Today's myth: Gold filled, gold plated, gold vermeil...they're all the same.
These terms can be confusing but they actually refer to different process of combining gold with other metals.
- Gold plated jewelry is made by the process of applying a thin layer of gold onto the surface of another metal. A base metal such as steel or brass is dipped into a bath of electroplating solution, with a lump of solid gold. When an electric current is applied, a thin layer of gold is deposited on the metal. The thickness of the gold is only a few microns.
- Gold filled jewelry is composed of a layer of gold bonded with heat and pressure to another type of metal such as brass. The thickness of the gold is higher than that of gold plated jewelry. In order to be marked as Gold Filled or GF, 1/20th of its weight must be gold.
- Gold Vermeil jewelry is made by coating sterling silver with gold. Vermeil is made using the process of electrolysis — electricity and an acid bath — to attach the gold to sterling. In order for items to be considered vermeil the gold must be a minimum of 10 karats and have a minimum thickness of 2.5 micrometres.
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