SearchGold plated vs gold filled vs vermeil vs solid gold: what each means and how to tell
From the counter at TraxNYC, 47th Street.
The short answer
- Solid gold is karat gold all the way through. 10K, 14K or 18K, stamped 417, 585 or 750. Nothing on it wears through to another metal.
- Gold filled is karat gold bonded to a base metal, at least one twentieth of the piece's weight, stamped GF or a fraction such as 1/20 14K GF.
- Gold plated is a coat of gold measured in microns over brass, copper, steel or silver, stamped GP, GEP or HGE, or not at all. It wears through.
- Vermeil is gold over sterling silver: at least 2.5 microns of 10K or better under the FTC's Jewelry Guides, stamped 925.
Not sure what you have? Text us a photo of the stamp or call 212-872-9692. Our team texts back 10 AM to 10 PM ET; later texts are answered the next day.
Solid Gold Chains
All solid gold chains
Gold plated vs gold filled vs vermeil vs solid gold, side by side
| What it is | The gold | The stamp | What wears | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solid gold | Karat gold through the whole piece | 41.7 percent of the metal in 10K, 58.3 in 14K, 75 in 18K | 10K or 417, 14K or 585, 18K or 750 | Nothing wears through |
| Gold filled | A sheet of karat gold bonded to brass or copper by heat and pressure | At least 1/20 of the weight | GF, or a fraction such as 1/20 14K GF | The layer, slowly, at the rub points |
| Vermeil | Gold laid over sterling silver | At least 2.5 microns of 10K or better | 925 | The gold, down to silver, which tarnishes |
| Gold plated | A coat of gold on brass, copper, steel or silver | From 0.175 microns; 2.5 for heavy plate | GP, GEP or HGE, or none | The coat, first at the clasp and the edges |
Minimums from the FTC's Jewelry Guides. Gold flashed or washed is thinner than 0.175 microns; gold tone has no gold at all. A micron is a thousandth of a millimeter.
What the words mean
Karat gold. Under the FTC's Jewelry Guides, nothing under 10K may be sold as karat gold in the United States, and the karat runs through the whole piece: cut a solid 14K link in half and the inside is 14K too. The stamps and weights: 10K vs 14K vs 18K.
Solid, to a jeweler, also means not hollow. A hollow 14K chain is still 14K gold, not plated; hollow vs solid gold chains explains the build.
Gold filled is karat gold bonded to a base-metal core, at least one twentieth of the weight; rolled gold plate, stamped RGP, is the same bond, usually with less gold. Gold plated, or gold electroplate, is gold laid on by electric current: at least 0.175 microns of 10K or better, and 2.5 for heavy gold electroplate, stamped HGE.
Vermeil is sterling silver under at least 2.5 microns of 10K or better; where the gold wears, the silver tarnishes, and does sterling silver tarnish has the care.
How to tell what you have
- Read the stamp with a loupe, on the clasp, a tag or a link end. 417, 585 or 750 is karat gold; GF, RGP or a fraction is gold filled; GP, GEP or HGE is plated; 925 on a yellow piece is vermeil or plated silver. No stamp: ask a jeweler.
- Look at the rub points: the clasp, the backs of the links, the bail. Yellow worn through to a white, grey or reddish metal means plated or filled, not karat gold.
- Try a magnet. Karat gold does not pull. A pull along the links means another metal under the yellow; no pull proves nothing, because brass and copper do not pull either.
- Weigh it. Gold is dense, so a solid chain weighs well more than a plated brass one of the same size. Our listings print the grams, and how much a gold chain weighs has the ladders.
- Bring it in. "Every chain is weighed, stamp-checked and appraised at the counter," in our showroom page's words. Do not scratch or file a piece at home.
Which one to buy
For a piece worn every day, in the shower and at the gym, buy solid gold: nothing wears through. On a budget, the counter's answer is not plating; it is 10K, often in a light link.
From the counter
“If you want a big look without spending a fortune, start with a 10K light link: real gold, built with a hollow core. A semi-hollow Franco or a palm link in 10K is sturdy, looks great on the neck and gives you real value for the money. And it is still gold. Gold always carries its worth, just like an 18K or a 24K chain does.”
Gold filled wears far longer than plating but is mostly base metal; plated and vermeil pieces are fashion jewelry, fine for a season. A solid piece is priced by its grams, its karat's share of gold, the day's gold price on the spot page and the making; a filled or plated piece carries too little gold for that arithmetic.
What we sell
What we sell as gold is karat gold, 10K, 14K, 18K and up, and the listing names the karat. A handful of our sterling silver pendants are listed as gold plated or gold-dipped, and the title says so. If a listing ever leaves you unsure of the metal, ask before you buy.
From our reviews page: "If anything you bought from us ever tests under the metal it was sold as, a gold karat or sterling silver, you get your money back in full, with no time limit."
Shop by the metal: solid gold chains, 14K gold chains, and by karat, men's 10K gold and men's 14K gold.
Questions
Is gold filled better than gold plated?
For wear, yes. The gold on a filled piece is a bonded layer, at least a twentieth of the weight; plating is a coat measured in microns. Both have another metal underneath, and neither is solid karat gold.
Can you shower with gold filled or gold plated jewelry?
Solid gold, yes. Filled and plated pieces last longer kept dry, since soap, chlorine and sweat wear the surface. Clean a plated piece with a damp cloth only, as how to clean a gold chain says.
Does gold plated jewelry turn your skin green?
It can, once the plating wears: the copper in brass reacts with sweat. Karat gold can mark too, from its alloy; does gold tarnish, or is it fake explains each mark.
How long does gold plating last?
It depends on the thickness and the wear; a heavy plate outlasts a flash coat, and the clasp and edges show first. A jeweler can re-plate it; under our refund policy, plating done for you is final sale.
Is white gold plated?
White gold is karat gold, most often under a rhodium plating for the bright white; the rhodium wears and can be redone. More in white gold vs yellow gold.
Keep reading
More answers from the counter: all TraxNYC buyer's guides.
Bring a piece you are not sure of to 64 W 47th St, Booth F-1: Monday to Friday 11 am to 6 pm ET, weekends 12 pm to 4 pm ET. Text 212-872-9692 first, or read our showroom page.