What is the difference between goldplating and gold filled (also called gold overlay)?
The most important difference is layer thickness. Items designated as “gold filled” can be up to 200 times thicker than the heaviest gold electroplating available today! Gold filled items are created by using heat and pressure to permanently fuse a layer of karat gold over a less costly base metal design. The minimum layer of gold must equal 1/20th of the total weight of the finished item. The surface layer of karat gold is usually 10kt, 12kt, or 14kt. As an example, an item marked as “1/20 12k GF” would mean that 1/20th of its total weight must be 12 karat gold. One disadvantage for gold filled items (i.e. watches) is that once the layer of gold wears through to the base metal, it will need to be resurfaced and replated to prevent discoloration. Gold filled processes are still being utilized to produce fine watches, writing instruments, and assorted jewelry items. Gold electroplating, especially with advent of super hard plating materials, are widely used on designs which have intrica
