LET'S TALK JEWELRY: THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF GOLD AND HOW TO CARE FOR THEM

By MJ Carlson Apr 06, 2020

No matter the piece or the price , we all want to get the most out of our jewelry. You guys ask us about this all the time so I wanted to drop some knowledge about the different types of jewelry available and some tips/tricks on how to take care of them.

Lets start with the different types of gold!  When you’re looking for gold jewelry these are the types that come up most often- gold plated, gold vermeil, gold filled and solid gold.

Here’s the breakdown:

Gold Plated:  Gold plating is a layer or gold applied to a base metal (ours is brass).  So the base is metal and the gold is essentially dipped over the outside of that base (there is no gold inside the piece).  Our gold plated pieces are plated with 5x the amount of normal gold plating because quality is our #1!

Gold Vermeil: Gold vermeil is genuine sterling silver that has been expertly plated with a thick layer of gold.  The difference here is the base must be sterling silver.  These pieces are great for individuals  who may have sensitive skin or allergies to base metals.

Gold Filled: Gold filled jewelry has around 100% more gold than gold plated jewelry and a much higher tarnish resistance.  It is made by bonding together gold and another base metal, so there is gold in the entire piece and not just an outside coating. It will not flake of or change colors.  Gold filled is a great (and economical) alternative to solid gold jewelry.  This type of gold is easy to maintain and normally lasts a lifetime.

Solid Gold:  Solid gold is the highest in price in purity.  Pure gold is actually too soft for everyday wear, so it is alloyed with a mixture of metals to give it strength and durability.  Karatage indicates the purity of the gold, or how much of the metal is pure gold. For example, 18kt gold is 75% gold, 14kt gold is 58% gold.

CARE

So how do I take care of and get the most out of my piece?

Gold Plated & Gold Vermeil:  We recommend you keep it dry and away from skincare products.  Take it off to shower, don’t wear it swimming, and avoid coming into contact with lotions and creams.  Storage tip- keep it in a plastic bag to help avoid moisture in the air.

Gold Filled: You are fine to shower in gold-filled jewelry, get it wet, wear it for life! We do recommend you remove it in salt water or chlorine.  Wearing it while using basic lotions is fine, but remove it when putting on anything strong- retinol, peels, glycolic acid etc.

Solid Gold: Little care is needed here.  Give it a wipe with a jewelry cloth once and awhile to keep it fresh.

Now keep on shining...because no matter what you're wearing you are GOLDEN!

Ammonia method

- March 27, 2023

This article was very enlightening and useful for me. I learned a lot about the different types of gold and how to care for them. The article was clear, concise and well-written. I liked how it explained the advantages and disadvantages of each type of gold and gave tips on how to prevent tarnishing and scratching. I also appreciated the links to the products and the pictures that showed the quality and beauty of the jewelry. I’m glad I found this article and 18K Chain,https://www.18kchain.com/， a website that offers stunning and long-lasting gold jewelry that I can shower in. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise on this topic.😊

Gold Plated Jewelry

- August 10, 2022

A piece of jewellery is a treasure forever. You just clarify the difference between pure gold and for example 18k, 20k gold. Informative blog. I am also trying to write similar type of blog in here https://www.goynagati.com. Keep posting!

Freddy Joe

- April 22, 2022

very nice, love the article.

mlinder

- February 22, 2022

so are you saying that there really isn’t any solid gold to wear, it all has to be mixed with something because it’s too soft. ie, 14k, 18k, 10k, their all mixed with something. yet its called solid gold ?

Dean Phillips

- August 01, 2021

Just last Wednesday night, my neighbor visited me where he told me about how he wishes to get a genuine golden diamond for his wife who turns 35 in a week. I offered to help him with the research and that’s where I came across your very interesting post. I am most fond of where you explained that pure gold is actually too soft for everyday wear, so it is alloyed with a mixture of metals to give it strength and durability. This is a good point you raised here, where I’m sure those looking to get genuine gold rings like my neighbor will be glad to have learnt of. Thank you! I’ll pass this on to him in a bit! http://jefjewelry.com/product/natural-golden-diamond-ring/