Types of Gold Jewelry

What is Gold Filled?

Gold Filled jewelry is the highest quality metal below solid gold jewelry which makes gold filled the next best option to solid gold. It is long-lasting, more affordable, and hypoallergenic. Gold filled is an actual thick layer of solid gold that is heat-bonded onto an inner core of brass. A high-quality jeweler's brass is used for the core, and it is hypoallergenic. 

▸ What type of gold filled does Lolabean use?

At Lolabean, we find that 18k gold is a little too yellow for our taste and prefer the use of 14k gold instead. We love the color of 14k gold - it has a beautiful golden tone that is not too yellow. We use 14k in all our gold filled jewelry too since it has the same beautiful golden tone as 14k gold. As a result, all our clasps and ear wires will be marked 14/20 GF.

▸ Why choose Gold Filled?

Gold filled is long-lasting and can last up to 15 years. This makes gold filled a great affordable alternative to expensive solid gold jewelry. It is also hypoallergenic and as safe as solid gold because it consists of the same metals. 

▸ Why choose Gold Filled jewelry when I can buy a cheaper alternative like Gold Plated?

Because it consists of more gold, gold filled is a much higher quality alternative to gold plating. It is actual gold bonded onto an inner hypoallergenic brass core. It lasts much longer. I sometimes explain that gold plated jewelry is like spray paint. Imagine you have a rusty old metal chair that has sat outside all winter long. You want it to look brand new again so you take a bottle of spray paint and voila, your chair looks shiny and new but over the course of the year after being exposed to the elements, the chair will slowly rust again. The same concept rings true with gold plated jewelry. It begins shiny and new but will slowly lose its color, tone and shine with everyday wear. 

What is Gold Plated? 

Gold plated jewelry has a thin layer of gold that is applied over a base metal by use of electrical current known as electroplating. The base metal used for the inner core can be various types of metal such as copper, stainless still, nickel, or brass. Because gold plated jewelry can consist of so many different types of base metals, you need to ensure you know what the inner core is made of. Some base metals can create an allergic reaction if you have a sensitivity, especially nickel. Also cheaper, lesser quality gold plating can have an extremely thin layer of gold which can wear off after only a few wears. 

▸ What type of gold plating does Lolabean use?

At Lolabean, we ensure all our gold plated jewelry consists of a safe hypoallergenic inner metal core. We use a hypoallergenic jeweler’s brass. We also use a higher micron plating which makes the gold plated piece last much longer than typical plating. Because we love the beautiful golden tone of 14k, we plate all our gold plated pieces in 14k gold. 

▸ Why choose Gold Plated jewelry?

Gold plated jewelry is a great affordable option. It is perfect for buying trendy pieces that you may only wear for one particular season. It is also a great way to test out different styles of jewelry until you find something that suits your taste that you feel comfortable in. Affordable gold plated jewelry allows you to find your style in an affordable way. Once you’ve played around with gold plated jewelry, you might find a piece that you have fallen in love with that you might want to wear forever. It might be time to invest in a higher quality option like gold filled or a solid gold piece. 

What is Vermeil?

Vermeil (pronounced /ver - may/) jewelry has a thin layer of gold plating over an inner core of sterling silver. An electrical current is used to apply the gold to the sterling silver. This technique is called electroplating. Vermeil is a great option for gold plating because the sterling silver inner core is safe and hypoallergenic. 

▸ What type of Vermeil does Lolabean use?

At Lolabean, our vermeil jewelry is high quality. We use a higher micron 14k gold plating over sterling silver which results in a longer lasting plated piece. 

▸ Why choose Vermeil jewelry?

Vermeil jewelry is a safe bet because no harmful metals are used in the plating process. The name vermeil means an inner core or sterling silver so you never have to ask or wonder what the inner core metal is made of. We love vermeil jewelry for its affordability and hypoallergenic nature. We would buy vermeil for trendy, seasonal pieces that you won’t want to wear forever. 

What is Solid Gold?

Solid gold is completely made of gold. The purest form of gold is 24kt solid gold (99.999% gold) which is too soft for everyday jewelry wear so it is mixed with an alloy of hypoallergenic jeweler’s brass to make a finished piece that is durable enough for everyday jewelry wear. The result is 18k gold, 14k gold, and 10k gold. 

▸ What type of Solid Gold does Lolabean use?

At Lolabean, we find that 18k gold is a little too yellow for our taste and prefer the use of 14k gold instead. We love the color of 14k gold - it has a beautiful golden tone that is not too yellow.

▸ Why choose 14k gold jewelry?

14k gold jewelry has a beautiful golden tone and is an investment piece that will last forever. It makes a beautiful heirloom piece that can be passed down generations. What we love most is that you never have to take it off if you don’t want to.