If you run a permanent jewellery studio or jewellery brand, you’re already juggling quality, component fit, customer expectations and all of the other hats you wear. The last thing you need is metal that doesn’t do what it says on the tin. This post explains exactly what counts as genuine gold-filled under the US standard (the benchmark our business uses), what “Brazilian gold-filled” is, how plating and vermeil differ, why gold-colour stainless steel isn’t suitable for permanent wear, how to spot misleading claims, and the real-world limitations of gold-filled for 24/7 jewellery.
I’ve also included quotes from a recent supplier pitch that illustrates the sort of language used to blur the lines between gold-filled and plated.
What US-standard gold-filled is and why we use it
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Definition: US-standard gold-filled (often marked 14/20 GF) is a mechanically bonded layer of karat gold (most commonly 14k) that is at least 5% of the item’s total weight. The gold is pressure-bonded to a brass (or occasionally sterling silver) core using heat and pressure, not deposited out of a bath.
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What 14/20 means: 1/20th (5%) of the finished piece’s total weight is 14k gold.
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Why it matters for permanent jewellery:
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The gold layer is far thicker than any plating and survives everyday friction much longer.
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There is no “barrier” or “under-plate” to burn off at the weld, so you don’t get obvious silver/brassy halos around joins the way plated items do.
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It’s predictable: the standard is objective (by weight), so you can source the same chains and connectors consistently.
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🔧 Quick sense-check: anyone describing gold-filled in microns (a plating thickness measure) or talking about electroplating, electroforming, coating, bonding is not talking about US-standard gold-filled.
How thick is the gold in practice?
Gold-filled is specified by weight, so thickness varies with the size of the piece. As a rough example, a 1.0 mm round wire that meets the 5% gold-by-weight requirement has a gold jacket on the order of ~8 µm; a 0.5 mm sheet will be around ~16 µm of gold. That’s several times thicker than vermeil (2.5 µm) and orders of magnitude thicker than most gold plating used in fashion jewellery (often 0.1–1 µm).
Where is genuine gold-filled made?
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Primary producers of 14/20 sheet & wire: United States and Italy (with smaller, specialist capacities elsewhere). These mills use pressure-bonding and rolling lines to make the raw stock that responsible findings houses turn into chain, jump rings, connectors and components.
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Beware: A lot of “gold-filled” marketed from China/Hong Kong/India/Brazil is actually heavy plating using gold-colour over barrier layers. Some factories do offer mechanically bonded stock in very simple forms, but if you’re buying finished parts, the default in those markets is plating dressed up with gold-filled language. Verify (see checklist below).
What “Brazilian gold-filled” is - and how it differs
“Brazilian gold-filled” is a trade term used widely online for jewellery produced with thick electroplating (often 3–5 µm) of 18k-colour gold over barrier layers (e.g., palladium/nickel) on brass or steel. It does not meet the US gold-filled definition because:
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The gold is chemically deposited (plated), not mechanically bonded.
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The standard is given in microns, not 5% by weight.
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The layer stack usually includes barrier layers and e-coating, both classic plating practices.
As permanent jewellery: even at 3–5 µm, plating on bracelets/anklets that are worn 24/7 will usually show wear within weeks to a few months at high-friction points, and it will burn/colour-shift at the weld exposing base metal (hello nickel allergies!). It is not a durable or predictable option for welded pieces.
What plating is (and all the names it hides behind)
Plating deposits a very thin layer of gold onto a base metal using electricity or vapour.
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Common names used for plating:
gold plated, electroplated, flash plated, PVD, IP (ion-plated), vacuum plated, e-coated, micron-plated and, misleadingly, “chemical gold-filled.” -
Typical thickness: 0.1–1.0 µm (fashion jewellery) up to ~3–5 µm for “micron plating.”
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As permanent jewellery: plating, even “micron plating” is quickly abraded by skin, fabric and water exposure. Expect visible wear in weeks to months depending on placement. Welds burn through the plating and expose the barrier/base metal, leaving a pale or brassy ring at the join.
What gold vermeil is
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Definition (US): Sterling silver base with at least 2.5 µm of gold plating (≥10k).
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Compared to US gold-filled: vermeil’s gold is plated and much thinner (2.5 µm) than the typical gold thickness you get from gold-filled meeting the 5% weight rule.
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Why it’s not suitable for permanent jewellery: the plating will abrade and fade, welds discolour, and sterling silver is exposed at joins.
Why gold-colour stainless steel isn’t suitable
Gold-colour stainless components are stainless steel with a PVD/IP coating of gold colour. This coating is extremely thin (usually sub-micron to ~1 µm). During welding, the coating burns back leaving a silver ring; over time, friction polishes through to the grey base. Some grades also contain nickel, which is problematic for sensitive clients. It looks good on day one, it doesn’t hold up as a forever piece.
Safety note: Stainless is also mechanically too strong. Heavier gauges don’t deform or “give” when snagged, so without a deliberate break point the force transfers to the wearer’s skin, increasing the risk of cuts, bruising or burns if a bracelet catches on clothing or equipment. Permanent jewellery should incorporate a predictable safety release (e.g., a softer gold-filled micro jump ring or intentionally thinner link) so the piece sacrifices itself before the wearer is injured.
How suppliers blur the lines (real quotes)
Below are verbatim snippets from a recent sales pitch I received. Pay attention to the tells - I knew straight away:
“Our definition of gold-filled follows the North American Standard: The gold layer must be at least 5% or 1/20 of the total weight… We produce in 3–5 microns and always provide a testing report.”
When questioned how the gold is bonded...
“Actually there are two manufacturing methods for gold-filled items… 2. Chemical Gold-Filled: Using an electroforming process, gold is deposited from a solution… The gold layer still meets the 5% weight requirement, fully complying with the gold-filled standard.”
“We have double silver plating as base… Add Palladium layer… Gold filled layer… Add E-coating for colour retention.”
“Ultimately, color durability is a key concern… We may also offer more cost-effective alternatives that still meet your durability expectations.”
What’s wrong here?
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Mixing weight language (“5%/1-20”) with micron language is a classic red flag. Microns = plating.
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Claiming “chemical gold-filled” is self-contradictory. If it’s electro-deposited, it’s plated, not gold-filled. The US standard outlined by the FTC specifically states mechanical bonding and claiming that 5% plating meets the standard is an outright lie from this manufacturer.
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Diagrams listing barrier plating and e-coating layers are a plating stack, not mechanical bonding.
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“Colour durability” and “cost-effective alternatives” usually mean plating pitched as “gold-filled-like.”
How to spot fakes (or mislabelled metal) fast
Use this checklist before you order:
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Ask how the gold is applied.
Correct answer: “mechanically/pressure bonded (rolled) to a brass core,” not “electroplated / PVD / chemical / micron.” -
Look for the spec by weight, not thickness.
You want 14/20 (or 12/20) with the 5% by weight claim. If they lead with microns or e-coating, it’s plating. -
Watch the language. Red-flag terms: chemical gold-filled, IP/PVD, micron gold, e-coating, palladium barrier, double silver plating base, 18k/24k gold-filled (with microns), and claims that they can do any karat in gold-filled (genuine supply is typically 12k or 14k; other karats exist but are far less common and still must be mechanically bonded).
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Stamps aren’t proof. “14/20 GF” stamps can be added to anything. Without process proof, a stamp is just a stamp.
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XRF caveat. XRF reads the surface and can’t confirm weight fraction. Forensic confirmation requires cut-cross-section microscopy or destructive testing.
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Weld test a sample. On real gold-filled, a perfect weld is clean and polishes out; on plated, the weld halo goes pale/silver/brassy immediately.
Real-world limitations of genuine gold-filled (so you can set expectations)
Gold-filled is brilliant for permanent bracelets and necklaces, with care, but it isn’t magic. Abrasion still wins.
On high-rub areas (anklets, rings, tight watch-style chains), the gold can wear over years and eventually expose the brass core at edges.
Chemicals matter. Chlorine, sulphur (hot springs), strong acids/alkalis and harsh cleaners can stain/darken the surface.
Heat marks at welds. You can get slight colour change at the join if overheated; proper weld settings and a quick polish can fix it.
Not for body piercings. The brass core makes it unsuitable for fresh piercings or long-term wear through tissue.
Care tips you can pass on: avoid overchlorinated pools/hot spas & artesian (high sulphur) water, rinse after swims, avoid perfumes/lotions directly on the piece, and give it an occasional gentle polish with a low-abrasive cloth. (Blue Sunshine cloths are perfect!)
Manufacturing limitations - why you won’t see cast charms in true gold-filled
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Gold-filled can’t be cast. It’s made by mechanically bonding a layer of karat gold to a brass core, then rolling into sheet, wire or tube. If you melt it to cast, the layers mix and the piece is no longer gold-filled - it becomes base metal with gold content smeared through it. Any supplier offering “gold-filled casting” or “cast GF charms” is talking about plated items.
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What does work: stamping/laser-cutting from sheet, forming (dapping, doming), drawing wire for jump rings, and simple tube settings or soldered/welded forms. Most genuine GF charms and connectors are flat or lightly formed shapes, disks, bars, simple bezels and tubes.
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Design constraints: chunky, fully 3D or highly sculptural charms, deep engraving, heavy milling, countersunk drill holes, or aggressive edge bevels can cut through the gold layer and expose the brass. Prong-heavy stone settings and deep seat cuts are out for the same reason.
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Heat & joining limits: excessive soldering/heat can thin or discolour the gold layer. Use GF-appropriate solders, localised heat, and finish with light polishing - avoid heavy resurfacing that removes thickness.
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Repairs & resizing: rings or closed shapes made in GF are hard to resize without showing a seam or exposing core metal. For permanent jewellery, prefer purpose-made GF jump rings/connectors designed to weld cleanly.
Bottom line: Expect a tighter catalogue of authentic gold-filled charms and connectors. If you see complex cast designs or pave (small set stones) marketed as “gold-filled,” assume plated until proven otherwise.
TL;DR comparison for permanent jewellery
| Material | What it is | Typical gold thickness | Weld behaviour | Expected wear (24/7) |
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| US 14/20 Gold-Filled | Mechanically bonded 14k gold ≥5% by weight over brass | ~8–30 µm depending on gauge | Clean weld; no barrier to burn | Years with normal care |
| “Brazilian Gold-Filled” | Heavy plating (3–5 µm) over barrier layers | 3–5 µm | Burns/colour-shifts at weld; halo | Weeks–months on high-rub areas |
| Gold Vermeil | 2.5 µm gold plated over sterling silver | 2.5 µm | Weld exposes/tarnishes silver | Months with gentle wear; not for PJ |
| Gold-colour Stainless | PVD/IP coating on steel | <1–~1 µm | Coating burns to silver ring | Rapid wear; not for PJ |
| Standard Gold Plating | Electroplated gold on base metal | 0.1–1 µm | Immediate burn-off at weld | Weeks |
(Figures are indicative; longevity depends on placement, chemistry and care.)
What to ask suppliers (copy-paste checklist)
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Is your gold layer mechanically bonded (rolled/pressure-bonded), or electroplated/PVD?
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Confirm the spec by weight: “Is this 14/20 gold-filled (≥5% 14k gold by weight)?”
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Do your connectors/chains contain any barrier layers (nickel/palladium), e-coating or PVD? (They shouldn’t.)
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What karat is the gold layer? 14k is standard, 12k, 10k & 9k do exist (it's even an option when I buy from chain manufacturers, but I only ever buy 14k). You'll find a lot of 12k masqueraded as 14k gold filled on Chinese B2B marketplaces, you know which one!. Claims of “24k gold-filled” + “microns” = 🚩
Final word
At Infinix Jewellery we only supply US-standard 14/20 gold-filled chain and findings for our permanent jewellery customers because it’s the only widely available, objective standard that delivers predictable, long-wearing results. If a pitch leans on microns, barrier layers, e-coating, or the phrase “chemical gold-filled,” you’re being sold plating, no matter how convincing the diagram looks.