Gold Filled Jewellery

You may or may not have heard of the term 'Gold Filled' when looking at jewellery and indeed I have started to create my own small range of Gold Filled Jewellery.

So what is it exactly.

Gold Filled is a term used to describe a solid gold layer of not less than 5% that has been mechanically bonded using heat and pressure onto a base metal core - usually brass. The carat of gold that is used in gold filled jewellery is usually14ct.

What are the benefits.

An item that is Gold Filled contains 100 times more gold on the surface than a gold plated item. When you have an item gold plated, the thickness of the plating is approx 0.05% gold which means that it is easily worn or scratched away over a relatively short period of time exposing the brass metal core of the item. It isn't very resistant to tarnishing, contact with perfumes and creams or heat/water etc. But as the Gold Filled item has 5% 14ct gold mechanically bonded to the core metal, this means it will be far more resistant to tarnishing etc and looked after properly could last between 10 to 30 years.

As items made of solid 9ct or 18ct gold are expensive, gold filled items are much lower in price but have the same look and feel as the real thing. 

Taking care of your Gold Filled item.

You still need to take care of your item gold filled jewellery in the same way you would any other piece of jewellery. To get the most out of your jewellery you should avoid wearing it when you go swimming. Try to avoid wearing your jewellery when you are applying sun cream and perfume. Be mindful that hot humid environments such as saunas and hot tubs can speed up the tarnishing process so try to avoid wearing them at such times. Avoid using abrasive polishing cloths. A simple clean with a mild detergent and a very soft childs toothbrush should be enough to clean your jewellery. You can use a smooth non abrasive polishing cloth that is suitable for gold jewellery. 

Can it be hallmarked.

The simple answer to this is no. Only items that are made from solid precious metals such as sterling silver, gold, platinum, palladium can be hallmarked.