Solid gold vs. Gold fill jewelry
At Milk + Honey, we have searched high and low to find quality metals materials to use in our jewelry. We strive to provide jewelry that is on par with or above the industry standard when it comes to the metal we use. We have a variety of options for you to choose from within our collection and many pieces offer all 6 options, although some are only available in a few select metal options. When browsing through our jewelry collection, you may be wondering “What is the difference between solid gold and gold fill?”
We hope the information below will help!
What is the difference between gold plated, gold fill, and solid gold?
Gold fill products are a thick layer of solid gold on top of a base layer of other metals (usually jeweler’s brass or copper). The layer is MUCH thicker than gold plated jewelry and the process of bonding the gold to the inner core is much more durable, meaning the gold won’t chip off (like you’d find with Walmart or Target jewelry). Gold fill is an affordable alternative to solid gold, and they look almost the same!
Solid gold pieces are the highest quality fine metals you can buy and are priced based on the current gold market. They are the most expensive options, but are also the longest-lasting and most durable. 24K gold is the purest form of gold, but it is too soft to use in most jewelry. For this reason, the gold is mixed with other metals to strengthen it and make it more durable. When these metals are mixed with gold, the material is called “solid gold”. All of our solid gold jewelry is 14K.
Industry standard for gold:
14k gold plated jewelry = 0.05% gold (we do not offer gold plated jewelry)
14k gold filled jewelry = 5% gold - A 14K gold fill piece is created by wrapping an actual layer of 14K gold around a jeweler's brass core (typically 90% copper and 10% zinc). By law, that layer of gold has to be at least 1/20th gold by weight - meaning that if you melt a piece of jewelry down, 5% of what is in the melting pot has to be gold. Because of the materials involved you can always be sure that 14K gold fill is also a nickel free material. Many of our pieces at Milk + Honey are offered in gold fill, because of its affordability!
14k solid gold jewelry = 58.3% gold - 14K gold is a mix of approximately 58% pure gold with 42% other metals such as nickel, copper, silver, and zinc. Solid gold jewelry is much more expensive than gold fill, but it’s definitely one of those instances where “you get what you pay for”.
While we’re at it…
Since we’re listing all of this information regarding our gold filled and solid gold jewelry, I thought we would go ahead and list some information regarding our silver and white gold jewelry for you as well.
Sterling silver - All of our silver pieces are .925 sterling silver, which is the industry standard for silver jewelry, and are made up of 92.5% silver and the remaining consists of mostly copper. These other metals help give the metal a “hardness” of the jewelry, making it more durable. Silver is also a very affordable metal for jewelry!
Non-tarnishing sterling silver - Our non-tarnishing sterling silver is also .925 sterling silver. The difference between this silver and our regular sterling silver is that non-tarnishing silver is mixed with other alloys, usually germanium or argentium. This makes the silver even more durable to scratches and helps prevent tarnish. It is important to note that non-tarnishing silver can still tarnish over time under extreme conditions, but it is much less likely and generally requires less maintenance than regular sterling silver. We only offer non-tarnishing silver with our “Heirloom” collection.
14k solid white gold - Similar to our 14k yellow and rose gold, our 14k solid white gold is made of 58.3% of fine gold and mixed with silver, copper, and zinc. White gold is often “rhodium” or “palladium” plated to give it that “white” look. Typically, 14k white gold may contain nickel, so please be aware of this if you are sensitive to nickel.
We hope this information was helpful in assisting you with choosing your metal type. With proper care and regular cleanings, your jewelry, whether silver, gold filled, or solid gold, will shine and last a long time! We know how special your keepsake jewelry is and we want you to be able to wear it with love!