Jewelry Quality

There are so many types of "gold jewelry" offered that it can become difficult to navigate the choices, and hard to find accurate information. Many jewelry stores aren’t clear in the materials and process used in their items, and some sell low quality items that won’t last long for high prices.

We have carefully chosen the materials and processes used in our pieces, so that your jewelry will last for many years to come, even with regular use.

Materials used are listed for each item we sell, so you can be fully informed when making your purchase.

What is a Karat?

The numbers of 10K, 14K, 18K, and 24K are used to indicate the purity of the gold and expressed in terms of ‘karat’, and abbreviated with the letter ‘K’. Pure gold is 24K, which is the highest karat level for gold, meaning it is 100% pure gold. 18K gold is 75% purity level, 14K is 58.3% purity level, and 10K is 41.7% purity level.

The higher the karat number, the more pure of gold. Anything other than 24K is mixed with metals such as copper, nickel, and silver. Whichever metal is used to create the alloy brings its own characteristics in terms of color, heft, brittleness, and malleability. Generally speaking, the less karats present, the less expensive, harder, and lighter weight the item will be when compared to gold.

What is a Micron?

1 micron is 0.001 of a millimeter. This is a unit of measurement to describe how thick a layer of gold is on the jewelry when considering jewelry that is not solid gold. Microns can be relevant for gold filled, gold vermeil, or gold plated items. The more microns, the more durable an item is.

Items that are gold plated with a gold flash technique tend to be less than .175 microns, and do not last very long (an estimated 6-12 months with normal wear). Comparably, a ring with 3 microns of gold plating can last 2-3 years with normal wear, whereas a ring with 3 microns using a gold filled technique could last 10+ years. As you can see, the thickness of microns and method used has a big impact on the durability of the jewelry.

Solid Gold

Solid gold jewelry is made entirely of gold. Solid gold will be made out of a specific number of karats, with 24K being pure gold. It is the most expensive type of gold jewelry, most durable, with the highest value and quality.

Solid gold will last for generations, is waterproof, and can be worn heavily without tarnishing. Solid gold jewelry can also be recycled at the end of its life and remade into something new, making it the most eco-friendly and sustainable option.

Solid gold jewelry is hypoallergenic.

Gold Filled

Also known as “rolled gold” or “gold overlay”. Gold filled jewelry isn't actually 'filled with gold' - it is made using a sheet of gold covering a base metal.

Gold filled jewelry consists of 2-3 layers of solid gold bonded to a base metal (such as brass, copper or sterling silver) using a specific amount of heat and pressure. The jewelry piece has to have solid gold content of at least 5% of its total weight, otherwise it’s not classed as gold filled. The thickness of gold filled is generally very high, usually at least 2 microns thick. This means that gold fill jewelry has up to 100 times more gold that gold plated jewelry.

Gold filled jewelry is the next step down from solid gold in terms of quality. It is less expensive than solid gold, however it still is high quality, highly durable and can last a lifetime with proper care.

Gold filled jewelry is tarnish resistant and can withstand moisture, so you can shower while wearing gold filled jewelry. Gold-filled pieces can still tarnish, but it takes special circumstances for that to happen. You can read more about how to care for your jewelry here.

Not all jewelry can be gold-filled. Jewelry with intricate details are not well suited for using a gold-filled technique.

Gold filled jewelry is hypoallergenic.

Gold Vermeil

Gold vermeil (pronounced Ver-May) is a type of plated gold with a base of sterling silver and a coat of gold surrounding it.

For a gold-coated item to be considered vermeil, it must have a base made of sterling silver, and it must be covered in gold plating that is at least 10K and has a minimum thickness of 2.5 microns (in the US).

The minimum thickness is different in some countries. For example, the minimum thickness in Canada is 1.0 microns.

Vermeil is generally better quality than gold plated jewelry because even when the gold layer chips away, you’re left with a sterling silver base, rather than a copper or brass base. You can also re-plate your jewelry if needed. Gold vermeil jewelry is not tarnish resistant nor waterproof, and does not last as long as gold filled jewelry, however the thickness (how many microns) of gold will make a significant difference in durability.

Gold vermeil jewelry is hypoallergenic.

Gold Plated

Gold plating is a term that refers to items in which a thin layer of gold has been applied by means of a chemical reaction known as electroplating or electrodepositing to a base metal or an alloy (usually copper, brass or sterling silver).

The United States Federal Trade commission classes “gold plate” at .5 microns and “heavy gold plate” at 2.5 microns. Thinner coatings are also commonly misnamed as “gold plated” when by FTC standards they are “gold electroplate” at .175 microns or “gold flashed” or “gold washed” if the coating is less than that. Different countries have different regulations. For example, French regulations require a minimum thickness of 3 microns to be considered gold plated.

Gold plated jewelry is the least durable, and least expensive option, however the durability depends on the method of plating used, and how thick (how many microns) of gold was used. For example, an item with .175 microns of gold plating will not last as long as an item with 3 microns of plating, which is much, much more durable, and will be more expensive.

Gold plating may irritate the skin depending on the base metal used, since the plating typically wears off faster. It can be helpful to know the base metal used when purchasing gold plated jewelry if you have a known allergy.