Gold filled is a metallic layered composite consisting of two layers:

Core: Made of a base metal, such as copper or brass.
Layer: Made of gold of a specified thickness.
According to US law, to be labeled as “gold filled”, the composite must meet the following requirements: Layer Thickness: The gold layer must constitute at least 1/20 of the total weight of the item.
Bonding Method: The gold layer must be permanently bonded to the core using soldering, welding, or another process that ensures a durable bond.
Markings: Objects made from the “gold filled” composite must be marked with a clear and permanent quality mark, such as “1/20 14K GF”.
Gold filled is a versatile material used to produce a variety of products, including: Jewelry (bracelets, earrings, necklaces, rings, etc.) Jewelry components and semi-finished products, sheets metal, wires other decorative or functional items. It offers a more affordable alternative to solid gold while providing greater durability and resistance to wear compared to gold plating.

 

What Does Gold-Filled and 14k gf^®, Mean in Jewellery Classification?

Gold-Filled and 14k gf^®  are Gold composite: A material that combines gold with other metals, typically silver and copper, to create a more affordable and durable alternative to pure gold.

The key aspects of a gold composite are:

1. Gold content:

• Must contain at least 5% (1/20) of real gold by weight.
• Higher gold content generally leads to a more valuable and luxurious appearance.

2. Other metals:

• Typically uses silver and copper for strength, affordability, and malleability.
• The specific ratio of gold to other metals varies depending on the desired properties and regulations.
• Some gold composites might include other metals like nickel, but this is less common due to potential allergy concerns.

3. Bonding process: only gold filled, 14k gf^® is an alloy.

• Different bonding techniques are used to attach the gold layer to the base metal.
• Common methods include pressure bonding, roll bonding, and electroplating.
• The quality of the bonding process affects the durability and longevity of the gold layer.

How can you tell gold-filled or 14k gf^® from solid gold?

 Whereas the identifier of gold-filled items is the stamp: As an example; “1/10 14K GF” is a marking which tells you that the item is gold filled and its gold layer is made of 14-karat gold; the fraction “1/10” before the carat number means that one tenth of the item’s weight is 14-karat gold. 

Is gold-filled or 14k gf^® jewellery real gold?

The gold in  gold-filled or 14k gf^® is definitely real. There is a thick layer of real, solid 14k gold on the outside of a core.  The 14k gold that’s on the outside of gold-filled is the same gold as you would get from a solid 14k piece.  The gold-gf it is covered with a thick layer of real, solid 18k gold or 950 Platinum on the outside of a core, and it contains 14-carat gold also in its core. Notwithstanding according to most international standards, any jewellery or metal consisting of less than 41.7%, or 10 carats of gold is not considered to be real gold. 

 

How much real gold is in gold-filled or 14k gf^®?

14k gf^® and Gold-filled products is required to have a minimum of 1/20th (5%) gold by weight. The 5% real gold in gold-gf jewellery may not sound like a lot, but it’s most on the outside core, and it’s plenty to keep your jewellery looking great and can be used indefinitely. However, Gold-GF^® and Gold-filled can not be considered to be real gold.

 

Look for Hallmark !

The easiest way to find out whether your Gold-Filled or Gold GF^® is real or fake is to check for the hallmark. Sellers make an impression in each gold piece of jewellery they sell. This stamp, or hallmark, tells you what percentage of gold an item consists of. The hallmark is often printed on earring stick, clasps for gold chains or bracelets and the inner side of gold rings or bangles. This jewellery stamp will include the carat, also called the purity, of the piece, such as 1/20 9K gf or 1/20 14K gf. This will also help you determine the final price of the gold piece as the current gold rate.

The Difference: Pure Gold, Solid Gold, Gold-Filled and Gold Gf^®:

24K Pure gold is not the same as solid gold, and solid gold is not the same as gold-filled or 14k gf^®. 24K gold contains 99.99% root of gold. While solid gold is an alloy that is described with the caratage of pure gold. Wherein solid gold refers to any gold item where the inside of the item is not hollow. Gold-Filled is a layered product, and caratage only refers to the surface gold layers.   However,  the outside gold layer must compose of at least 5% of the product weight. Gold GF^® branded product contain 14-karat gold in their alloy structure of at last 5 % and the surface additionally are covered with 18k gold or 950 platinum layers.

 

Buy gold composite safely

Make sure you get  gold composite: Gold-Filled or 14k gf^®  jewelry and buy hallmarked products only from reliable vendors !!!

Make sure you get Gold-Filled or  14k gf^®

    Is it possible to buy a Gold-Filled or 14k gf^®  20 gram neck-chain at a merchant for $ 25 or less? No, this is not possible:
Thus $25  it is not even enough to cover the cost the gold, silver or copper from which the chain is made, not to mention the other production, sales and marketing costs. The production cost of 1 gram of gold filled is about $3.00 (£2.50); this price makes it possible to make sure materials are appropriate to produce a quality product; that can be used indefinitely under normal wear and tear conditions. Taking into account taxes, marketing treatments and of course the companies’ profits from the sale, which usually constitute
of a 15% – 20% profit, the price for gold composite jewelry or findings on the world wholesale  market is   $ 3.5 – $ 6 per gram. The price is influenced by the quality and complexity of the product as well.

From data taken from the Dow Jones Industrial, 18^th January 2021, gold prices- 1 gram of 14ct gold costs approximately $35 (£30).

If you are purchasing gold composite  jewelry at a trader for less than $2.5  per gram,
it is suspicious: It may be a scam and you are being robbed !!!

     If There Are No hallmarks, You Are Looking at a Gold Plated or Gold-Toned Item. This is not  Gold-Filled or 14K GF®, 9k GF™ and 18k GF™ gold composite. No stamp. Why? In many cases, gold-plated items that have been plated using tank or plasma plating have no hallmark; Because they contain extremely small amounts of gold. And gold-toned items, which are often unstamped, often contain no gold at all; they could be made of brass, plated with silver, and then given a coating of yellow lacquer.

If you have doubts whether this is the original Gold-Filled or 14K GF®, 9k GF™ and 18k GF™ gold composite, write to us, we will check
whether it is an original or a fake jewelry.   

Gold-GF fact

„Gold GF^_® or GF it is  a name under which goods are sold all over the world, it is also the specificity of the goods and the service.  „Gold-GF^_®”
marked only merchandise, both jewelry and semifinished products, for the production of jewelry, are made from an gold composite containing at least 5% of 14-carat gold, and the top coat of the product is 9, 14, 18 or 24-carat gold only. When you buy ” Gold-GF^®” products, you are guaranteed that you will receive product produced in the USA, Poland or UK and made according to American legal standards or regulations of the 14K GF® warranty trademark.

The Difference in the Gold-Filled and the 14k gf®:

There is practically no difference. The only differences are14k-GF^_® is a branded product and contain 14-carat gold in their alloy structure, not only a coat of carat gold and the surface.   14k GF^® additionally are covered with 18k gold or 950 platinum layers on its top surface.
 

Is gold-filled or 14k GF^® jewelry durable? How long does it last?

After solid options, Gold-filled jewelry is certainly your best quality for gold pieces. In theory, gold-filled items can last a lifetime. Indeed, some gold-filled jewelry still exists from the Victorian era (over 100 years old). In practice, actual longevity will depend on how you care for it and a variety of other factors.

Does gold-filled or 14k GF^® tarnish?

14k GF^® materials are not supposed to tarnish for a long time.  It’s possible for gold-filled to tarnish under certain circumstances, but it should not tarnish easily: Just like gold. 

Does it contain nickel? Is gold-filled or 14k GF^® okay for people with sensitive skin?

No. None of gold composite contains nickel. Yes. 99.9% of people find they have no sensitivity to gold-filled or 14k GF^® .  Because the outside of the piece is solid 14k gold, it interacts with your skin in the same way solid 14k gold would.  If you do not have any sensitivities to solid gold, you will find gold-filled or 14k GF^® agrees well with your skin.

Will it turn my skin green? Will it flake off? Does it Rust?

No. There are very rare instances where certain people’s body chemistry reacts with the 14k gold to leave a green residue on the skin, but this happens in approximately 0.001% of
people, so it should not be a concern.  Body chemistry is a fascinating thing, and often times it’s actually medications present in the system that can react with the gold.
No. With ggold-filled or 14k GF^® jewelry, not prone to flaking or cracking.  Flaking is more common with certain types of gold plating.
Nope.  Rust isn’t possible with the metals present in gold-filled or Gold-GF material.