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Daily Wire Tip Oct. 3: What is Rolled Gold Wire?

By on October 3, 2009
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Daily Wire Jewelry Making Tip
October 3, 2009

Question:

What is rolled gold wire? Does it hold up better than any of the products Ive used before or does it fade like gold plate? Eventually, I`d like to start working with real gold, but that`s not going to be for a long time. Should I just go for the gold filled wire instead?

Answer:

Gold-filled wire is a tube of gold, (usually 14k, sometimes 12k or 10k), that has been filled with a base metal, (generally pure jeweler’s brass), and the two are securely bonded together with heat and pressure.  In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission sets the definition as to the quality of gold-filled. For example, if an item is stamped 10KGF the gold must be no less than 1/10 of the item’s weight,  and 12KGF = 1/20. In Europe, ‘gold-filled’ is called ‘rolled gold’. In all gold-filled wire scenarios, everything that is seen or that will touch the skin is karat gold. The gold layer on gold-filled wire will not chip off or wash off. If a person were to wear a 14/20 gold-filled piece of jewelry every day continuously, the gold would last from 5 to 30 years!

Rolled gold ‘plate’ however, is just as it is called: plated. When a base metal is coated with a thin layer of gold via electrolysis it has been ‘plated’. If the base metal used is sterling silver and 18K gold is bonded to it, it is called Vermeil. Gold plate will wear off quite quickly, and the base metal below will tarnish.

14k gold-filled items have 50 to 100,000 times more gold than regular gold plating, depending on the manufacturer, and 17 to 25,000 times thicker than heavy gold electroplated items. I have been using 14/20 gold-filled wire to make jewelry for many years and have never had any returned due to issues with the gold wearing or coming off in any way. (Yes, I also work occasionally in 14k and 18k, but that can be extremely expensive).

Answer contributed by Dale `Cougar` Armstrong

4 Comments

  1. avatar

    Chuck Thompson

    October 3, 2009 at 9:15 am

    Gold filled . 1/20th of the weight of the item is karat gold. Generally .003 in thickness. Mechanically bonded. Not a tube filled with base metal.

    Rolled gold plate. The same process of mechanically bonding the karat gold is done. RGP is 1/40th of the item weight and is generally .0015 in thickness. one half that of gold filled.

    Check out the site of Gold filled manufacturers association.

    Thank you, Chuck Thompson. Just got into wire working late last year, but have been a Gemologist and Gold-silversmith for fifty years.

  2. avatar

    Darlene

    October 3, 2009 at 2:43 pm

    I have a question about Sterling Silver. How long does sterling silver stay nice compared to gold plated metals?

    Thank you.

    Regards, Darlene

  3. avatar

    Barbara Burkett

    October 3, 2009 at 4:36 pm

    Dale, that is the best discription of gold filled that I’ve seen. May I use it on my website? I’ll give you credit for it and link it to your site. Just let me know what address.
    Barbara Burkett

  4. avatar

    Peggy Schneider

    October 4, 2009 at 1:03 am

    I have only been doing wire work for a short time. I use gold filled and usually sterling with success. My problem has been with head & eye pins and findings for earrings. Even good eye pins tarnish quickly. What do you suggest?