The Differences Between Gold Fill, Gold Plated, Vermeil, & Gold Jewelery

It seems more and more of the upscale new jewelry is gold plated, or vermeil. Most of us know the karat markings on gold jewelery. But apparently some people have been taken in when buying what they think is gold, when it is gold-plated or vermeil.

Sometimes gold metal jewelery is described as gold plated, but it is simply gold tone metal, often brass with no gold content at all. The mark on gold plated jewelery is simply G.P. and for gold fill G.F.

The lowest quality and quickest to wear off, is gold-plated. It looks great in pictures when it is brand new, but eventually the very thin layer of gold wears off. If it is a ring or an item worn often, it may wear off within a year. The base metal underneath is often copper or a mix of metals. This type of jewelery may cause skin reactions in people who are sensitive. The reason for the reactions is likely due to a layer of nickel used in this type of electroplating.

The next on the list for appearance and longevity is gold vermeil, which is considered affordable, of good quality, and longer lasting than regular gold plating. Both gold vermeil and gold plated means the item is dipped in gold through an electroplating process. Vermeil is immersed longer and frequently uses sterling silver as a base metal. It is also hypoallergenic, and will not wear off for several years if cared for. However, it is unlikely to stand the 100 year test of time.

Gold filled is a layer of gold bonded onto a base metal, often sterling silver. It is durable, and the next best quality to the standard and much more expensive 12K or 14K gold. In this case, the hallmark indicates the karat as 1/20 14K G.F. or 1/20 12K G.F.

In the case of a G.F. beaded necklace, it means twenty of the beads would be equivalent to one 12K or 14K gold bead. The amount of gold used in the bonding process, is more than what is used for gold plated or vermeil. It is not likely to wear off on necklaces or bracelets, therefore is the best choice if you want the look of real gold without the price.

Whether it is brass, sterling silver or gold, all jewelery contains alloy metals. Often when people have reactions to jewelery, one of the alloys is the culprit. Nickel is the most common metal allergen. The plain electroplated G.P. is most likely to cause reactions for those who are sensitive to nickel alloys.

In the case of sterling silver, it is 92.5% pure silver, and usually has copper as an alloy, as opposed to nickel.

Brass consists mostly of copper and zinc, but can have a range of other metal alloys to make the colour, or sheen more interesting. Lead, tin, iron, aluminum, and manganese might be in brass metals. Some brass, especially antique brass with a copper alloy, can look very much like gold. It has been used for hundreds, if not thousands of years to emulate the look of real gold.

Antique and vintage jewelery provides an education in everything from base metals, to gemstones, designs, origins, markings, and makers. It’s a learning curve with lots of shine!