11/27/2023
With gold being about 80 times more expensive than silver, a homogenous alloy similar to sterling silver, such as 14k or 18k gold get very expensive, so I choose to make affordable jewelry by using gold-filled.
The name is a little convoluted, because it’s not filled with gold, but is gold fille with something else. That something else is brass–an alloy of zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu).
Gold-filled is preferable to gold plated because the plating process leave such a miniscule layer of gold, that it is easily worn away with regular usage. Gold plating is really not adequate for jewelry, but the amount of gold in gold-filled items is over 100 times more than what is on gold plated items.
The rose gold-filled findings I use have a layer of 14k gold that is heat and pressure bonded to a brass core; it does not contain any nickel. This combines gold’s beauty with strength and durability, while keeping the price reasonable.
