There are many techniques to create gold-tone jewelry, so how do you make sure that the pieces you're buying are going to keep its color for more than a week?

One of our missions is to educate you in the main differences between gold-plated, gold vermeil and gold-filled jewelry and help you to shop smart so you're always getting the best value for your money! 

GOLD PLATED

Gold plated jewelry is a brass, copper, or low-end metal electroplated with a layer of gold. Usually less expensive than vermeil, gold plated jewelry doesn’t require any minimum karat weight or thickness. Gold content is usually 0.03% to 0.05% and unfortunately the thin gold layer will wear off quickly. This is a budget-friendly option, but definitely won't last long. 

GOLD VERMEIL

Similar to gold plating, gold vermeil is when sterling silver is plated with a thin layer of gold. Usually marked as 925 for silver, and the gold is coated with a thickness of 2.5 microns. Gold content is usually less than 1%. Gold vermeil is a better option than gold plating, good for fashion jewelry and specially for those with sensitivity to nickel, brass or copper. It can last up to 6 months of regular wear and even more with proper care. 

GOLD FILLED

To make Gold Filled jewelry, multiple layers of solid gold are permanently pressure-bonded to a core of high-quality brass using extreme heat. FTC industry standards dictate that your piece must be at least 5% solid gold by weight. The result is a thick layer of real gold and a durable, long-lasting product. Gold-filled jewelry is a great alternative to solid gold, as it offers the ideal balance of quality and value without the price tag. To put it simply, gold-filled is in between solid gold and gold-plated and it's the best affordable option. Unlike vermeil and gold plated jewelry, gold filled is created through bonding with heat and has a much thicker layer of gold over the base metal, usually as much as 100% thicker, which makes a big difference in its ability to last longer and resist wear and tear in the long run. Although the base metal is usually brass, it's hard to tell the difference between real solid gold and a gold filled piece of jewelry.