Which Type of Gold is Right For You?

    With many different styles of gold on the market, shopping for gold jewelry can be overwhelming. So how do you know what you are buying? There are four main types of gold to consider including gold-plated, gold vermeil, gold-filled, and solid gold.

    Let’s begin with gold-plated, the most common type of gold found in retail stores. Gold-plated jewelry is made when a base metal, usually brass, is dipped into a thin layer of gold. This creates a piece that is typically less than 1% real gold. Gold-plated should not be worn in the water or everyday as this thin layer of gold can flake, peel or fade away. Once this occurs, gold-plated jewelry cannot be polished back to its original gold color. However, with a low price point, gold-plated jewelry is perfect for pieces that may not be worn often.

    Gold vermeil is similar to gold-plated, however, gold vermeil pieces use a sterling silver base rather than a brass base. Gold vermeil jewelry has a thicker plating, so it has the ability to last for a longer time if properly cared for. It is not recommended to wear gold vermeil in the water as the gold plating can wear off leaving behind the sterling silver base.

    Gold-filled jewelry is a thick layer of gold mechanically bonded to jeweler’s brass. This bonded process creates a layer that is 100x more gold than gold-plated jewelry resulting in a tarnish resistant, and water-friendly material. Gold-filled is the closest alternative to solid gold at a fraction of the cost.

    Solid gold is the créme de la créme of gold jewelry. It is the most expensive of the four types of gold but also is the most valuable. It will forever shine and is completely maintenance free.

    At Where Watermelons Grow we use gold-filled and solid gold materials in our line. The gold-filled is manufactured in the USA and our solid gold is sustainably sourced and 100% recycled. Occasionally we use gold vermeil charms in our line, which is always noted in the product description. When shopping our line of gold jewelry you can always ensure a high-quality accessory that will last for years to come.