Like most girls out there, I love wearing gold jewelry. Be it on a daily basis or on special occasions. But the problem is, I cannot afford it. Perhaps if I buy gold bullion and hire a jeweler then maybe it will be more affordable than those ready-made jewelry sets sold in the stores. But my friend who owns a jewelry shop told me that there are other affordable options. Instead of buying solid gold jewelry which is very expensive, I can choose between gold filled and gold plated jewelry. Here's the difference between the two just in case you want to know:
Gold Plated Jewelry
Gold plating is the term used to describe the process of plating jewelry made of non-precious base metal (zinc, nickel, copper) with a thin layer of gold, which is depositing their by electrochemical methods. As it was said the layer is very thin and thus easy to scratch. It also naturally wears thin with time, exposing the metal below. So it is better not to wear gold plated jewelry every day.
Pros: Low price.
Cons: The gold film wears off pretty soon because of polishing and exposure to skin salts.
Gold Filled Jewelry
Gold filled jewelry (also called ‘gold overlay’ or ‘rolled gold plated’) consists of several mechanically bonded layers. A non-precious base is covered with the outside layer of at least 10 Karat gold. Manufacturers usually mark their gold filled jewelry with fractions that show the relative amount of gold in proportion to base metal in a given piece, so you know what you buy. So decide what your priority is, the price or durability. If you want to wear the jewelry pretty often, opt for gold filled pieces.
Pros: Has a very long lifespan.
Cons: The price of gold filled jewelry is usually higher than that of the previous alternative.
Information courtesy of gem-fashion.com.
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