Should I Buy Gold Plated Or Solid Gold Jewellery?

In this article I will try to explain as best I can what the difference is between a gold plated or gold filled piece of jewellery versus a solid gold piece.

Many of my customers admit to being confused when it comes to purchasing a gold piece of jewellery. I can certainly understand why as there are a lot of variations of gold out there and the price points differ accordingly.

Gold Plated

Gold plated jewellery is where the underlying base metal is usually sterling silver and it is coated with a very thin layer of gold. Gold plated jewellery does not stand the test of time and can wear away quite quickly depending on how often the jewellery is worn and inevitably reveals the sterling silver base underneath. For example if you bought a gold plated ring and wear the ring daily it won’t be long before the gold wears away. I would not recommend gold plated jewellery if you are looking for an investment piece of jewellery that will last a lifetime.

Gold Filled

Gold filled jewellery contains a layer of gold that is “pressure bonded” to a core metal using pressure and heat. The layer of gold is much thicker than a gold plated piece. It is also more resistant to wear and tear than gold plated items.

Solid Gold

Solid Gold jewellery holds its value much better than gold plated and gold filled jewellery. It is alloyed with a base metal to make it durable and there are various different carats of solid gold, the most common being 9ct solid gold, 14ct solid gold and 18ct solid gold.

The ‘carat’ of a metal denotes the percentage of pure gold in the alloy, with 9ct being 37.5% pure gold, 14ct being 58.3% pure gold and 18ct 75% pure gold.

The higher the carat, the more expensive the gold will be as it has a higher quantity of pure gold.

If you have a solid gold piece of jewellery in your jewellery box and have ever wondered what type of gold it is, look for tiny little numbers on the back of the piece or on the inside of your gold ring.  375 is 9ct gold, 585 is 14ct gold and 750 is 18ct gold.

Which should I choose?

It’s an entirely personal choice and usually boils down to what an individual can afford.

Solid gold is an investment piece of jewellery that can be handed down generations. It doesn’t tarnish and if your budget allows, it’s definitely worth the investment in my opinion.

Browse our solid gold jewellery here