gold filled, plated or vermeil?

[allthatglitters]

first question ...do you folks have a preference for gold filled or vermeil?  I have heard that vermeil doesn't hold up any better than plating ...?

...also, I have some gold plated pewter that wears off so quickly, I wouldn't dare sell anything made of it ...can I treat it with something to prolong the gold plating?  I wore a necklace for a total of maybe 15 hours and the plating wore off enough to make the beads grey & dull ...how can I sell that?  I'm so disappointed in gold plated pewter but I'm also afraid plated brass would tarnish so quickly ...what's the best alternative for gold color?  ( realizing that karat gold is just too costly for me to stock & the local economy wouldn't support it anyway) ...thanks all!

[allthatglitters]

hello?? anybody out there?

[Russ Nobbs]

Sorry, I'm traveling at the moment and didn't have a chance to reply.

Gold filled will outlast gold plate and vermeil by many years. Unless you wear the item in such a way that it is abraded the gold layer is thick enough to last a long time. I've seen GF necklaces and pendants that are 50 to 100 years old. Where the pendant rubs on the chain and on the clasp where is touched every time the clasp is opened the gold may be worn down to the brass.  GF rings will only last a year or so on the back where stuff picked up rubs against the back of the ring the gold will wear off.

OTOH, gold plating comes in a range of qualities. Heavy Gold Electroplate will out last "gold flashing" by many months. It all depends on how thick a layer of gold is deposited.  In all cases, gold filled is still a much heavier layer of gold and it is bonded to the base metal with a diffusion layer, not just electroplated on the surface.

I hope this helps.

[allthatglitters]

thanks so much Russ!  very helpful

[Polly]

Vermeil is gold plating over sterling, so like other platings, will vary in thickness and durability.

Here is more info about platings, metals, durability, etc. (including different types of GF):
http://www.rings-things.com/METALS.HTM

[allthatglitters]

thanks, I know what vermeil is ...I was really hoping for some feedback as to what you all would choose for gold color ...I found basic gold plating wears right off & wondered if vermiel would be more durable but I guess gold filled would be the best bet ...thanks

[RoseRaduro]

Wow, Russ, I didn't know that gold fill was so much better than vermeil.
I own old vintage costume jewelry my mother once had that was gold electroplate that is still beautiful today. They are napier and monet pieces but the monet and napier of today doesn't match the quality of the old days.
-Rose

[Russ Nobbs]

"Better" in this case is not exactly apples to apples comparison. Vermeil is gold electroplate over sterling. The sterling base is more valuable than the usual brass base or GF. However, if the goal is to have a gold colored item that remains gold looking for a long time then, yes, GF is much better, longer lasting than vermeil.

I admit to being partial to Gold Filled.  I started out in this business making GF wire name pins in the 60's. Pins made back then remain gold and shiny today except at the end of the pin where I cut it at an angle and filed a sharp point. That point exposed the brass and is tarnished today. I collected  GF wire work from 2nd hand shops back then that must be much older than the names I made. It also is in good shape.

[kcamel09]

Gold plated is the cheapest but the least durability. Gold filled is more expensive than gold plated but cheaper than vermeil and the most durable of the three. Stick with gold filled.

[Luann Udell]

I agree with Russ & Kcamel09, gold-filled is the way to go.  Although it still matters how much gold is used in the gold-fill or gold plating.

There's a perception that vermeil is more valuable.  As Russ pointed out, that's because of the sterling silver.  But once the plating wears off, it's still going to reveal the underlying metal, and that's not going to look nice, whether it's brass or silver.  I found the plating wore off pretty fast.

I'm surprised, however, how many CUSTOMERS aren't familiar with gold-fill.  Once I explain it's like a gold sandwich, with the gold being the bread, they are pleased.  But it just doesn't seem to be as readily known as plate.

I finally gave up and switched to all sterling silver.  I find my sales have been affected not a whit.  Of course, for steampunk & vintage designs, that may not be an option.

HTH,
Luann

[Russ Nobbs]

It IS a problem that gold filled is not as well known or as well understood as gold plate. Every time we mention GF I should include a little about it.

Gold filled might be better described as "gold overlay" because that explains how it is made. A sheet of gold is mechanically bonded to the base metal. Or a tube of gold is pulled over and bonded to a base metal wire. My favorite description of how GF is made is at http://www.artisanplating.com/articles/goldfilled.html. Artisan Plating has good graphics that explain it much better than words. For a little history about the origins of gold filled see http://elginwatches.org/scans/non_elgin_articles/m_1913_definition_of_gold_filled.html.

If the gold layer is 10 Kt the total weight of gold must be at least 1/10 of the item. If 12Kt or finer the gold layer must weight at least 1/20th of the item. Gold filled can be 10Kt , 12Kt or 14Kt. It could be higher but that's very uncommon. 1/20 14Kt is very common. today.

GF thickness varies with the weight of the gauge. It's 1/20th by weight. For relatively heavy 20 gauge 14Kt gold filled sheet the gold layer is about 1875 millionths of an inch.
The thickness of 14Kt gold on thin 24 gauge GF sheet is about 1005 millionths of an inch. For single clad that's all on one side.

Gold plating, on the other hand, is a very, very thin layer, perhaps 1 micron thick (about 40 millionths of an inch.) For the last 2 examples, the gold on 24 gauge sheet is 25 times thicker than gold plate

Gold filled can last a life time. Gold plate might last weeks, or at best, a year when oils and body acids are allowed to touch it .

[Luann Udell]

Russ, thanks for the link to Artisan Plating--those ARE great visuals!

What's nice about gold-filled components is they are often priced the same as sterling silver, so I didn't have to do a lot of reconfiguring on pricing, etc.

I almost said, too, that until a few years ago, I didn't realize you can't have a CAST item that's also gold-filled--because any melting of the metals would result in them mixing/muddling.  A good friend in the jewelry components industry said he's starting to see some items that look like castings, but are labeled as gold-filled (usually from China).  He was worried they were being mislabeled.  Not sure what he found out about them, that was a few years ago. 

Again, it's always good to buy from a reputable company, one that's at least TRYING to sort out the fact from the fantasy when it comes to quality products.

[Russ Nobbs]

I've not seen this in Chinese goods. I do know that some US manufacturers are taking GF stock to China to produce fabricated or stamped items. But they do not look cast.

One Israeli manufacturer makes small objects that seem to meet the requirements of GF using a process that he says involves "nanotechnology". The gold is"fused" onto the brass creating the bonded layer typical of GF.

Our 41-651-99 crimps are made using this method. The gold does not flake off when the product is crimped.
Aside from observing the way it  crimps and wears, I don't know a way to test such small objects  except through micro photography or even an electron microscope of thin slices.

They say the process can only be used on very small cast objects because the cost goes up the heavier the item is.