The difference between 24K, 18K, 12K, 9K, Gold Plated and Gold Filled Jewelry

24K gold is gold in its purest form without any other metal added

18K = 75% Pure Gold
12K = 50% Pure Gold
9K = 33% Pure Gold Probably not a good idea to buy this one

Gold Plated

Gold plated jewelry is NOT REAL Gold jewelry. Gold plated is what it sounds like “Gold Plated jewelry” it’s usually made of a base metal like copper or silver that has a very thin layer of gold applied to the top of it. If your ears are itching you chances are it good be gold plated, 12K or even 9K and it’s understandable when you think about it. When it comes to Gold plated jewelry in most instances you can rub off the gold with an eraser. Gold plated jewelry terms include.

• 14KGP
  14K
  24K Gold
  Bonded Gold
  Gold Clad / Karat
  Gold Over Sterling
  Gold Wash
  Microns / micron “µ”
  Plaquette
  Vermeil

When you see any of the terms above related to the gold you’re considering be careful and as a lot of questions before making your purchase. First question you should ask is… Is this real gold and if the vendor says yes it is… Well you may want to think twice before dealing with them.

Gold Filled Jewelry

Gold filled jewelry is NOT gold jewelry. Gold filled jewelry is made by taking one or more sheets of solid gold which could be 9K, 14K, 12K, 18K, etc. and wrapping them around a base metal under intense pressure. Unlike gold plated jewelry, gold filled jewelry has a measurable amount of REAL gold in it.

Common terms related to Gold Filled Jewelry include

1/20 12K G.F.(G.F = Gold Filled)
18KT G.F.
12KT G.F.
If you see something that says “¼ 14K” they’re usually talking about Gold Filled. In general if you see words before the 24K, 18K or 12K Gold than chances are it’s gold filled. They might even come up with other terms to deceive people but don’t be confused it’s it’s easy to understand.