Gold fillings and gold plating explained

Gold Filled and Gold Plated: What's What?

In the jewelry trade, you'll encounter various terms for gold-plated jewelry – Gold Filled, Gold Plated, Vermeil. What are the differences and when is which the right choice?

Gold Plated

• Thin layer of gold (0.5-2.5 µm) on a base metal (brass, copper)
• Durability: Weeks to months with daily wear
• Cheapest option
• Can discolor skin if gold layer wears off

Gold Vermeil

• At least 2.5 µm gold layer on 925 sterling silver
• Higher quality than standard Gold Plated
• More skin-friendly due to silver base
• Durability: 1-3 years with normal wear

Gold Filled

• 5% of total weight is gold – mechanically applied, much thicker layer
• Much more durable than gold plating – 10-30 years possible
• Cannot be distinguished from 14K gold without a laboratory test
• Not solid gold – no melt value

Solid Gold (Real Gold)

• 585 or 750 gold all the way through
• Fineness-stamped
• Material value is retained
• Most durable option for valuable jewelry

At corelunejewellery.de, you exclusively purchase solid real gold – 585 and 750, clearly stamped.