All about Solid, Hollow, Gold-Plated and Gold-Filled Jewelry

With so many terms to describe gold jewelry, it can be confusing to know exactly what we are buying, the value of our pieces and how to take care them. It can be Solid Gold Jewelry, Hollow Gold Jewelry, Gold-Plated Jewelry (Vermeil) and Gold-Filled Jewelry.

Gold’s appeal comes mostly from its color, luster, rarity, and resistance to corrosion. Gold is highly workable, so it can be used for many shapes and styles of jewelry. It lasts a long time and retains its value. The Chemical Symbol of Gold is Au and describes with Karat (K) for its fineness. Pure Gold is 24 karat (24K), meaning that 24 out of 24 parts of the metal are gold. Pure gold is rarely found in jewelry because it’s too soft.

Solid Gold Jewelry

It is made entirely of gold - both inside and outside. Solid Gold Jewelry is the most expensive and durable among the other types of fine gold jewelry. Mixing it with other metals increases its durability and also depends on what color we are trying to make (Yellow, Rose, or White). Its substantial heft is related to its density so we can feel heavy for its size and gives jewelry a sturdy and stable feel. The higher the karat no., the purer the gold. We may see 10K, 14K, 18K or Au417, Au585, Au750 to be stamped on our jewelry. Solid gold is an investment but will retain its value over time.

Hollow Gold Jewelry

Hollow simply means there is an empty space inside. Jewelry of any material can be made hollow - for various reasons - but in most cases it is done to reduce amount of gold required. Hollow gold jewelry is stamped in the same way as solid gold jewelry is (10k 14k 18k) because it is made of gold only. Usually bangles but also earrings and necklaces are hollow - it works great for the design because it is not so heavy for your hands, ear and neck to wear, an it saves a lot on cost. We can spot hollow gold jewelry by it’s weight. If it weighs less than it looks like - it’s probably hollow.

Gold-Plated Jewelry

Gold plating uses an electrical current to deposit a microscopic layer of gold onto a piece of metal that has been submerged in a chemical solution. The layer can be very thin. Typically Yellow Gold is plated on top of non-fine material such as brass or copper. In Myanmar, Solid Gold and Hollow Gold Jewelry are mostly plated with 24K Yellow Gold Color, 18K Rose Gold Color and Rhodium (White) Color. Among plated goods, thicker coatings wear better, giving a piece a richer look and last longer. Because depending on the condition of wear, the Plated Jewelry may fade in times.

Vermeil Jewelry

There is another type of gold plating that is called Vermeil. Vermeil is an item that is made of sterling silver and plated with a thin layer of gold. Sterling silver is by far the most popular silver alloy in jewelry that is bright, white shine. It’s defined as being 925 parts silver and 75 parts copper. The gold karat that the silver piece is plated with shouldn't be less that 10K and also the thickness of gold on the piece should be at least 2.5 microns in order for that piece to be considered as Vermeil.

Rhodium-Plated Jewelry

Rhodium plating is a finish put on not only all of our white gold fine jewelry but also silver jewelry. There’s a detailed explanation of Rhodium-Plating in our blog that describes Un-Plated White Gold and Plated White Gold Jewelry.

Gold-Filled Jewelry

Gold filled metal is made by pressure and heat bonding a layer of karat gold to the surface of another metal – usually brass, silver, copper or other base metal. Gold layer usually contains at least 5% of the total weight of jewelry. Since the gold layer is quite thick, we don’t have to worry about coming into our skins with base metals so it is safe from allergic. But we have to be aware contacts with chemicals (cleaning solutions or chlorinated pools). It won’t tarnish and Gold filled jewelry is much more durable than gold plated jewelry.

We are happy to help you to understand the difference and choose the right one. Thank you for reading!