14k Gold is a solid/pure gold. The K denotes Karats, one of the two systems used to count the fineness or gold content in jewelry. Under the Karat system, the highest gold content is 24K gold. 14K gold consists of 14 parts of gold and ten parts of other metals. That is about 58.3% pure gold, which explains why it is expensive. Solid gold is valued for its higher gold purity and its higher shine and radiant color. The downside of solid gold is that it is highly malleable and soft, which explains why no jewelry is made entirely of gold since it would keep losing and changing its shape, risking even the positioning of other stones. An alloy of gold has to be used to help the gold maintain its form. This explains why 14K gold contains ten parts of other metal, usually copper or silver.
Gold Plated
Gold plated jewelry and items are some of the most common ones in the market and with people. Gold plating involves the use of a base metal, usually brass or copper, and then a thin layer of gold is plated on top through electroplating. While the thickness of the gold plating may vary, the amount of gold used is still so low that it is technically not measured, usually consisting of about 0.05% of the total weight of the item. Some items may claim to have 24K gold plating, but because of the small amounts used, there is hardly any difference in the inherent value of gold. The layer is so thin it can be rubbed off by an eraser. The design may be excellent, but the gold content is more of an aesthetic attribute. Some types of gold plating are expensive than others like vermeil because they use sterling silver instead of copper, tin or brass, and the base metal.
Gold Filled
Gold-filled items are made by having one or several sheets of solid gold, wrapped or bonded around a base metal; in essence, the layers of gold become filled by the other metal. It takes up a considerable amount of gold, and in some cases, gold-filled items are legally required to consist of solid gold for five percent of the item’s weight. The amount of gold used in gold plating may differ for each piece, while the purity of the solid gold will influence the final amount of pure gold used, so both these factors should guide your purchase. Ultimately, gold-filled is not the same as solid gold though it may share some of its properties.
Which one should you purchase?
In terms of budget, 14K gold will cost you more as it is solid gold, gold-filled, and gold plated. Solid gold is, however, the most durable of the three and does not tarnish. Gold plated items tarnish quickly, exposing the metal underneath, and you may also need to watch out for allergic reactions since your skin may be sensitive to the base reactions when the gold layer wears off. Gold-filled items do not tarnish quickly and can last a lifetime under proper care, and since they do not cost much as 14K gold, they may be a good compromise. However, gold-plated items can still serve in the short term occasions where you want to stand without the extra cost of more gold content.