Gold Plated vs Gold Filled vs Solid Gold: Marks, Value and Selling

Solid gold is gold alloy all the way through, marked with its carat. Gold plated means a very thin layer of gold applied to base metal or silver, usually by electroplating. Gold filled, also called rolled gold, has a much thicker layer of gold alloy bonded to a base metal core by heat and pressure.

HGE stands for heavy gold electroplate: a ring of base metal, usually brass, electroplated with a thicker than usual layer of gold. A stamp such as 14K HGE or 18KT HGE gives the carat of the plating, not of the ring, so it is not solid gold. HGE rings were common in American costume jewellery from the 1960s.

A little. Gold filled jewellery contains a real layer of gold alloy, by law in the United States at least one twentieth of the item's weight, so refiners buy it in bulk for that gold. The core is base metal, so it is worth far less than solid gold. Signed or antique gold filled pieces can be collected.

1/20 14K GF means gold filled with a layer of 14KT gold alloy that makes up one twentieth, or 5%, of the item's total weight. The rest is base metal, usually brass. The same rule applies to 1/20 12K GF and 10K GF. It is a United States trade standard and does not mean the piece is solid gold.

Rolled gold is gold sheet bonded to a base metal core by heat and pressure and then rolled thin, the British and European name for what Americans call gold filled or rolled gold plate. It was used widely for Victorian and Edwardian lockets, bangles, chains and watch cases. French rolled gold is often stamped doublé or FIX.

Gold vermeil is sterling silver plated with gold. In the United States the term requires gold of at least 10 carat, at least 2.5 microns thick, over sterling silver; in Britain the traditional name is silver gilt. A vermeil piece marked 925 is solid silver underneath, so it has silver value, though not gold value.

It is a good choice for affordable jewellery: 18 carat vermeil gives the colour of 18KT gold over a solid sterling silver base, and the thicker plate lasts longer than ordinary plating. It still wears with daily use, especially on rings, and can be replated. Its value is the silver, not the gold.

Very little as metal. 18KT gold plating is a microscopically thin layer, so the gold in a plated piece is too small to recover, and gold buyers will not pay for it. Value comes only from a collected designer or maker, such as signed vintage costume jewellery, or from a silver base marked 925.

Look for a stamp first: 375, 585, 750 or a British hallmark means solid gold, while GP, GE, HGE, GF, RGP or rolled gold means plated or filled. Check worn edges and clasps for a different colour showing through. Gold is not magnetic, but neither are brass and silver, so a magnet only rules out steel.

Yes. Silver is often gold plated, which makes it vermeil or silver gilt. Silver gilt has been made for centuries, for church plate, cups, boxes and dessert services, and the gilding was originally applied with mercury, a method now banned. The silver keeps its hallmark and its silver value under the gold.

Most Chanel costume jewellery, such as its CC earrings and chain belts, is gold-plated metal, while its fine jewellery line is 18KT gold. Hermès enamel bracelets such as the Clic H are usually gold or palladium plated, and its fine jewellery is solid gold. Check the stamps and any paperwork.

No. Trifari, Monet and other American costume jewellery makers used gold-tone plated base metal, sometimes over sterling silver in the 1940s, when base metal was restricted during the war. Their pieces are collected as vintage costume jewellery for their design and maker, not for gold content.

Cartier made gold-plated silver, or vermeil, pieces under the Les Must de Cartier line in the 1970s and 1980s, so a vintage Must de Cartier vermeil bracelet can be genuine. The Love and Juste un Clou bracelets are made in solid 18KT gold. A plated Love bracelet is not a genuine Cartier.

Gold plated jewellery is worth nothing as scrap, and pawnbrokers and gold buyers do not usually take it. Gold filled jewellery can be sold to refiners in bulk for its gold layer. Vermeil sells as silver. Signed designer and vintage costume pieces can sell to collectors. Send photos and stamps if you are unsure.

A small amount. 10K gold filled has a bonded layer of 10KT gold, by US rule at least one twentieth of the item's weight, over a base metal core. Refiners buy gold filled in bulk for that gold, but it is worth far less than solid 10K. A 10K stamp without GF means solid gold.

GP on a watch, such as an Orient or Seiko marked GP, means gold plated: the case or bezel is base metal or stainless steel with a thin plating of gold. It is not solid gold and has no gold value. A solid gold watch case is stamped with its carat, such as 9K, 14K, 18K or 750.

9KT gold filled means a layer of 9KT gold bonded to a base metal core, the British equivalent of rolled gold. It is not solid gold, and British law does not allow it to be described simply as gold. Solid 9KT gold is hallmarked 375, or 9 and .375 on pieces made before 1975.

It lasts longer than gold plating but not as long as solid gold. A ring is worn every day and rubbed against surfaces, so the gold layer eventually wears through on the palm side and shows the base metal. Solid 9 or 18KT gold is the lasting choice for a wedding band.