Gold Plated Jewelry

Q: What is gold plating?
Gold plating is a method of depositing a thin layer of gold onto the surface of another metal, most often copper or silver (to make silver-gilt), by chemical or electrochemical means. This article covers methods used in the modern electronics industry; more traditional methods, often used for much larger objects, are covered in gilding.


Q: What about this, Gold-fill or Rolled Gold Plate?
Gold-filled jewelry, also known as "rolled gold" or "rolled gold plate" is composed of a solid layer of gold bonded with heat and pressure to a base metal such as brass. Some high quality gold-filled pieces have the same appearance as 14 karat (58%) gold. In the USA the quality of gold filled is defined by the Federal Trade Commission. If the gold layer is 10 kt fineness the minimum layer of karat gold in an item stamped GF must equal at least 1/10 the weight of the total item. If the gold layer is 12 kt or higher the minimum layer of karat gold in an item stamped GF must equal at least 1/20 the weight of the total item. 1/20 12kt GF and 1/20 14kt GF are the most common stamps found on gold-filled jewelry. 1/10 10kt is also common. Some products are made using sterling silver as the base, although this more expensive version is not common today.

Q: How to tell how much gold is in gold plated jewelry.
Markings have been added to newer gold jewelry to enable buyers to know how much gold they are buying and what karatage the goldplating is. A marking that says 1/20 12K G.F. means that the gold filled jewelry is at least 1/20th of 12 karat gold by weight.

Q: Why does gold plated jewelry lose its gold colour?
Gold plated jewelry has a tendency to lose its gold colour. With a normal plating thickness this can be in as little time as a year. Why is this? Usually, goldp lating is added over silver. Silver and gold can be reactive together and so the gold is gradually diffused into the silver and the silver comes to the surface and is diffused into the gold. It is not that the gold is wearing off, rather silver is coming to the surface and the gold is receding into the silver, making the gold plated jewelry lose its gold colouring. Tarnishing can also occur to the gold plated jewelry when silver has reached the surface.

Gold plated jewelry is not an investment in gold jewelry. It is used almost exclusively in costume or party jewelry.