Metals and Imitation Gold

Base Metal of Imitation Gold
A nonprecious metal such as copper, iron, nickel and zinc.

Gold Electroplating
A quick and inexpensive way to make base metal look like gold. The object is dipped in a gold plating solutions and then an electrical current is used to coat the object with a thin layer of gold. The thickness of the gold depends upon the amount and duration of the current. For an item to be called gold electroplate in the US, the gold layer must be at least 7/1,000,000 of an inch thick. If the layer is thinner, then the item is described as gold flashed or gold washed.

Gold filled
Composed of a layer of gold mechanically bonded to a base metal using heat and pressure. In the US, the layer must be at least 10K gold and 1/20th of the total weight of the object.

Gold flashed
Composed of a very thin electroplate of gold, less than 7 millions of an inch thick.

Gold overlay
Same as gold filled except the gold layer is thinner. It can be from 1/20th to 1/40th of the total weight of the object.

Gold plate
Same as gold overlay. An example of how it might be indicated on a jewelry piece is 1/40 12Kt RGP, meaning that the piece has been mechanicaly bonded with a layer of 12K gold which is 1/40th of the total weight of the piece. Canadian law does not allow plated items to be stamped.

Platinum group metals
Platinum and the five other metals which are chemically and physically similar and which are often deposited with it: palladium, iridium, osmium, rhodium and ruthenium.

Precious metals
Gold Silver and the platinum group metals.

Vermeil
Sterling silver covered with at least 120/millionths of an inch of fine gold. The layer of gold may be either electroplated or mechanically bonded.