Know Your Gold and Your Gold Jewelry

10k, 14k, 18k. Most of us already know that the 'k' in the gold designation stands for 'karat." The karat number identifies the amount of pure gold (the "purity") in a piece of gold jewelry or other gold object. The designation "24k" denotes pure gold, which is by and large considered much too soft for jewelry. The gold, therefore, is alloyed with different metals to increase its strength. The type of metal alloyed with pure gold will also determine the shade of the resultant gold alloy. This is how you can have two separate pieces of gold jewelry, each with a 14k gold designation, that appear to be two entirely different shades of gold. This is also how rose gold, green gold and white gold are created, by alloying pure gold with copper, silver and palladium, respectively.

18k gold is three-quarters pure gold . The European designation for 18k gold is 750. Though pricier and well as more valuable than 14k gold, 18k gold jewelry is also softer and therefore a bit more prone to damage in everyday wear. On the plus side, 18k gold can be a blessing for those who are allergic to lesser metals.

14k gold is 58.3% pure gold. The European designation for 14k gold is 585.

14k gold is the grade of gold most frequently used in the manufacture of jewelry. The gold content is a nice middle ground between 18k and 10k and the percentage of alloy with another, stronger metal makes it a more practical choice for jewelry (especially frequently-worn pieces such as wedding rings) over that of 18k gold jewelry, which has a high enough percentage of pure gold to be more susceptible to dings, bending and marring over its 14k counterpart.

12k gold is 50% pure gold. The European designation for 12k gold is 500.

10k gold is 41.7% pure gold. The European designation for 10k gold is 417. It is a requirement in the United States that any jewelry marked or sold as "gold jewelry" MUST be 10k or greater.

By the way, there is nothing wrong at all with a great piece of jewelry which is well constructed, well designed and 12k or 10k gold. You know it will be durable. And the percentage of gold (either 50% or 41.7%) is within the alloy - that is to say, the gold is distributed throughout the metal alloy mix, so put aside any concerns you may have about "wearing off" the gold in your 12k or 10k gold jewelry. It isn't going to happen, and there's just too many pieces of absolutely lovely 10k and 12k gold jewelry out there to just write them off out of hand.

Solid Gold. Don't be fooled by the term, "solid gold." Though any jewelry sold in the U.S. as "gold jewelry" must be 10k pureness or greater, guaranteeing that you are, in fact, purchasing a piece of gold jewelry, the term "solid gold" is legally used to refer to any piece of jewelry with a designation of 10k or greater provided it does not employ the use of hollow construction - hence, "solid gold." Be sure to check out the gold content of any piece of solid gold jewelry you are considering as a purchase, as the term, "solid gold," only ensures that the piece is at least 10k gold. Its gold content may be greater or it may not.

Karat designation. The word, "karat," as previously mentioned, denotes the purity of gold. The similarly spelled and pronounced, "carat," meanwhile, is used to denote the weight of gemstones.

In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) provides the standards by which a purity mark is used for gold. Though a stamp denoting a level of purity, such as 14k, is not required by law, nearly all gold jewelry produced by a reputable manufacturer will have such a mark. It would be safe to say that the majority of newly manufactured gold jewelry sold in the United States will have such a mark; not having a purity mark would be a rather risky move on a manufacturer's part, as most U.S. consumers know and expect a karat designation on their jewelry. Near the purity mark there should also appear the trademark or hallmark of the manufacturer, the stamp-of-approval, so to speak, of the company or manufacturer who stands by their product and the purity designation assigned to it.

Gold Plated. The term gold plated is an all-encompassing, rather generic term which simply refers to any piece that is plated with a layer of gold, however thin or thick, and by whatever means (chemical plated, electroplated or otherwise). In terms of jewelry, the gold plating would be applied to a base metal, usually silver or silver with a layer of copper and/or nickel. Gold plating will eventually tarnish, as the gold plating interacts with the metals underneath it, and gold plating is also susceptible to wearing away with use. The process of tarnishing and wear, however, is difficult to measure since it depends on the thickness of the gold plate, the frequency of use, the care with which the piece is used, and so forth. A quality piece of gold plated jewelry could well last and look marvelous for years and years.

Under the generic term, gold plated, are a variety of terms which describe specific types of gold jewelry pieces and their manufacture and which also fall under regulation of the Fair Trades Commission:

Gold Filled Jewelry. Gold filled jewelry is also referred to as, "rolled gold" or "rolled gold plate"; although both denote types of gold plated jewelry, there is a quality difference between "gold filled" and "rolled gold."

The term Gold Filled means that a layer of gold has been applied to a base metal such as brass. Thus, gold filled jewelry is a specific sub-category, if you will, of the generic term, "gold plated jewelry."

In the United States, gold filled jewelry which uses 10k gold must have a layer of gold equal to 1/10^th of the jewelry's total weight in order to be able to bear the stamp, "10k GF" or "1/10 10k GF."

Gold filled jewelry using 12k gold or higher must use a layer of gold equal to 1/20^th of the jewelry's total weight and would be stamped, "12k GF" or "1/20 12k GF," and so forth.

Gold filled jewelry can retain its beauty for years and years and is generally more attractive, more "rich looking," and more durable than gold electroplate jewelry.

Rolled Gold, on the other hand, refers to gold plated jewelry which does not meet the weight requirements of gold filled jewelry. As an example, a piece of jewelry may be marked, "1/30 12k" and it would be considered rolled gold, not gold filled, because its gold layer does not meet the weight requirement for "gold filled," - meaning the gold layer used does not equal at least 1/20^th of the total weight of the piece.

Gold Vermeil. Gold Vermeil (pronounced vur-may), another subcategory of "gold plated" is simply a term used to refer to jewelry or other objects that consist of a layer of gold, 10k minimum and a minimum of 2.5 microns in thickness, applied over Sterling silver. Interestingly, during the World War II era many costume jewelry manufacturers began producing gold vermeil pieces, as the supply of base metals was channeled toward the war effort. Imagine having to "settle" for gold over Sterling silver in your costume jewelry!

Gold Electroplate. Yet another subcategory of "gold plated," Gold Electroplate denotes a gold layer at least .175 microns thick of 10k gold, minimum, layered onto a base metal by electroplating.

Gold Wash. The term Gold Wash refers to a piece which has been electroplated with an extremely thin layer of gold, even thinner than that which qualifies as gold electroplate. Of all the different gold qualities and designations discussed in this article, gold wash will generally show wear the fastest.

Shopping for Vintage Gold? Whether you shop for gold jewelry at an antique mall or you make it a habit to hunt for gold treasures at your local thrift shop, sometimes asking to borrow a jeweler's loupe or dragging out your own loupe may not be in your best interest. The solution? Simply invest in an inexpensive pair of magnifying glasses, the strongest ones you can stand. Sometimes they can even be found at your local dollar store. You can wear them around your neck like reading glasses and, when the time is right, unobtrusively check your potential purchase for purity marks, manufacturer's signatures, etc., without calling undue attention to yourself or your interest in the piece.

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Now you can go forth and shop wisely for your gold and gold plated jewelry. And remember: If a piece of jewelry speaks to you, touches your heart and gives you a thrill, it doesn't matter if it's 18k gold or a cigar band. My most treasured necklace, among the Sterling silver and gold, is a few wooden beads on a hank of light blue yarn. My daughter made it for me when she was six or so and it's irreplaceable, with a value that cannot be measured.

Sources:

Facets Gem & Mineral Gallery-Gold:
http://www.4facets.com/jagold.html#3

About.com:
http://jewelry.about.com/od/jewelrymetals/a/gold_jewelry.htm

FTC-All that Glitters:
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/products/pro02.shtm

Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_plating
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carat_(purity)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermeil

Artisan Plating:
http://www.artisanplating.com/faqs/goldplatefaqs.html