Gold-filled

Detailed Information sheet

Gold-filled is also spelt Goldfilled and sometimes is abbreviated as gf.

Unlike how it sounds, this metal is not filled with gold. Rather gold layers are bonded around some base material - usually copper or brass.

Gold-filled is also spelt Goldfilled and sometimes is abbreviated as gf.

Unlike how it sounds, this metal is not filled with gold. Rather gold layers are bonded around some base material - usually copper or brass.

This is a definite cost-effective alternative to real gold. It looks just like real gold but without its high price. On a scale of desirability and value, I would say that goldfilled jewelry is just marginally surpassed by vermeil. But that all depends on the gold karatage used on your gf item.
(See a general comparison between vermeil and gold-filled metals)

 

Requirements
Before an item can be marked as "GF", it must satisfy the following:

• Karatage: the outer gold layer must be a minimum of 10k (The usual karatages for this are 10, 12, or 14k)
• Weight: the outer gold layer must be at least 1/20^th (i.e. 5%) of the weight of the final item
• Process: the gold is permanently fused to the inner base material via a mechanical bonding process involving heat and pressure.

Marking
Newer items these days usually have marking on them to indicate how much and what type of gold was used. For example, "1/20 12k GF" means that the item is a genuine Gold Filled item where the gold is at least 12k and is at least 5% of the final weight of the item.

Advantages of Gold-filled Jewellery

• Highly desirable cost-effective alternative to the more costly high karatage gold jewlery.
• With normal wear, it will not tarnish, chip, or wear down. Good quality gf jewellery can often last a many years.
• Safe for sensitive skins.
• The gold thickness can be up to 200 times more than the gold layer found on the heaviest gold-plated items.

Disadvantage

• Even though it is long-wearing, the gold layer can still eventually wear down to the base material beneath. When this happens, the item has to be resurfaced and replated. This is most often seen in gold-filled watches.

The Process
GF is made by placing a piece of base metal (most commonly brass or copper) between 2 pieces of gold. The 3 pieces are then heated bonded together. This is then run through roller until it has been thinned down to the desired thickness.

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Rolled Gold

There is some confusion between gf and rolled gold. Some people say that they are the same thing. However for the purist, this is not so.

Rolled gold is almost identical to gf except its requirements are less stringent than that imposed on gf. It still needs a minimum gold katarage of 10k but the amount of gold used can be less than 1/20^th of the weight of the final item.

You might also see rolled gold items marked as "1/40 12k RGP" - which indicates it is rolled gold (jewelry) using 12k gold and that the gold component is 1/40^th of the weight of the final item.

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Gold-Plated

So what about gold-plated jewelry items you ask? Have a look at the gold-type comparison chart for a quick overview.

Gold-plated items have no standards nor restrictions. The amount of gold electroplated onto base metals can range from microscopic amounts to thicker layers. Higher quality gold-plated items are normally found with high-end jewelry findings like from Swarovski. (see: Swarovski Plating Details)

The base metals generally used also range from the better metals like brass, and copper down to iron, steel, and metal alloys.

The gold layer on poorer quality gold-plated items (widely used in the low range of costume jewellery) tend to wear down relatively quickly and then could cause allergic reactions if the base metal contains either nickel or lead. So if you have to use/buy gold plated items, at least make sure that they offer nickel-free and lead-free ones.

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