What Does Gold filled Mean ?


WHAT IS 'GOLD-FILLED'? It is a layer of 10Kt or better gold mechanically bonded under heat & pressure to one or more surfaces of supporting base metal, then rolled or drawn to a given thickness. In the jewelry industry the quantity of gold must be at least 1/20th by weight of the total product. Under FTC (Federal Trade Commission) regulations, a product may be marked as 14, 12 or 10Kt Gold-Filled. Karat measurement of the gold content MUST be part of the marking or designation. (Beware of items offered as simply 'Gold-Filled' rather than 14Kt Gold-Filled or 10 or 12Kt Gold-Filled when trying to compare prices!) The finished product thus has a surface layer of gold of the the appropriate karatage, which is very thick compared to rolled gold plate or the heaviest electroplate ( = gold plated) material. These are minimum standards. Thus one might find 14/20GF or even 14/10GF as a stamp to denote 1/20 14KT Gold-Filled or 1/10 14KT Gold-Filled. Gold-Filled items are generally considered life-time products, and the gold layer will not quickly wear off, as it will in electroplated products. We do very rarely find an individual who cannot wear this material

. GOLD-FILLED MATERIAL CANNOT BE CAST!

It is a layered product with the gold comprising a surface layer. To cast an item the material used to make the casting must be melted to a molten state and the gold would become mixed throughout the product, so the finished item would no longer have the solid gold surface layer.

WHAT IS 'ROLLED GOLD PLATE'?

It is made the same way as Gold-Filled material, but with a lower gold content. The minimum standard is 1/40th the total weight of product must be appropriate karatage gold. Thus a product marked 10K RGP is 1/40th 10KT gold by weight.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 'CAST', 'DIE-CUT' & 'HAND-MADE'?

Cast components are made from pouring molten metal into a mold to form the part. In 'lost wax casting' a wax model of the part is replaced by the molten metal.

Die Cut components are stamped and formed in metal dies from metal sheet on a machine press. Hand-made components are made up by a skilled craftsman from basic metal sheet, wire and solder.

Hand-made components are made up by a skilled craftsman from basic metal sheet, wire and solder.


 

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