Solid Gold vs Gold Plated

Today I’m writing to address the confusion surrounding 𝐬𝐨π₯𝐒𝐝 𝐠𝐨π₯𝐝 and 𝐠𝐨π₯𝐝 𝐩π₯𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝.

Solid gold differs between 24carat, 18carat, 14carat and 9carat depending on how much the metal is mixed slightly with a base metal. Gold is remarkably durable and the main reason why it is so desirable to use when creating jewellery. Take for example your grandmothers plain gold wedding band ring, through years and years of wear a quick visit to a jewellers for a clean and it will be looking like the day it was bought again.

In comparison when something is gold plated, it means that a base metal, such as brass or silver for example, has been quickly dipped into gold in order to give that piece of jewellery a gold finish. The gold content of these pieces is usually less than 1%. While they may have the same lustre and appearance as gold at first, this layer is quick to fade when washed, worn or rubbed too hard, and can also leave you sometimes with discoloured green or black skin along with dirty looking jewellery. However sometimes with gold plated jewellery you can get lucky. I’ve heard of some pieces lasting 2 years without fading but also I’ve heard of other horror stories of discolouring happening within the first few hours. The profit margin on gold plated jewellery is very high hence the appeal. Now don’t get me wrong gold plated jewellery can be an excellent entry piece of jewellery if you’re not sure of your style of jewellery you wish to for, the current trend may change soon or you just want to test the waters before investing in more quality pieces but at the end of the day there's an alloy metal under the very thin layer of gold on the top.

Here at Topaz we make pieces built to last a lifetime so all our gold pieces are solid 9ct or 18ct gold. This in our opinion is a much more sustainable business choice and allows us to ensure a high quality with every piece we make and sell. I hope this was helpful to clear up any confusion surrounding the topic!Β #topazjewellers

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