Gold Plated vs Solid Gold vs Gold Filled vs Vermeil

Only solid gold is gold all the way through. Plated, gold filled and vermeil are each a layer of gold over another metal: plating is the thinnest layer, gold filled bonds a thicker sheet, and vermeil is gold over sterling silver. None is priced, worn or resold like solid 18K, 21K or 22K gold.

Solid gold: karat, hallmark and what the price pays for

Cut a solid gold ring and the cut face is gold from surface to centre; cut a plated, filled or vermeil piece and you see two metals. Karat says how much of the metal is pure gold, in parts of 24: 18K is 75%, 21K is 87.5% and 22K is 91.6%. Our gold karats guide explains which suits what. White gold is a special case: it is solid gold with a thin rhodium finish, so gold is still underneath when the finish wears (see yellow, white and rose gold).

A solid piece should carry a karat or fineness stamp (18K or 750, 21K or 875, 22K or 916) and a certificate. Its price is the weight times the day's rate for that karat, plus a stated making charge and 5% VAT (see how making charges sit on top of the gold rate). Most of the price is metal, so the gold can be weighed, tested and valued later.

Gold plated: a micro-thin layer over base metal

Plating deposits a thin layer of gold on a cheaper base metal, such as brass or a nickel-containing alloy. The layer is measured in microns, thousandths of a millimetre. In the US Federal Trade Commission's Jewelry Guides (16 CFR 23.3), "gold electroplate" means gold of at least 10K at a thickness equal to 0.175 micron of fine gold or more, and "heavy gold electroplate" one equal to 2.5 micron or more. Those are US definitions, not UAE law, so ask a seller for the thickness rather than assuming it.

To see how little that is: a plain band 3 mm wide and 1.8 mm thick at size 52 (16.5 mm inside diameter) has about 5.5 cm² of surface. At gold's density of 19.3 g/cm³, our arithmetic gives about 2 mg of pure gold at 0.175 micron and about 27 mg at 2.5 micron. A 5 g ring in solid 18K holds 3.75 g of pure gold, roughly 140 to 2,000 times more.

Read the karat with care: "18K gold plated" or "18K GP" describes the coating, not the piece. For skin, DermNet NZ says most jewellery allergy is caused by nickel and cobalt, that nickel is often in the base metal of cheaper jewellery, and that gold of at least 18K is a hypoallergenic choice. Once plating wears through, the base can touch the skin.

Gold filled: a bonded layer measured by weight

Gold filled is a sheet of karat gold bonded to a base-metal core. The US guidance requires the layer to be at least 1/20 of the weight of the whole article and 10K or finer. "1/20 12K GF" is a 12K layer making up a twentieth of the weight, so the piece is about 2.5% pure gold, not 5%.

The layer is usually much thicker than plating, so it tends to last longer, but the core is base metal and the gold still wears through. Ask the seller to state the layer's karat and weight fraction, as in "1/20 12K", not just "gold filled".

Vermeil: gold over sterling silver, and the thickness rule

Vermeil (say "ver-MAY") is gold on sterling silver. The FTC guidance reserves the word for sterling silver coated on all significant surfaces with gold of at least 10K, at a thickness equal to at least 2.5 micron of fine gold (section 23.4). Thinner gold over silver should not be sold as vermeil, and a nickel layer between the two should be disclosed. Sterling is 92.5% silver, which tarnishes where the gold wears through.

The four side by side

Feature	Solid gold	Gold plated	Gold filled	Vermeil
Base metal	None: gold alloy throughout	Brass or a nickel-containing alloy	Base-metal core	Sterling silver
Gold layer (US minimum)	None: solid through	0.175 micron of fine gold; 2.5 if "heavy"	At least 1/20 of the weight	At least 2.5 micron of fine gold
Gold content	75%, 87.5% or 91.6% of the piece	About 2 to 27 mg on our size 52 band	About 2% to 4% of the weight at 1/20	About 27 mg or more on the same band
Lifespan	Can last generations; can be polished	Wears through; varies with thickness	Usually longer than plating	Silver shows as the gold wears
Resale	Valued on weight and karat	Almost none as gold	Low: little gold by weight	Low: mostly silver

How to tell, on the piece and on the invoice

1. Read the stamp. A karat or fineness mark with a hallmark and no "plated" wording points to solid gold; GP, GEP, HGE, GF or 925 point to plated, filled or sterling silver. A stamp is only a claim: how to verify gold purity in the UAE covers home checks and professional testing.
2. Do the sum. A solid-gold invoice shows karat, weight in grams, the rate and the making charge. Multiply the weight by the day's rate on the 18K gold rate page; a total below that for a piece sold as 18K is a warning sign.
3. Ask for the certificate. It should state the karat and the weight, and match the stamp on the piece.
4. Check the worn spots. Under a 10× loupe, look at the edges and the inside of the band: grey, silver or reddish metal showing through is the base. A gold layer can fool a test on the surface, so ask the tester to go through it at an unseen spot, such as inside the shank.

Will plating survive Dubai heat, sweat, pools and perfume?

No fixed time applies. It depends on the layer's thickness, the metal beneath and how the piece is worn; the US minimums alone differ fourteenfold (0.175 to 2.5 micron). Rubbing wears plating first, so rings and bangles usually wear through before earrings and pendants. Dubai adds sweat, sunscreen, chlorine, sea water, perfume and fine sand. Solid gold tolerates these better, though it should still come off for the pool; thin plating wears faster, and the metal beneath reacts once it shows.

A scratch in solid gold can be polished out because the same metal runs all the way through; polishing a plated piece rubs off the layer. Our daily gold jewellery care tips for the UAE climate suit any piece.

Where plated pieces make sense, and when never to pay a gold price

Plated, filled and vermeil have honest uses, such as a trend piece worn a few times. Pay a price that matches what it is, and walk away if:

• the price is close to what solid gold of that weight would cost;
• the invoice says "gold" with no karat and no weight;
• the piece is bridal gold or a gift meant to keep its value;
• the seller cannot name the base metal and the layer thickness.

Solid gold at Mazimo

Mazimo's gold jewellery is solid 18K, 21K or 22K gold, stamped with its karat and sold with a certificate of purity. Our warranty page sets out the certificate and what it covers; then browse our gold rings.

Questions people ask

Is gold plated jewellery real gold?

Only the surface layer is real gold; the piece is not solid gold. On a plain ring that layer can be a few milligrams, so it has the look of gold but not its weight or resale value.

How long does gold plating last?

There is no fixed number: it depends on the layer's thickness, the metal beneath and how the piece is worn. A seller who promises years without stating the thickness is guessing.

Is gold filled better than gold plated?

Usually, yes: its layer is at least 1/20 of the piece's weight, far thicker than most plating. It still has a base-metal core and only a few per cent pure gold, so it should not cost like gold.

What is vermeil jewellery, and is it real gold?

Vermeil is a real gold layer over sterling silver; under the US definition it is at least 10K, at a thickness equal to 2.5 micron of fine gold. It is not solid gold: the piece is mostly silver.

What is the difference between solid 18K gold and gold plated in Dubai?

Solid 18K is 75% gold all the way through, stamped, certified and priced from its weight and the day's 18K rate. Gold plated is a thin layer on a base metal, so check the stamp, weight and sum on the invoice.